When the Nigerian writer Dami Ajayi co-founded Saraba Magazine in 2009 alongside fellow writer Emmanuel Iduma, they were at the doorway of a renaissance in the African literary ecosystem. The internet was just exploding in Nigeria, and ambitious writers were taking advantage of its global connectivity to build mostly online publications and literary townhalls.

Writers like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Binyavanga Wainaina, Tope Folarin, NoViolet Bulawayo, and Teju Cole were gaining recognition on the international literary scene. Soon, other publications like Expound, Praxis, Omenana Magazine, Bakwa, Munyori Journal, and Jalada Africa began to emerge. It was the era of Afro-politans, a term coined by Taiye Selasi to explain the globally mobile and culturally aware African, which saw a blending of worlds between African writers in the West and those on the continent. Attention from the West on African literature was blooming, and so was a local thirst for change. Essentially, it was an unbelievably great time to be an African writer.

"People were interested in books, people who read, people who wrote were able to come together, meet writers that they would never have met previously," Ajayi tells OkayAfrica.

"You had writing communities on websites and social media, which served as spaces for writers to get honest critique on their work, feedback, and encouragement," Efemuaye adds. "These communities fueled and challenged the writers, and as a reader, you could see the quality of writing from the writers improve over time because they weren't working in silos. They were also reading and having conversations about writing, which is important for any literary ecosystem."

All of this began to change as the late 2010s rolled around. Lack of funding and economic hardships intensified across the continent, particularly in countries like Nigeria, which was regarded as a forerunner in the African literary space. Highly regarded publications like Saraba, which published writers like TJ Benson and Ironsen Okojie, began to fold up (Saraba halted operations in 2019, but an archive of its published works remains live). Online literary communities began to vanish, shuttering spaces for communal critique and avenues to discover exciting new voices.

Onyango himself emerged during that golden era of African literature. First, as a writer before co-founding one of the most prestigious publications of that time, Enkare Review. Enkare Review, during its time, published esteemed authors like Namwali Serpell, as well as an interview with David Remnick, the editor-in-chief of The New Yorker. It was an audacious publication that bravely brought the international literary community to Africa, offering up a lineup of brilliant voices with each issue. The publication folded up in 2019, its third year in operation.

And while Onyango has gone on to experience immense literary success and has now founded Lolwe, one of the very few African literary magazines still in operation, there is, according to him, a clear distinction between the quality of the work being submitted now and ten years ago.

"The quality of the work has gone down," Onyango says. "Even the output. We used to have African writers publish 10-15 short stories in a year. And that's one single writer. I published about eight stories in one year. And now we no longer see that. We see one or two people publish like maybe three stories max, or four stories max."

A break in transmission

A key aspect of what defined the African literary ecosystem in the 2010s was the establishment of a cycle for many African writers. Writers would begin in relative anonymity, honing their craft before summoning the courage to submit their work to the numerous African publications that flourished at the time. Once published, these writers gradually built networks within a growing community of fellow writers and engaged readers. Then they would get nominated for one of the many writing prizes; there was Writivism (which rewarded excellent short stories, nonfiction and poetry), The Brittle Paper Awards (which rewarded the best published works in a given year), The Gerald Kraak Prize (which awarded excellence in writing related to gender, sexuality and social justice) the Etisalat Prize for Literature (a prestigious prize that awarded debut authors) and many others. The cycle ensured that African writers found their voices and had the means to share and be rewarded for it.

"Everything seemed possible. World literary domination was coming," Efemuaye recalls. "As an editor and reader, I had high expectations of all the new writing that was going to come out of the continent in the following decades. I was excited about the future and being part of creating that future."

Another important aspect of that cycle was collective responsibility. African writers who achieved success were known to give back, often by supporting existing publications, mentoring emerging writers, or even founding their own publications and prizes to nurture other literary talents. There is now a break in that cycle.

There are significantly fewer literary African publications in operation now than there were six years ago. Alongside Lolwe, publications like Akpata Magazine, The Republic Magazine, Brittle Paper, Open Country Magazine, and Isele Magazine are among the few enduring platforms still holding the fort. In Nigeria, book publishing has shifted from literary works to commercially driven titles, with publishers like Farafina, Cassava Republic, and Parréssia Publishers scaling back their operations and publishing fewer titles. In Kenya and other parts of the continent, book publishing continues to dwindle. And most dangerously, the online spaces that facilitated healthy conversations in favor of the ecosystem have all but disappeared.

Many of the people who were part of that era, like Ajayi and Efemuaye, say the decline can be traced back to 2020. In Nigeria's case, many of the brilliant writers of that era suddenly found themselves compelled to pursue better opportunities outside the country after living through a disastrous economy and experiencing the 2020 #EndSARS Protests. Between 2022 and 2023, more than 3.6 million people emigrated from Nigeria, according to the Nigerian Immigration Service.

"Culture is the first casualty of a credit crunch, and it's the first thing to go," Ajayi says. "When the economy began to collapse, and EndSARS happened, a brain drain that had already begun intensified. So everyone who had the wherewithal to move, moved." As Ajayi sees it, these writers are still dealing with the task of adjusting to new realities, which often forces them to focus solely on their work and their survival, leaving little room to contribute to the well-being of a dying industry.

Onyango believes that funding and economic upheavals have long plagued the industry; however, it's not the only thing currently stymying it. There is a dearth of dialogue that has also contributed immensely, Onyango offers. "Younger writers are coming up, and they don't see writers of the previous generation being open and talking openly. It can kind of silence them as well," Onyango says. "People are not writing essays as well. At least with the previous generation, when writers were not on social media, they would produce all these essays. They would have blogs. I don't even remember the last time I read a blog. I don't even know if people still blog anymore."

This vacuum of conversation has created a chasm of understanding between old and new writers.

Efemuaye agrees, "Writers learned craft through multiple rounds of editing and feedback from editors since their work had to meet certain editorial standards. These thorough editorial processes are being replaced by the instant gratification that comes with self-publishing because writers bypass the developmental stage of working with skilled editors who can help them refine their voice and writing styles."

The effects are already showing. Books are expensive, and book prizes, which once boosted book sales, are no longer available, leaving many African writers to compete with those still accessible in the West. In the past five years, no new African writer has been nominated for the Booker Prize.

Despite the dire state of things, Ajayi is optimistic. The way forward is to hold institutions accountable, he says. While individuals should build what they can, Ajayi believes that administrative support will go a long way in subsidizing the cost of running literary institutions in the interest of preserving literary traditions and keeping the arts alive, especially in times like these.

And as Onyango sees it, the way to avoid this lull is by institutionalizing African literary spaces so they are formidable enough to last beyond whoever funded them. The first step to overcoming this lull is to acknowledge the problem while also recognizing that small support for the few existing literary publications and institutions can go a long way. The best kind of support isn't always in funding.

When Nigerian writer Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo first arrived in America to further her education, she was 23 and a fog sat at the edge of her mind. It was a kind of fog characterised by inexperience, and the acute awareness of that inexperience. "I was trying to figure out who I was. I felt that there was something that I should know that I did not know, and that frustrated me a lot," Okonkwo tells OkayAfrica. "There were so many things that were so unclear to me, and then they began to unwrap themselves slowly."

It is from this feeling of existential cluelessness that she created the emotional composition of Somkelechukwu, the main character in The Tiny Things Are Heavier, her stunning debut novel about a Nigerian immigrant woman and her convoluted journey towards self-discovery.

When we first meet Somkelechukwu, who is affectionately referred to as Sommy in the book, she is entering a new country and a new life. In her early twenties, Sommy is at once in awe of everything in this new world and also seriously disoriented by the life that has thrust her into it.

In Tiny Things, Okonkwo writes with impeccable observation of the quirks that define human nature. Nothing escapes her sharp gaze, from the way a character perceives the smell in their space to the way monumental events disrupt their self-perception.

Okonkwo's writing is often taut and skillfully restrained, even when dissecting a seemingly minor detail for long paragraphs. Her ability to transform small complications into compelling philosophical arguments is masterful and impressive. It's what makes this book wise and thoughtful. Also present is Okonkwo's understanding of how national tragedies impact the lives of young Nigerians.

"The book started to form for me during the #EndSARS movement," Okonkwo explains. "I then began to think about the ways that these sorts of big structures can shape your life, can shape the way you love, can shape the way you interact with people, and can even shape the chemicals in your brain."

Okonkwo's work joins a list of many art pieces that have been born from the #EndSARS protests that claimed the lives of many Nigerians who were shot at by military officers. What Okonkwo does in her debut is settle on the disappointment and sense of despair that comes from living in a country without systems, a country that has its hands on your back, pushing you to run as far as you can.

A coming of age

On the face of it, "The Tiny Things Are Heavier" could be described as a story about migration. It does feature a lot of movement and the feelings of displacement that come with it. A closer look, however, will reveal that migration functions here as a feature, rather than the heart of the story. More pressing are issues of human character: how do we perceive ourselves and our capacity to be good or bad, the book asks. Who are we when cultural expectations no longer shape our identity?

Sommy's ability to have her leg between two worlds shifts her sense of privilege and her sense of self. While in the United States, she is forced to grapple more with why she chose to leave and who she has become as a result of that, and back home, she is faced with the guilt of one who has found a way out. With steady emotional agility, the book shifts between Sommy's complicated relationship with her brother, Mezie, who influences much of her emotional maturity, an even more complicated relationship with her partner, Bryan, with whom she shares a life-altering connection, and her nonexistent relationship with herself.

It's what makes this book a skillfully crafted bildungsroman. "I just didn't want this to be a migrant novel," Okonkwo explains. "I wanted it to be a person trying to move from young adulthood to maturity."

Throughout the book, Sommy faces varying emotional and situational challenges in a way that upsets traditional categorizations of good and bad behavior. In this book, Okonkwo says she aimed to dissect not the categorization of behavior but its ability to exist outside the binary. "I wanted her to go through all that is required to get to an understanding of yourself."

Okonkwo's work arrives at a delicate time in both the U.S and Nigerian politics. Like many of the characters in this book, there is a restlessness among young Nigerians that is drawing their gaze away from their own homes. And in the U.S, stricter immigration policies are bringing up questions of who gets to have a better life and at what cost?

By making the characters exhibit both unkindness and care towards each other, Okonkwo highlights that special ability of humans to live with contradictions.

"I want people to lean into the ugliness of being human. I think that we are so preoccupied with purity in a world that is so impure," Okonkwo says. "Look at the world and look at the things that are happening in the world and the decisions that people are making. They don't come from one big evil act. These are little tiny choices that people make that then lead to all of this sort of destruction that we see. And I think that there is a tendency for us to shy away from those small evils."

Before writing this book, Okonkwo had pieces published in Guernica, VQR, Catapult, and other places. Writing this book was transformative for Okonkwo. Written over the course of four years, Okonkwo, who graduated from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and was a recipient of the Elizabeth George Foundation Grant, wrote herself through a difficult time in her life. "I was terribly unhappy," she says. "I had not seen my family in a long time because I couldn't afford to travel as much as I'd like. My father was ill at one point. I couldn't go back to see him. Normal life challenges, but most of them I had to sort of figure out alone." It was from those feelings of stress and relentless unbelonging that she infused her characters with depth.

At its core, Okonkwo hopes that this book speaks to the times, but also to the complexity of the human condition. "I want us to be more comfortable with our mistakes, owning them, then working to change them."

In January of this year, President John Mahama was inaugurated as the 14th President of Ghana. During his inauguration speech, Mahama, who was taking over from former President Nana Akufo-Addo, emphasized the country's need for urgent reforms. "For some time, our country has urgently needed leadership with an unwavering desire to get things done," he said in his speech.

President Mahama's win in the 2024 elections was a historic demonstration of voting power and an expression of widespread discontent towards the previous administration. In his campaign, Mahama’s promises centred on policies around revitalising the Ghanaian economy and trimming the government.

Upon resumption, Mahama developed a social contract — a list of policies and developments expected to have been completed or implemented within his first 120 days in office. The contract, in 26 key points, promised amongst many things, to promote exports, implement the famous 24-hour economy proposition that was at the forefront of his campaign, scrap infamous taxes like the e-levy and COVID-19 levy, known to increase cost of doing business in Ghana, create a lean and cost efficient government and launch the Black Star Experience a culture, arts and tourism outfit reminiscent to the Year Of Return campaign launched by the previous administration.

"Most of the key economic indicators are moving in the right direction," Caleb Wuninti Ziblim, an economic analyst, tells OkayAfrica. "We have seen some stability in the exchange rate, ease of inflation, and signs of growth. That is a strong footing."

Different time, same playbook?

On the ground, opinions about Mahama's current administration are treated with a level of caution. During his first tenure, he was criticised for failing to deliver on many of his campaign promises. Critics say high levels of economic challenges, unbearable inflation, and infrastructural issues marked his previous administration. Others say he is rectifying that reputation.

So far, Mahama has removed the E-levy tax as promised and launched investigations into former government officials accused of misconduct. "Hopefully it doesn't end at just uncovering it, but uncovering and jail time for culprits," Nana Kojo Mula, a writer and publicist who describes the first six months of Mahama's administration as a breath of fresh air, tells OkayAfrica.

While many of his policy changes are yet to translate into a lower cost of living, some issues have seen improvement. "The drop in fuel prices has had a great impact on my monthly expenses," Antoinette Boama, a legal practitioner, tells OkayAfrica. "I used to spend between 800 and 1200 Cedis weekly on fuel, but in the last month and a half, I spent between 500 and 700 weekly. Not ideal, but at least we know that if our leaders want things to work, they will work."

Experts say Mahama's winning strategy lies in his proactive and receptive approach to governance.

"For instance, despite introducing an ESLA levy increase, which went against what the 2024 budget initially indicated, the government quickly suspended it after the Israel–Iran conflict began, citing the need to shield Ghanaians from further hardship. That kind of responsiveness is rare and commendable," Ziblim, the economic analyst, says.

This responsiveness is also evident in the constitutional reforms and policies that dragged on during the previous administration. "This administration appears serious about pushing through some long overdue amendments. The speed with which they have revived the process is promising," says Ziblim.

A long way to go

With three and a half years to go, Mahama still has time to prove the strength of his current style of governance while fulfilling his promises. For many Ghanaians, the primary pain points revolve around stabilizing the economy, reducing the cost of living, and ensuring that policies have a trickle-down effect on utilities and everyday commodities.

Media personality Emmanuel Kwame Sarpong hopes that the current administration will focus on addressing galamsey, an illegal mining issue that is destroying precious water bodies and causing health problems. "While campaigning, he promised us a complete revocation of LI 2462 (the environmental protection regulation), which allowed mining of any kind in forest reserves. Unfortunately, it has been a slow and shaky approach, especially with the latest development in parliament, where the aforementioned regulation has only been amended," Sarpong tells OkayAfrica.

Ghana also has a vibrant creative community that Sarpong hopes will see infrastructural support from this administration. According to him, this support would help bridge earning gaps and ensure Ghanaians have improved access to global earning tools. There is also the matter of reducing the cost of data and internet access, a costly commodity in the country. "The Communications Minister has hinted at works underway to reduce the high cost of internet despite MTN's near-monopoly. We are looking forward to seeing the manifestation of the real plans to regulate pricing or promote competition," he says.

Additionally, economists like Ziblim believe that the Ghanaian industrial sector needs a complete overhaul. Ziblim notes that the previous administration's One District, One Factory initiative was poorly designed and didn't yield desired results. "Much of the current economic momentum is driven by high gold prices, but we are still exporting raw gold. If we refined and processed it locally, we would retain more value, create jobs, and stabilise forex inflows," he says.

With so much at stake for Mahama, not merely because this is his second try at presidency but also his legacy tenure, which will define the rest of his political reputation, the energy on the ground is one of cautious hope. One that is being sustained by the current administration's responsive approach to the needs of the Ghanaian people. As Sarpong puts it, "It feels like the country we once loved again."

Osoranna Mojekwu was 10 when he first moved back to Nigeria from the United States to continue his secondary school education. Like most Africans straddling multiple identities, Mojekwu found himself in the age-long struggle of not being Nigerian enough in Nigeria after leaving an all white catholic school in the States, where he had stood out for being Black. Still, Mojekwu says the five years he spent in Lagos sharpened his self-perception, and to this day, the 26-year-old visual artist continues to draw from that experience for his work.

"Those five years are ingrained in my head, [they] created the person I am today in terms of how I navigate the world and how I'm able also to navigate complications and obstacles," Mojekwu tells OkayAfrica. "It's almost like a military school where you're embedded with this strength to navigate the world, and so the pieces that I create, it's almost a pledge of thanks to the people within that community."

Last year, Adidas commissioned Mojekwu to create two large-scale art pieces for their flagship store in Lagos, Nigeria. Set to be on display in July, these artworks are Mojekwu's biggest and most ambitious projects yet, and he knew they had to represent the spirit of community and resilience from that period of his life.

"The assignment itself was titled community," Mojekwu says. "They're [Adidas] aiming to localize themselves within Nigeria. So when I was assigned the task to create a painting, that is the community I was able to reference."

Mojekwu's artworks are what he describes as journal entries. They are a constant work in collecting the experiences and insight that have shaped him as a person and as an artist. His works are also contemporary repositories that capture the dynamics of being young and Nigerian in today's world. For material, much of Mojekwu's works are layered. First comes the outline, which is painted, and then other recycled materials, from beads to threads, are used to highlight the outlines, causing a 3D, slightly hallucinogenic effect.

For the commissioned works, which took over 600 hours to complete, Mojekwu showcases the diversity within the Nigerian demographic and how that reflects contemporary Nigerian culture. In one of the artworks, multiple elongated heads stand next to each other. Their appearances differ, and so does their demeanor. One wears a hijab, and another has braids. A closer look at the painting reveals that the iconic Adidas stripes are incorporated into the background. In its messaging, these pieces are acutely aware of the intersections between sports, faith, culture, and self-expression that define many young people in Nigeria today.

"It's painting on canvas," Mojekwu says, "But it's not just two-dimensional. This piece is three-dimensional, and it's supposed to showcase the dimensions of African youth." He means this on both a metaphorical and technical level.

Starting out

Even before hosting solo shows in Lagos or creating for Adidas, Mojekwu had always known he wanted to be an artist. His first inclination about the power of art occurred when he was just six. He had shown his parents a drawing of a horse, which elicited an excitement in them that moved him.

"The truth of the matter is that at the time I was not necessarily the best at drawing figurative objects, but I just loved the experience of putting pencil to paper as your starting point and being able to go through a journey of creating whatever object that was," Mojekwu says.

"Being able to show this drawing of a horse to my dad, and him calling my mom at the office and being like, 'Come and see what Oso drew." It's those moments that I remember 20-plus years down the road. To see the light on my father's face after I showed him just this pencil drawing of a horse, that was complete nonsense. To see the reaction was something that was just so out of this world."

In many ways, Mojekwu remains electrified by the strong reaction his work receives, even after a decade of working as a visual artist.

"If what I'm creating resonates with you in a certain kind of way and unlocks a certain kind of feeling for you within your own context and your own experience, that in itself is the biggest reward of being an artist."

Full circles

For Mojekwu, the journey to creating these large-scale paintings began with a solo exhibition in 2021. The exhibition, titled "Look Beneath The Surface," was filled with mixed-media art installations that address self-perception and the deception of a one-dimensional way of seeing people. A patron connected to the Adidas project purchased his work, and that is where things took off.

As someone who also grew up loving streetwear, particularly Adidas sneakers, Mojekwu considers this moment a full circle. "What's so exciting about this commission is that it's authentic and it's rooted in truth," Mojekwu says. "To be able to create a piece that explores those three pillars of brand, sport, and culture, I think those are the elements that I was able to ground myself in to create the pieces."

Ultimately, Mojekwu wants the work he has created to convey a simple but incredibly urgent message. Togetherness. "It's supposed to reflect the entire Nigerian diaspora, whether it be across cultural borders, norms, traditions, or just across our palette of diversity within the country of Nigeria. That's what this piece is supposed to reflect."

The goal is also to emphasize the rising power of community amongst young Nigerians, and the ways these collectives and support systems are powering culture.

"The whole point is to kind of show this beautiful variety of Nigerian youth and how they are sharing community within themselves," he says. "I want them to be able to see themselves in the piece, but also see others that maybe differ from themselves and have a greater appreciation for difference, and the fact that although you are one of these people within this painting, there's a world of people that you also need to have greater curiosity about.

Young people in Togo have taken to the streets over the last few days, calling for the resignation of President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, whose family has been in power for 58 years. On Thursday, June 26, hundreds of protesters blocked off streets in the capital city of Lomé and faced off with police resistance, who responded with tear gas and arrests.

People on the ground say armed forces also used firearms with live ammunition. Online, young Togolese people have also kicked off a movement under the #FreeTogo hashtag. The hashtag is filled with tweets calling for Gnassingbé's resignation as well as videos of protesters getting arrested and harassed by military officers during the protests.

In April, Gnassingbé, whose term as President was due to expire, was sworn in as the President of the Council of Ministers, a position with an indefinite term limit and unprecedented power. Experts say it is a clear tactic for the President to remain in power for as long as he chooses.

Recent reports by Amnesty International reveal that at least seven people have been killed as a result of police resistance to the protests. Many more have been injured. The government, in response to allegations of involvement in these killings, has denied the allegations and threatened legal action against the protest organizers. Calling it a "campaign of disinformation and hatred."

According to Kodjovi, Togo operates like a "dictatorship" where freedom of speech, particularly when used to criticize the government, is severely punished. The most recent example of this sparked these ongoing protests. Last month, music artist Aamron made a TikTok post criticising the government. On May 27, he was "kidnapped, imprisoned in a psychiatric centre, and unwittingly subjected to unknown injections before being released on June 26, 2025," Kodjovi says.

Kodjovi adds that, like Aamron, dissenting voices are often locked up in overcrowded prisons, and torture is systematically used - all without trial or judicial process. "We have no right to demonstrate or assemble either. Political opponents are imprisoned, tortured, or murdered; the Togolese people lack fundamental freedom."

Family tradition

The Gnassigbé family has been in power for over five decades. Their reign began with Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who entered office in 1986 and died in office in 2005. His son, Faure Gnassingbé, assumed office in 2005 and has remained there to date.

In 2018, the 50th year of Gnassingbé's rule, protests erupted on the streets of Lomé, demanding the President's resignation. Amnesty International reported that four people died in that protest, with many others injured. This prompted a wave of clampdowns and a temporary ban on protests.

"After 20 years in power, Gnassingbé had not built a hospital or a school; dilapidated roads, unemployed youth, and a high cost of living despite the exploding public debt, there is no fundamental infrastructure since the 20years of Faure's presidency. A corrupt minority enriched itself at the expense of the people," Kodjovi says.

Similar pattern

Across Africa, young people have been calling for an end to draconian leadership and an age of fresh political voices. Just as the people of Togo demand a new regime, Kenyans have been protesting, calling for the resignation of President Ruto, whose policies, ranging from high taxes to political negligence, have been widely criticized. As with Togo, heavy military resistance is often used to suppress these demonstrations.

"Many people were beaten until they bled," ET, another Togolese protester and on-ground observer who chose to remain anonymous, tells OkayAfrica. "The militiamen, under orders from the authorities, did not hesitate to enter homes and assault inhabitants. Disappearances and kidnappings took place. To give you an idea, a young man was live-streaming on TikTok when the police broke into his home, smashing doors and windows to arrest him on camera. About 40 protesters are now being held in the civil prison in Lomé."

The goal for many of the Togolese people is to see an end to an era in which the country's resources have been severely underutilized. Togo is home to the only deep-water port in West Africa, significant mineral deposits, and a rich culture and tradition. Additionally, 60 percent of the nation's population is under 25, accounting for a thriving but underdeveloped labor market.

"We simply want Togo to develop and offer better prospects to its children," A.E.M. says. "We want a democratic change of leadership because this government has nothing to show for itself. This change, which we hope for, will allow a new beginning for this country, which has been held back since 1963, when the late Sylvanus Olympio, who aimed to drive this progress, was assassinated," ET adds.

As the #FreeTogo protests show no signs of slowing down, despite administrative backlash and a possible internet shutdown that could cripple the growing online outcry, the goal for many is to see a nation that works, at least within their lifetime.

When Ckay released his second EP, Ckay The First, in 2019, he was still ingenious and, for the most part, underrated. He self-produced a large portion of the EP. He had already developed his unique, undefinable sound, which draws inspiration from a diverse range of influences, including sultry R&B and mellow Afropop.

But that EP would only change Ckay's life and the arc of his career two years after its release. In 2021, "Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)," the second song on the EP, found instant and inescapable fame on TikTok. It then became the first number-one song on Billboard's Afrobeats chart and the first Nigerian song to spend 52 weeks on the Billboard charts. It made Ckay an eight-times platinum artist and one of the crucial vehicles by which Afrobeats music found its global roots in the early 2020s. Now, more than six years after its release, Ckay is ready to share a rejoinder to it in the form of his latest EP.

Aptly titled Ckay The Second, this new EP, according to Ckay, is a continuation of the ideas and themes he generously explored in Ckay The First. Of course, he's no longer the person he was when he made Ckay The First. The trajectory of his life has shifted with dizzying speed, thrusting him to the forefront of Afrobeats music's expansion, along with the pressures and demands that come with it.

For this project, Ckay prioritizes live instrumentation, a key part of his sound. Here, he maintains the sonic architecture of his previous records. "I'll describe the sound as an advanced version of my signature emo-Afrobeats sound," he says. "I love live instrumentation. I love chords that make you vibe and feel something, as opposed to just making you dance. This EP is no exception. I dived deeper into the emo-Afro sound and took it a step further."

Born Chukwuka Ekweani, Ckay grew up in a home that nurtured his musical talents. His early days learning hymns and developing a prodigious understanding of music theory helped set him apart as an artist who understands the most technical rules of music and is unafraid to break them.

His music process is guided by instinct. There are no set formulas or patterns. "It could be anyway, you know," he admits. "Sometimes the lyrics come first, sometimes the music comes first. It all depends. Creativity is something you need to let free. You can't box or tie it down to the process. So I like to let the music flow regardless of the order, music or lyrics or whichever."

Insert EP Stream

A much-needed reminder

Although Ckay is one of the most important ambassadors of Afrobeats' global ascension, he's also the least recognized for it. It's an erasure that Ckay is deeply aware of but hasn't taken to heart. "I probably don't get enough credit for my contributions toward the advancement of Afrobeats, especially in the Nigerian space," he says.

Between 2021, when he blew up, and this year, Ckay's life has undergone an explosion that may have been too much for some to handle. He has scored hits with fellow stars like Davido and received a Grammy nomination for his feature on Janelle Monae's album The Age of Pleasure. He released his debut album, Sad Romance, in 2022, and Emotions, a genre-bending EP, in 2024.

Ckay has also, according to him, grown a lot. The most important part of that growth has been the need to keep pushing and to draw persistence from an unbreakable spirit. "I would say my artistry has evolved. I've learned a lot more than I knew at the time," he says. "Me being more exposed and seeing the impact of my music on people thousands of kilometers away, I think that gives me a different perspective."

If Ckay The First was a statement in establishing his name and marking out his creative territory, Ckay The Second is a reminder of where he's come from and a window into where he's going next.

More than anything, Ckay hopes that people can relate to the experiences he lays bare on this EP. "I make music about my own experiences and my life. I feel that, as human beings, we're all connected and share similar experiences. So I would say I hope people see themselves in me basically when they're listening to the songs, and they relate to the experiences."

For some of the world's greatest artists and creatives, the first person who stood behind their passion was their father. There is an immeasurable sense of courage and strength that comes from a father's steady guiding hand as one chases one's dreams. Especially if those dreams are non-traditional. Music artists like Davido and Beyoncé, for instance, have routinely credited their fathers for instilling a sense of responsibility in them, even as they chose unconventional pathways, and when it didn't immediately make sense.

Yagazie Emezi: Artist

I have many fond memories with my father, but this one resonates the most. I was a latchkey kid, and at that point, it was just my father and me living alone. He would usually come back late from work, around 8 or 9 p.m. Sometimes 10 p.m. I would always go outside to greet him whenever he returned and help him with his bag. He always had a snack for me: some roasted plantain, suya, or groundnut, and we would walk back to the house together. As we walked back, he would ask about my day, and I would ask him about work. The night sky was always very clear where we lived, and you could see a lot of stars.

At the time, I had taken an interest in astrology, and my favorite thing to point out to my dad was the Orion's Belt. It was the most recognizable to me as a child, and I always liked telling my dad fun facts about the pyramids of Giza being replicated as Orion's Belt, and it being a mirror to the heavens. Every time I told him these facts, he would always be interested and engaged, although now I know he may have been faking interest. I love that memory so much that I had a part of the Orion's Belt constellation tattooed on my arm because of what that memory means to me.

Nicole Asinugo: Writer and Filmmaker

One of my fondest memories of my dad is the day he saw my magazine. I was in law school at the time, struggling to stay afloat — and this was the first creative project I'd ever made that he could actually see and hold in his hands. He picked it up, studied the cover, and flipped through each page slowly, silently. Then he turned to me, a little puzzled, and asked, "You did this?" I nodded. He looked me square in the eye and said, "Then do this."

That moment felt like permission — the kind I didn't even know I needed. It wasn't about law school anymore. I realized he didn't need me to be great at school; he just wanted me to be great at something. And if writing was that thing, then he was all in. That affirmation still means the world to me.

Joojo Addison: Artist

Most of the memories I have of my dad are from my childhood. We watched football together and took strolls. And he often taught me how to pray when he was about to leave for work, and I headed to school. When I started making music, he saw a story about me in school where I had on my earrings. He asked why I was wearing earrings and tried to talk me out of it, but in the end, he was open-minded rather than being too strict or dictatorial about it. We had a conversation about it, and he listened. He was very receptive, and I liked that about him.

Emeka Nwagbaraocha: Actor

I have many fond memories of my dad, which often involved him taking me to his office and spending time there after school. But there's a specific memory that's etched in my brain, and every time I think about it, I realize how much my dad loves me and all his children. Growing up, I didn't like bread. One time, I refused to eat it for breakfast. Everyone else and my mum, who refused to indulge my dislike for bread, ignored me as I threw tantrums. I was banging my head on the wall and crying till my dad came back. When my mum told him why I was having a fit, my dad asked, "What do you want to eat?" I said, "Biscuits." He sent someone to get it for me, and that moment made me realize that he understood each of his children and would do anything to provide for us.

Goodness Emmanuel: Producer

My father has a knack for anticipating the needs of his loved ones, even when they don't know they need it. He's also very doting. One of my fondest memories with him was when I was still at university. I was living off-campus, and on this day, I had returned from lectures feeling tired. The next thing, I saw my father sitting in front of my door, watching a man cut the patch of grass in front of my flat. He had left work, called the gardener, and brought him to where I was staying. He didn't call or tell me; he just wanted me to return from school and see that the front of my house had been cleared. I hadn't even realized it was overgrown. There are many such memories of my university days.

Maleek Berry was starting to sense that something was missing. The British Nigerian singer-songwriter and producer was aware that the emotional and technical elements that once enlivened Afropop music were being overlooked by those who grew up with it.

"Good songs, great songwriting, great storytelling… Afrobeats fans are yearning for that right now. That's why I had to go away and put together a collection of amazing songs that people can relate to for years to come. Not only party to, but cry to, get married to, have babies to," Berry, born Maleek Shoyebi, tells OkayAfrica in an exclusive interview.

The result of that time off is Berry's debut album, If Only Love Was Enough. It's Berry's most anticipated work, which arrives just about a decade into his time in the industry as one of the most important pioneers of contemporary Afropop music.

"I've gone through so many different versions," Berry says. "I've gone through many phases of not liking a particular song or not liking a certain group of songs, and changing them over and bringing them back. The album was supposed to have dropped a long, long time ago, but I'm glad I waited this long, and I've finally arrived at this version now. I'm very proud of it."

Berry from the past

Much of what has made Maleek Berry's sound distinct is his devotion to drawing from the past while keeping his ears open to what the present has to say. His journey into the Nigerian music scene began in 2011. While on vacation in Nigeria at the time, he would connect with some of the voices who were already molding the scene — Davido, Naeto C, Wande Coal, and Wizkid — and eventually got his first major hit with "Carolina," featuring Sauce Kid and Davido. Then there was 2013's "The Matter" featuring Wizkid. A recurrent feature of that sound was an intelligent blend of percussion and hip-hop flows. It was modern, quintessentially Nigerian, and helped blaze a trail for what the genre would go on to become.

For Berry, the sounds of the early 2000s are timeless because it was also a time with minimal distractions.

"People were writing some of the best music ever to come out. The world was a lot less distracted during that period. That was one of the main reasons for my prolonged absence. I had to go and live life to experience what it felt like to truly live the meaning of these songs. This is what real artists used to do back in the day."

Berry worked with longtime collaborators like Legendury Beatz to keep himself rooted in the sound he wanted to create. "All of us started together back in the day, working with Wiz during the Star Boy era. There were points where I was stuck, and I had certain creative blocks, and I'd go down and ask their opinion."

Berry was also tempted to jump on the amapiano wave, but his close collaborators were opposed to the idea. "We've had many moments like this during this album creation process. Legendury Beatz would sit me down and be like, 'You know you have a sound, right? You created something back then that is tangible.' Getting reminded about that and what that sound meant to people, and what it still means to people today, gave me the confidence to stick with this sound and stick with the theme."

Berry hopes that If Only Love Was Enough will be inspirational. "I always want people to be inspired by my music," he says. "I want my music to stand the test of time. So, the same way my fans are still listening to music we released in 2013 or 2016, I want to have the same impact with this music, if not more." Even more important to Berry is how this work might inspire his peers. "All of us are sharpening each other, and I want my peers to hear this album and be blown away just like everybody else."

At the 2025 BET Awards, the cultural was in direct conversation with the political. Amidst ongoing anti-ICE protests taking over the streets of Los Angeles and a stringent anti-immigration policy, this year's BET Awards ceremony found a way to be memorable while speaking directly to the uncertainty of the moment.

The evening featured memorable performances, unforgettable award acceptance speeches, and, best of all, stunning red carpet looks. Anchoring different parts of the exciting evening were African superstars from across the globe. Nigeria's Ayra Starr took home the award for Best International Act, a category previously won by Tyla, Tems, and Burna Boy.

Ghanaian rising star Moliy performed her hit single, "Shake It To The Max," at the pre-event stage, shutting it down with a vibrant crowd that cheered her on as they waved miniature Ghanaian flags. Meanwhile, British Sudanese artist Elmiene gave a soul-stirring performance on the main BET stage.

On the red carpet, the African stars in attendance kept their foot on the pedal, showing out in statement-making outfits. While some opted for cultural influences, others chose effortless glamour and even drew inspiration from early 2000s fashion. The looks were as diverse as the astounding range of talent emerging from the continent and onto the global stage.

Below are some of the memorable looks from African artists on the 2025 BET Awards red carpet.

Moliy

With the incredible year Moliy is having - scoring her second Billboard Hot 100 hit with the remix of her hit "Shake It To The Max" featuring Shensea and Skillberg, becoming the first Ghanaian artist to perform at the BET and the most streamed artist from Ghana at the moment - the shiny, gold dress she wore on the BET red carpet was completely illustrative of this moment in her life. A gold purse and a vibrant smile complemented the thin, strapped gown. With Moliy's momentum, it would be unsurprising to see her on next year's red carpet not just as a performer but as a nominee.

Swanky Jerry

Nigerian stylist and one of the memorable stars of the Netflix reality series "Young, Famous & African," Swanky Jerry, arrived on the BET red carpet in a blue deconstructed Agbada and turban. Jerry described the inspiration behind his outfit as "a quiet tribute to every Black dream stitched in silence, realized in color and celebrated on the carpet." Jerry's Agbada was a clear nod to the traditional Nigerian garb, which is typically worn at cultural or ceremonial events.

​Black Sherif

In baggy pants and a loose-fitting denim shirt, Ghanaian rapper Black Sherif, one of the nominees for this year's Best International Acts category, kept things clean and retro for his red carpet look. For accessories, the flag bearer of a new generation of Ghanaian rap went with minimalist silver chains and statement-making glasses.

Shaboozey

Nigerian American country artist Shaboozey combined his country music background with his Nigerian heritage. Shaboozey wore a custom Eleven Sixteen suit by Ugo Mozie. The suit featured black cowrie shells at the lapels and an eye-catching crocodile skin belt featuring miniature gold Benin bronzes. Cowrie shells also dotted the sleeves of the suit, which was topped off with a classic cowboy hat. Shaboozey was nominated under the Video of the Year and New Artist categories at this year's BET Awards.

Elmiene

British Sudanese artist Elmiene, who was nominated for Viewer's Choice: Best New International Act and performed his single "Tears" at the live show, stepped onto the red carpet in a statement-making black Jellabiya. The Jellabiya featured intricate gold embroidery and directly referenced Elmiene's Sudanese background. While speaking with OkayAfrica on the red carpet, the Frankfurt-born and Oxford-raised star shared his excitement about performing with some of the R&B stars he looks up to, including Babyface, Jamie Foxx, and Teddy Riley.

Abigail Chams

Tanzania's Abigail Chams, who was also nominated for the Best New International Act, wore a shimmering black dress with a plunged neckline. For accessories, the "Me Too" hitmaker kept things simple with serpentine earrings and silver bracelets.

TxC

South African DJ and producer duo TxC (Tarryn Ried and Clairise Hefke) stormed the red carpet in matching black, distressed fabric dresses. The duo, who have collaborated with some of the continent's biggest stars, including Davido, took home the Best New International Act Award at this year's ceremony.

As OkayAfrica marks our 15th anniversary, we're taking a look back at 15 defining African moments of the past 15 years that deserve to be remembered, and the impact they've had. Here's Moment No. 11.

For his first cover as the Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue, Edward Enninful refused to play it safe. Photographed, in a stunning close-up shot with spare but striking make-up, was British-Ghanaian model Adwoa Aboah. And next to Aboah was a list of names of people from diverse disciplines, including politics, music, literature, acting, and of course, fashion. It was revolutionary and striking with its perspective. Like Aboah, Enninful is also of Ghanaian heritage, and as the first African and Black man to ever lead British Vogue, Enninful wanted to make a statement.

Throughout his illustrious and vibrant time as editor-in-chief, that is exactly what he did. Where other major magazines shied away from conversations around diversity or representation, Enninful unabashedly took it on. During his tenure, the covers and pages of British Vogue illustrated the diverse and colorful world in which Enininful lived and wanted to see reflected. Enninful took up the most powerful position at British Vogue when the magazine struggled to find an identity that accurately captured the times. With that in mind, he gave the magazine a vibrant, urban slant and made it culturally aware, even ahead of the zeitgeist.

Enninful's time coincided with the rise of a new generation of boundary-pushing fashion creatives from Africa or of African descent in the global scene. From trailblazing designers like Thebe Magugu, Kenneth Ize, and Virgil Abloh, to models like Mayowa Nicholas, Adut Akech, and Anok Yai, to photographers like Campbell Addy, Trevor Stuurman, and Stephen Tayo, and editors like IB Kamara and Chioma Nnadi, these creatives found their feet and carved their paths in their various careers within the fashion industry. Their work enlivened an industry that desperately needed a fresh sensibility.

Reclaiming our narrative

Within the last decade and half, African creatives have played a central role in some of the most culturally significant fashion moments — from editorials, to campaigns, runway shows, among others. One high-profile example is Beyoncé’s Black Is King visual album which enlisted a constellation of African talent including Daniel Obasi, Conrad Egyir, Sarah Diouf, Emmanuel Adjei, Joshua Kissi, and Loza Malèombho, to reimagine the Lion King mythology through an unapologetically African lens.

Together, they ushered in a shift in the industry, one that went beyond tokenism to real presence and power. Africa has always had a voice in the world of fashion, but it wasn’t always pronounced, and it certainly wasn’t a voice with much agency.

“From an editorial lens, it’s no longer just about spotlighting ‘African prints’ or singular aesthetics — it’s about capturing a dynamic, multifaceted fashion narrative that reflects modern Africa’s cultural complexity,” fashion editor and producer Ekow Barnes tells OkayAfrica.

From Barnes’ perspective, there is also a growing respect for authenticity and unparalleled individuality, which is affirming the place that African creatives occupy. “Publications are realizing that telling African fashion stories requires more than just exotic visuals — it demands context, credit, and collaboration with creatives who understand the cultures behind the clothes,” Barnes says. “We’re seeing more African writers, editors, and photographers being given platforms to speak for themselves, rather than being spoken about.”

The modeling success story

In modelling, the status quo has also seen considerable change in the last decade and half. In the past, a model from the continent would occasionally be discovered and end up being the only African on runways for years, thus limiting the ideas of beauty and the ideal bodies on which clothing can be made. There were, and in some ways, still, issues of exotification that are being addressed. Nonetheless, the 2010s brought a radical change to the treatment of, and the place of African models in the global fashion industry.

This shift prompted Enninful and British Vogue to celebrate the rise of the African model with its February issue in 2022. “The nine models gracing the cover are representative of an ongoing seismic shift that became more pronounced on the SS22 runways; awash with dark-skinned models whose African heritage stretched from Senegal to Rwanda to South Sudan to Nigeria to Ethiopia,” the magazine wrote on Instagram about the cover.

And for Enninful, the rise of the African model on the global scene is more than symbolism or beauty standards. “It is about the elevation of a continent. It is about economics, access, culture, perspective, difference and wonder. And it is here to stay,” he wrote in his editor’s note.

Frontrunners like Nicholas helped democratize the industry for emerging African models, says Dolapo Habeeb, the founder of the modelling agency Inline. Nicholas was discovered in Nigeria by Elite Model Look scouts while on her way to a hair salon in 2013. She went on to win the Nigeria competition the following year. She later became the first Nigerian to star in campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent, and Calvin Klein.

There is Somali American model Halima Aden, who first gained prominence after wearing a burkini and hijab at the Miss Minnesota USA pageant in 2016. In 2017, she made history as the first hijabi model hijab-wearing fashion model to walk international runway shows, as well as the first hijabi model on the cover of Vogue (Vogue Arabia).

Yai, who is from South Sudan, became a viral sensation following a photo of her at Howard University’s homecoming in 2017, leading to her runway debut in 2018 where she became the second Black woman to open for Prada, after Naomi Campbell.

Habeeb also cites the success of Eniola Abioro, who transitioned from teaching to modeling, and walked for Prada, and Ama Okolo, who trained in human anatomy, and is forging a new path entirely.

“These are not just modeling success stories, they're examples of how diverse, intelligent, and multidimensional African talent is,” Habeeb tells OkayAfrica.

Trailblazing designers and ecosystem builders

The world of fashion and garment-making has also fared well. Couture brands like Orange Culture, Thebe Magugu, Maki Oh, Kenneth Ize, Lagos Space Programme, Diarra Blu, and many others have broken through hallowed institutions. Their works have been nominated for some of the world’s biggest prizes, and their pieces worn by the world’s biggest stars and dignitaries and featured at major fashion events like, more recently, the 2025 Met Gala, where African designers earned significant red carpet attention.

“Designers are embracing sustainability, heritage, and innovation, while digital platforms are helping local talent reach global audiences,” says Barnes.

But behind the runway moments and international acclaim is the often quieter, steady work of ecosystem builders — those laying the groundwork so this wave of African talent could thrive. Since 2011, Omoyemi Akerele has run the renowned Lagos Fashion Week, a multi-day affair where many of the continent’s biggest fashion brands first found their footing.

Other ecosystems like the Dakar Fashion Week, GTCO Fashion Weekend and Arise Fashion Week have also been instrumental in providing fashion talents with spaces to show their creativity. And pushing the needle even further, streetwear, alt-culture spaces like Street Souk, which hosts streetwear brands from across the globe, are providing dynamic means of expression.

Meanwhile, agencies like Beth Model Management, established in 2004, have played a crucial role in discovering and developing modeling talent. Founded by Elizabeth Elohor Isiorho, the agency runs the Elite Model Look competition in Nigeria. It has helped launch the careers of models like Nicholas, bridging the gap between local promise and international opportunity.

Keeping the momentum going

Still, as the industry levels up, the challenges that African creatives face remain stubbornly present, say Habeeb and Barnes. Visa restrictions, limited access to funding, and the lack of creative infrastructure continue to slow progress. “There’s still a need to deepen the infrastructure that supports creative careers on the continent,” Barnes says.

In response, many creatives are taking matters into their own hands — using social media platforms to reach global audiences, build their own communities, and monetize their work directly, says Habeeb. “Social media played a role, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion conversations put pressure on brands, and more importantly, African-led agencies and managers started taking control of their narratives,” Habeeb adds.

“We are now making sure that our models understand their value from the beginning. We don’t just scout, we equip them with knowledge, strategy, and support systems that allow them to sustain their careers.”

As he closed his set at Tottenham Stadium in July 2023, Wizkid stood for a moment, shirtless, amidst a sea of over 62,000 people, as the projection of an eagle with wings of fire stood majestically over him on a large screen.

The moment was symbolic, dense with meaning. Wizkid had just made history as the first African artist ever to sell out Tottenham Stadium. Here stood one of Afrobeats' biggest cultural exports, breaking another record and paving the way for those coming behind him. It was a moment to relish.

But what did it take to pull off such a feat? How did the expansive and structurally ambitious stage set-up come to life? What burdens or anxieties plagued him on the day of the event or during rehearsals? And, most importantly, what did that moment mean for his fans and the people who look up to him?

Wizkid: Long Live Lagos, a new documentary on Wizkid and his journey to performing at Tottenham Stadium, answers those questions. The documentary is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival this Friday, June 6. It is directed by American filmmaker Karam Gill, who is also known for directing Lil Baby's documentary Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby. Wizkid: Long Live Lagos is a deeply vulnerable look at a cultural figure navigating global stardom while staying true to his roots and trying to fulfill the promises he made to himself.

"It's the most intimate view of Wizkid I've ever seen," Seni Saraki, who co-produced the project, tells OkayAfrica. In 1 hour and 23 minutes, viewers will follow Wizkid from London to Surulere, the Lagos neighborhood that shaped him and remains his most crucial creative springboard. The documentary also takes the opportunity to examine the rise of Nigerian music, what it means to be a global star from the African continent, and the many burdens that come with that.

Cross-cultural movement

For Saraki, this documentary is a full-circle moment.

Towards the end of 2020, the same year Wizkid released his fourth album, one of the most culturally significant albums in global music history, Made In Lagos, Native Magazine, under Saraki's editorial guidance, did something simultaneously honorific and consequential.

Dedicating four different covers and an entire magazine to Wizkid, Native chronicled the rise and reach of Wizkid's impressive global stardom through an extensive profile of the man himself and also through the eyes of his managers, producers, visual artists, and the people his music has touched at one point or another. Called the Wizmag, it was a befitting celebration of a generational artist whose project was already piloting the rise of Afrobeats music in the late 2010s.

More than five years later, that editorial project helped provide a thorough, on-ground perspective of Wizkid for the documentary. It is through the cultural insight provided by that editorial project that the documentary was able to accurately contextualize and frame Wizkid through the eyes of the people who know him best. Having a Nigeria-based media outfit involved in the production of an important film about one of its brightest stars was also a necessary step in telling a culturally resonant story.

"I see how it would look like a full circle moment," Saraki tells OkayAfrica. "I think for us, it's a testament to what we tried to do when we started Native. When [Karam] was working on the film, he saw that Native kept coming up in the research, and then he stumbled on Wizmag."

Saraki says that the documentary is a candid look at the grueling work that goes into maintaining the level of excellence for which Wizkid's artistry is known. "You can't do that stuff by mistake," Saraki says. "There's a certain level of process and preparation and dedication to a craft to get to that level. I think this film shows, probably, the most intimate view we've seen from Nigeria to date in terms of this new generation of artists."

Examining the culture

As a storyteller himself, Seni Saraki has worked across print, music, and now film in a bid to understand and thoroughly examine the flow and bends of culture. With his magazine, for instance, Saraki sought to engage with Nigerian music on a cerebral level at a time when many were simply consuming it without contextualizing it. The central theme in his work and one of the key forces that drew him to the project Wizkid: Long Live Lagos is an appetite for stories or artists who can get people to care about something.

"Getting people to care, to have an opinion about something in this day and age, when there's such an impression on people's time, that means a lot, and that's how I pick a lot of my projects," he says.

With Long Live Lagos, Saraki says he is most excited about the scope of the project. The documentary also looks at the rise of stan culture in Nigeria, focusing on how Wizkid's massive fan base helped pioneer a movement of rallying around Nigerian artists and building entire ecosystems around fandom. This documentary takes the opportunity to delve into the psyche of that movement.

"What this film encapsulates is that the love of these figures [like Wizkid] has shifted to being about talent and what you're good at, and these guys are offering their music to the world. That's why stanship now feels bigger. It's not about how rich they are. There's still a section of society that loves them because they're rich, but it's now about 'I love Wizkid because this song did this for me at this time in my life,' Saraki explains.

As viewers get a peek into Wizkid's life and the technicalities that make him Wizkid, Saraki hopes that this project allows people to slow down and appreciate how far Afrobeats music and the Nigerian music industry have come.

"I hope people first see it as a celebration of Wizkid and the celebration of the genre and the movement as a whole. There's a lot of conversation around how Afrobeats is doing, whether we're making progress, and if the story has ended. But there's still a long way to go, and there's still stuff to do," Saraki says. "Sometimes we get so insular, but are there a lot of countries apart from America that have six potential stadium artists in another country? I don't know if five artists from Spain could sell out the Tottenham Stadium. That's not to say rest on your laurels and think you've made it, but some people have done some incredible things. I think that's one thing I want people to take away from the film."

As OkayAfrica marks our 15th anniversary, we're taking a look back at 15 defining African moments of the past 15 years that deserve to be remembered, and the impact they've had. In chronological order, here's Moment No. 7.

When Grammy-winning singer Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty in 2017, it shook a makeup industry that historically didn’t cater to Black women and women of color. The brand released 40 shade ranges in its first drop, which has now expanded to 50, most of them catering to Black women and women of color. Prior to this, big beauty brands were used to putting out 25 shade ranges per release, most of them in light hues. In 2022, the brand launched to much excitement across Africa.

Fenty Beauty's launch and success exposed the global beauty industry's specific and destructive imagery – one that was mostly white and almost always light-skinned. The beauty products developed to enhance that imagery flattered and only worked on specific shades, facial structures, and textures. Typically, leaving out darker-skin tones and Black and African features. Perhaps the more sinister effect of this was the industry’s unrelenting insistence that this imagery they’d created was not only what was immediately available or practical to develop, but was what should be aspired to.

Throughout history, many have called out these harmful notions. Linking it with the emergence of bleaching products and a forced succumbing to specific beauty ideals. It was for this reason that Somali American supermodel Iman launched Iman Cosmetics in 1994, to cater to women of colour. The same year, Carol Jackson-Mouyiaris, frustrated by the difficulty in finding beauty products for her skin tone, turned to her husband Niko Mouyiaris, a chemist and cosmetics entrepreneur, and they both founded Black Opal for women like her. Four years later, Black Opal launched in Kenya, marking its first entry into Africa.

While these early efforts laid critical groundwork, the industry still largely ignored darker skin tones. But in the early-to-mid 2010s, a crop of creators, many of them darkskinned, Black and African, began to demand for and enact real, long-lasting change. Creators like Jackie Aina, Dimma Umeh, Nyma Tang, all of African descent, took advantage of the visibility made available by platforms like YouTube to make their voices heard. They brought viewers into their difficulties with finding beauty products developed with other Black and African women in mind (which there was little of). They celebrated their beauty and invited viewers to do the same.

These YouTube channels were not just for sharing essential makeup tutorials, beauty hacks or helpful products suited to darker skin tones, they were and still are safe spaces, a gathering that corrected many of the harmful notions of beauty enforced on the people who watched them religiously.

“Two of my earliest beauty influences were Mena Adubea and Aina,” says Juliana Amoateng, one of Ghana’s foremost beauty creators. “Even though they’re based in the diaspora, they were among the first people I saw who looked like me, spoke boldly about representation, and didn’t shy away from advocating for darker skin tones in the beauty industry,” she adds. “Watching them reminded me that African beauty isn’t a box—it’s diverse, it’s powerful, and it deserves to be centred.”

Omosolape Yusuff, a Nigerian beauty content creator echoes Amoateng. “Watching creators like Aina on YouTube years ago shaped my perception of beauty at a time when I barely even knew a thing about beauty or makeup,” Yusuff tells OkayAfrica. Seeing Aina, who is also of Nigerian descent, was especially pivotal for Yusuff, who had trouble finding the right shades of powders and foundations in Nigeria. “Watching her share tips and tricks that she’d use for her daily makeup, how to draw brows correctly, sort of influenced me to start my first side hustle as a makeup artist while in university. I didn’t just want to replicate what I learned from her on myself, I felt there was a gap, so I took it upon myself to fill it by doing [other people’s] makeup and passing the knowledge to them while at it.”

While explaining the reason behind why she started her YouTube channel, Aina told Business Insider, “I always felt like I was an ‘other’ box at the makeup counter, and it was so annoying and so frustrating that I was like, ‘you know what? I am just gonna do this stuff myself, and then I’ll show people how to do it on YouTube.”

Alongside their tutorials, creators like Aina and Tang publicly called out beauty brands and urged them to be more inclusive. Aina maintained a strong stance on her channel, refusing to stop sharing her experience as a Black woman in the beauty industry, at a time when many accused her of being too focused on race. By recognizing that her experience as a Black woman was not exclusive from her work as a beauty creator, Aina inspired a generation of creators who are unafraid to make their art political and stand by it until something changes.

“It was really about us being there for each other and helping each other in a world where Africans were constantly being ignored; and I’m not just talking makeup but also hair, skincare,” says Yusuff.

Tang, who is of South Sudanese descent and typically reviews products that work on darker skin tones with her series #TheDarkestShade, had a video on her channel where she reviewed the beauty products that failed people of color that year. Her videos highlighted a lack of thoughtfulness when brands developed dark-skin friendly products, and how some products often don’t complement each other, making them essentially useless on darker skin.

“African beauty vloggers have completely reshaped the narrative,” says Amoateng. We’ve gone from simply consuming beauty ideals to defining them. Thanks to the advocacy of creators, there’s more visibility for African products, more inclusive conversations around skin tones and hair textures, and more pride in our heritage. And that advocacy is pushing brands to do better,” she adds.

In a 2018 video titled “Dear International Beauty Brands W*F Are You Guys Doing?” Umeh recorded a passionate, raw statement, calling out international brands who enter into the Nigerian market without tailoring their marketing to the right audience. Her video raised questions about how committed these brands are to serving the Nigerian market, why their marketing strategies are often detached or, worse still, not directly in conversation with the demographic they claim to target.

Videos like Umeh’s were especially important because at the time, international brands were packing up shop shortly after arriving in the country, not necessarily because there wasn’t a market for their products, but because they weren’t driving their marketing to the appropriate demographic of makeup users in Nigeria. Their marketing, according to Umeh, focused on general influencers, and not beauty enthusiasts.

“The major thing that they have done is show these brands that there are people here who need their products,” Chioma Mmeje, a fashion and beauty creator, says. “We did not always have this range of dark skin products before. And even beauty creators who started their own beauty companies, you can see the extra care that they take in the products they develop – people like Danessa Myricks and Pat McGrath.”

“Brands now consider and see us Africans and Africa as a group they can not and must not ignore if they’re going to remain relevant,” adds Yusuff. “You want your existing brand to do even better, you must be ready to create products for all Africans and our many hues and shades, and you must also be ready to use African creators and models in every marketing campaign. We simply can no longer be ignored, and I love that for us.”

Yusuff’s statement is true. Last year, L’Oreal signed on Nigerian actress and influencer Temi Otedola as their official ambassador and more African beauty and lifestyle creators are regularly included in campaigns for both international and local beauty products. In 2022, MAC Cosmetics unveiled Nigerian superstar Tiwa Savage as its first African MAC Maker, the program where the beauty giant collaborates with an influencer or celebrity to launch a limited-edition lipstick collection.

Black and African women are not just part of the conversation, but are also leading the conversation. In 2020, Nigerian American entrepreneur Olamide Olowe and her cofounder Claudia Teng raised $2.6m to launch Topicals and another $10m in 2022, making Olowe the youngest Black woman to raise that amount in funding. Topicals has gone on to become a trailblazer in providing more accessible options for addressing skincare issues that mostly affect women of colour.

As outspoken as these Black creators were in a competitive industry, they knew the risks involved in using their platforms to demand better. They faced backlash, risked losing their platforms, but still, they kept going. These years of speaking out, landed creators like Aina deals to develop makeup products and be involved in correcting past mistakes. Others have gone on to build other lifestyle businesses both in and outside the beauty industry.

All these steps have also made it easier for beauty creators like Yusuff and Mmeje to thrive in the industry, which in turn has helped in the rise of African beauty brands. Now the beauty and personal care market on the continent is projected to reach $69.53 billion in 2025, up from $13.4 billion in 2018. There are now skincare and makeup brands owned by African women and are perfectly suited for darker skin tones. “Makeup has become more accessible in the sense that we have a lot of choices. I still buy products from the U.S. and the UK, but I know that I can use the Nigerian products I have here, and I'll be fine,” Yusuff says.

Despite the ongoing difficulties still present in the industry - pay disparities between African and Western creators, fluctuating economy on the continent - African creators and beauty enthusiasts continue to redefine and insist on what beauty can look like.

As Amoateng posits, “I believe the African beauty industry is going to grow into a global powerhouse. There’s also a growing pride in using local ingredients and telling authentic African stories. I see more innovation, more exports of African beauty, and more seats at the global beauty table; but this time, with our names on them.”

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Update: This post has been updated to incuded comments from Juliana Amoateng.

In this month's Best West African Songs list, OkayAfrica travels through Côte d'Ivoire, where coupé-décalé is still ruling the scene, Ghana, where artists like Lali x Lola experiment with Afropop-influenced sounds, and Nigeria, where legends make triumphant comebacks.

Tiwa Savage "You4Me" (Nigeria)

The Queen of Afrobeats, Tiwa Savage, is entering a new era. Here, she returns to her R&B roots, ditching percussion for guitars and tender lyrics. After releasing the reggae-infused "Forgiveness" last year, "You4Me" plays like an earnest, feel-good contemporary R&B track that still carries her subversive touch. The track samples Tamia's "So Into You," drawing clear connections between the influences Savage is drawing from for her upcoming project and the sounds she is looking to create. As is familiar with Savage's work, the writing is tightly constructed, and well-placed riffs anchor the vocals.

Serge Beynaud “Taper Dedans” (Côte d’Ivoire)

One of the prominent champions of coupé-decalé and loko loko, Serge Beynaud's new track "Taper Dedans" is instantly infectious and club-ready. The track is enlivened by a playful call-and-response, repetitive hooks that stick to the brain, and an explosive beat that would make a perfect soundtrack to an end-of-year music festival. With over a decade of working in the Ivorian music industry, Beynaud is one of the ardent voices that have continued to embody the communal and transformative essence of coupé-decalé while adding a modern spin.

Reekado Banks “Mukutu” (Nigeria)

In "Mukutu," Reekado Banks keeps things seductively simple. Singing over a bouncy yet stripped-down beat, Banks offers a splashy, beach-ready track for the summer. More than a decade since his debut, it's clear that Banks still knows what it takes to make a hit song.

Dayo Lamar “Woody” (Côte d'Ivoire)

Dayo Lamar's "Woody" lends itself to classic hip-hop and EDM sensibilities. Executed as if in one breath, Lamar raps over a thumping beat, clearing his mind and getting his thoughts out without an interlude or chorus. "Woody" is a short, well-defined, and brilliantly executed confessional that places sufficient trust in the sharpness of Lamar's rap flows, the slimness of the beat, and the precision with which he delivers his message.

Team Paiya “Révolté” feat. Le Grand Homme (Côte d'Ivoire)

In many ways, Team Paiya's music carries an urgency that's difficult to explain yet essential to their impressive discography. Even though they were formed in 2022 and haven't been around for long in the star-studded music scene in Côte d'Ivoire, their energetic, blended approach to music has made them a crucial part of the current success of Ivorian music. In "Révolté," their latest track, the crew blends coupé décalé, rap, and boucan in a signature sound they call "maimouna 2.0." Like their previous hits, "Révolté" has an explosive, thrilling essence that, yet again, proves how attentive Team Paiya is to the sounds and messages that move the youth.

Joyce Olong "WWYD" (Nigeria)

Nigerian indie artist Joyce Olong created much of her latest, full-length project, Soseo, in Ghana. Tucked away in a serene and spiritually charged space, Olong became a channel through which several ethereal, otherworldly songs were birthed. "WWYD," a groovy, bewitching track, is one of them. Starting with short, sharp chants and an echoey, trance-like beat, "WWYD" quickly segues into a gentle pep before Olong's soothing voice enters, asking questions and beseeching a love interest. Known for languid sounds that inspire reflection and easy living, Olong takes these qualities (her most powerful artistic qualities) and throws them into a highly experimental pot, where everything feels light, honest, and aggressively beautiful.

Lali X Lola "Unstable" feat. Oiza x Meyi (Ghana/Nigeria)

Fast-rising Ghanaian musical duo Lali X Lola share much in common with their Nigerian counterparts, Oiza x Meyi. They're both identical twins, and their music sits at the fringe of the mainstream, often melding R&B with indie and exploring Afropop and folk. In their first and fitting collaboration, both duos bring their well-oiled charm, playful but sensitive lyrics, and experimental musicality to a lively track. "Unstable" explores classic themes of self-preservation, ultimately recognizing misdeeds and reaffirming one's strength amidst a chaotic relationship. Both groups share the same concerns regarding matters of the heart, and because they're both excellent documentarians of the state of modern romance, they're compelling to listen to.

Demmi "Still Rolling" (Ghana)

Ghanaian artist and producer Demmi (McDonald Otubuah) is an ardent student of modern Afropop. Thanks to his producer background, Demmi collects references from well-known and obscure sounds, which he then simmers into groovy yet deeply personal Afropop tracks. In his latest drop, "Still Rolling," that formula comes into play excellently. His lyricism is personal and anecdotal, the beat experimental but club-ready. For Demmi, "Still Rolling" is an alluring tease of something big to come.

Melissa "Tattoo" feat. Blaqbonez  (Ghana)

Ghanaian R&B star Melissa teams up with Nigerian rapper and singer Blaqbonez for a sultry, emotion-heavy number on "Tattoo." Covering the plains of desire and tease, "Tattoo" evokes a blurry image of a sweaty dance floor filled with willing love interests. Blaqbonez's raspy tone and playfully brash lyrics complement Melissa's airy, fluttering voice. Ultimately, "Tattoo" blends the softness of R&B with the subtle bounce of Afropop into a song that would sound magical after a dip in the pool on a hot summer day.

Check out the list below: