In June 2021, I met Jamiu Abiola, the multi-linguist, author and the Shettima of Borno and we spoke extensively about what Democracy meant for his family. He told me his goal was for Nigerians to look at each other and not think about their zonal differences; “I’m from the south,[Read More…]
Author: Khadija Yusra Sanusi
Holding on to Faith: Muslims and the Search for a Conducive Environment
I observed Ramadan for the first time outside my home country, Nigeria, in 2015. It was in Johannesburg, South Africa when I was a student at the African Leadership Academy. Remembering it now – notwithstanding the school’s attempt to create a conducive environment – it was a bit gloomy because[Read More…]
We’re not Hypocrites: Ramadan and the Struggle to be Better
It is Monday April 12th, 2021, the day before Ramadan. I am scrolling through Twitter to share and retweet everything Muslims can find helpful, as they prepare for the sacred month. In the midst of that, I come across one tweet with an offbeat take: that the concept of Ramadan[Read More…]
#ENDSARS: Servant Leadership and the Decentralisation of Power in Nigeria
On October 12th, 2020, a picture went viral on social media; it was of a young female protesting for the #ENDSARS movement against police brutality in Nigeria under the rain in Warri, Delta state. She was wearing a black top, knee-length shorts, pink crocs, a surgical facemask and an afro, with a[Read More…]
The Feminist Coven and the Fight against Sexual Violence in Nigeria
In a 2017 essay, Maggie Rosen argues that “the contemporary denigration of women politicians as witches is rooted in historical context.” If it wasn’t Margaret Thatcher, the Prime Minister of United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, it was Julia Gillard, the 27th Prime Minister of Australia or Hillary Clinton, USA candidate in[Read More…]
“Pray About It”: A Civilian’s Fight against Mental Illness in Muslim Nigeria
One of my favourite essays was written by Jamilla Hekmoun; it is titled ‘There’s No Such Thing as a Depressed Muslim’: Discussing Mental Health in the Muslim Community. In this thought-provoking, enlightening essay, Hekmoun demystifies the myth that devout Muslims cannot be depressed; that depression is a sign of faithlessness in Islam;[Read More…]
The Line between Arranged and Forced Marriages in Northern Nigeria
My cousin is getting married to the love of her life soon. She met him through our grand aunt; his mother was her best friend for many years. My cousin, Hawwah, was reluctant at first; she did not like the idea of arranged marriage and was not ready to give[Read More…]
“Aboki” and the dangers of othering in Nigeria
It is a Friday afternoon in November 2019. We are sitting across each other at Arts Café in Victoria Island, Lagos. Having met at Aké Books and Arts Festival just a month earlier, we have been having intense conversations about what the future could look like for survivors of sexual[Read More…]
India’s Magical Weapon of Power in Northern Nigeria
I don’t know a single Arewa (Northern Nigerian) household that does not watch Bollywood. This doesn’t necessarily mean the owners of the house are devoted fans; it is often the domestic workers who come together in the smallest sitting room to watch TV. TV means Bollywood and Kannywood (the Hausa-language[Read More…]
Surviving Coronavirus Disease in Nigeria
I know two people who tested positive for Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19). As soon as I heard about their condition, I called to wish them well and a speedy recovery. To my surprise, they both sounded calm and hopeful that they would recover in no time. They had already been[Read More…]
