In light of the recent #EndHunger Protests around the country, we talked to one of the organisers and director of the #TakeItBack Movement ( @AyowoleSanyaolu ) to assess the politico-economic conditions leading up to the mass action, historic (in)actions of the Unions and its effects on the citizenry. We also discussed possible actions that could reinvigorate mass consciousness and deepen on-the-ground political work towards a fundamental change. Image Credit https://apnews.com/article/nigeria-protests-government-economy-inflation-2dcb6ec98716772b6630476e13880c82 ..read more

In light of the recent #EndHunger Protests around the country, we talked to one of the organisers and director of the #TakeItBack Movement ( @AyowoleSanyaolu ) to assess the politico-economic conditions leading up to the mass action, historic (in)actions of the Unions and its effects on the citizenry. We also discussed possible actions that could reinvigorate mass consciousness and deepen on-the-ground political work towards a fundamental change. Image Credit https://apnews.com/article/nigeria-protests-government-economy-inflation-2dcb6ec98716772b6630476e13880c82 ..read more

In our latest episode, we examine the Vietnamese socialist project in a lighthearted conversation with Taofeek ( @afolxbi ), a young Nigerian communist who visited recently. Amongst the many things we looked to learn, we were curious to know if and/or how, decades after their protracted civil war, a 'unified' Vietnam is moving on. We also covered issues around attitudes towards (economic) development outside of the cities. The Vietnamese lesson (hammers & sickles), as you might find, is that an engaged citizenry is a vital component of nation building ..read more

Back from the January Hiatus, we discuss recent developments in the ongoing Ecowas crisis. Why is Ecowas in crisis? Were the junta run countries of the Sahel right to (ecow)exit the regional body? What is Ecowas actually good for? Should the body even exist? Also, if you stay till the end of the show, you'll hear about our exciting new partnership (not with Wagner group, but...) Photo credit: Africa Report ..read more

As a year end bonus, we decided to release this slightly controversial, somewhat theoretical debate we had about the pitfalls of 'independence' and the possibility that the very notion of a post-colonial nation-state -- i.e. national liberation -- was the foundational scam. Is there anything to be said about the argument that independence was, in some cases, premature? Was there every a chance that even a revolutionary (petty bourgeois) anti-colonial leadership would commit 'class suicide' and give way to a popular democracy? Or was the seizure of the nation-state from imperialists by anti-col ..read more

In our final recording of the year, we consider a little-remembered institution that laid the foundation for many state-led scams to come: the colonial and post-independence era agricultural produce marketing boards. We discussed why they were founded by the colonial state, why they became indispensable to the post-independence regional governments, how they (sort of) ended, and whether they are inherently fraudulent or can be repurposed. Enjoy... And happy holidays! **The cover poster is one of a series of more than 200, commissioned and published by the British government's Empire Marketi ..read more

We discuss the short-lived general strike -- possibly Nigeria's first in a decade -- to understand it's links to the ongoing economic crisis. What caused the strike and why did it end so quickly? What led to the assault on Comrade Joe Ajaero, the NLC president? Did the strike contribute to rebuilding Labour's waning public legitimacy, or to further undermining it ..read more

You might already know: we've been running a reading group on Nigerian Political Economy. This episode reviews some highlights from our first three sessions which covered the development of capitalism in pre-colonial, colonial, and pre-civil war Nigeria. Spanning over a millennia of West-African history, the discussion was, to say the least, ambitious. But we were greatly aided by Bobby (@iyi_bobby on X), one of the most insightful participants in our reading sessions. Enjoy -- and also let us know if you're interested in joining future editions of the reading group ..read more

We discussed the protests that accompanied the passing of the Afrobeatz recording artist, Mohbad, as well as the dark side of the Nigerian music industry (and discovered how this intersects with the origin story of @OAG). Was there ever a pseudo-anarchist character to Naira Marley, as some observers (see references) proposed? Amid the current economic crisis, could one argue that 'the youths' were protesting about the 'wrong' Naira? References: On the politics of Marlianism: https://www.africasacountry.com/2020/10/good-influence A critique of the politics of Marlianism: https://africasacoun ..read more

We explore the origins of Nigeria's fuel subsidy and popular resistance to its removal, aided by sociologist Camilla Houeland (@CamillaHoueland) -- a researcher at the Fafo, Norway, and associate professor in Sociology and Human Geography at the University of Oslo. Have Nigeria's Labour Unions given up on resisting the removal of the subsidy? What should we make of environmentalist criticisms of policies that seem to promote the use of fossil fuels? Why do petrol subsidies remain an important point of leverage for Nigerian working class and poor households? How might some of the flaws and frau ..read more