S1 E4: Wale Lawal

Wale Lawal is a research and consulting professional, and was recently named to the Quartz list of top African innovators. Educated at Corona School, Bath, LSE & Oxford, Wale is a senior researcher at Harvard Business School’s Africa Research Center, a co-founder at GatePass, and the founder and editor-in-chief of The Republic, a journal of Nigerian and African affairs. He’s been a thought provoking voice on Twitter in recent years and is recognisable around Lagos with his signature print and Panama hats.

Loved by collectors from Seoul to Cape Town, Dennis Osadebe is the most iconic young Nigerian artist of his generation. He blends the past with the future, while combining both local and international pop culture references in his work. This enables him to make art which is deeply rooted in Nigeria and finished with a global outlook. In this episode, he shared his story of his journey into professional art and his insight on what it means to be made in Nigeria. Enjoy!

Nigeria has a very rich literary culture. From the greats like China Achebe and Wole Soyinka to contemporary giants like Chimamanda Adichie and Teju Cole, the nuances that form the Nigerian experience are constantly being documented.  Chibundu Onuzo is just another writer whose insights make us more enlightened. Combining her creative talents as a novelist and sometime singer with a background as an academic, Chibundu is proof of the excellence that has become synonymous with young Nigerians.  Afiola spoke to her in London.    Enjoy! 

Asa Asika has fulfilled the metaphorical 10,000 hours rule and become one of the most accomplished music executives of our age. On this episode, he tells us his story from developing an interest in the music industry as a secondary school student, getting a start at the iconic Storm Records label, engineering Davido's break out, going separate ways and then getting the call to come back at a pivotal moment in his career, and then co founding the Plug.  Asa Asika was made in Nigeria and this is his story. 

On this episode, we talk to the people we need to make this show what it can be: YOU. We talk about what exactly it is we're setting out to do, its potential importance and what to expect over the course of its lifespan. 

Earlier this year, Ojukokoro, a Nollywood crime heist comedy film hit the cinemas to rave reviews. We spoke to Director and Writer, Dare Olaitan and Co Producer, Niyi Olaitan on the background machinations that made their debut movie, developing a participatory interest in Nollywood, the ecosystem that informs the production of content, the lack of movie going culture in Nigeria, his work ethic amongst other things.