How Corruption Affects Development Across Africa

Photo by James Wiseman on Unsplash

By Simbiat Amzat​

Corruption continues to undermine development across many African countries, stalling progress and limiting opportunities for millions of people. Despite the continent’s vast human and natural resources, the mismanagement and diversion of public funds weaken institutions, disrupt public services, and erode trust in governance. To understand how corruption affects development, we must reflect on the ways it shapes everyday life, deepens inequality, and prevents communities from reaching their full potential.

Unbent and Unbroken

From Top Left to Bottom Right: Cobhams Asuquo, Lois Auta, Eddie Ndopu, Farida Bedwei, and Samkelo Radebe. (Image Credit: Lagos Jump Radio, World Economic Forum, United Nations Foundation, Empower Africa, Alchetron)

Five African Stories of Power, Grit, and Defiant Possibility

By Atinuke Adeosun

There is a saying I have heard thrown around when life felt unfair: “Strength is not always loud; sometimes it whispers.”

The Invisible Violence of Algorithms

Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

 By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

I recently sat down with Imoh from West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR) in Dakar to discuss an issue that is shaping the daily realities of women online: the invisible violence of algorithms. 

How Pop Culture Shapes Gender Norms

Ramatu Ada Ochekliye, Shades of Us Founder, with Ugonna and Titi on Kiss FM 99.9 Abuja 

By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

On December 3 and 5, 2025, I joined Ugonna on Kiss FM 99.9 Abuja on behalf of Shades of Us to discuss How Pop Culture Shapes Gender Norms. The conversations were part of our continued commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, and they offered me the opportunity to expand on the stories, jokes, lyrics, and images we consume every day.

Fertility and Blame Culture in Nigeria

Ramatu Ada Ochekliye at Montage Radio 99.7 FM to Discuss Fertility and Blame Culture in Nigeria

By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

Last week, I joined Gesiere on Montage Radio 99.7 FM in Abuja to discuss a topic that touches the lives of countless Nigerian (and dare I say, African) women: fertility, blame, and the ways patriarchy shapes our understanding of reproductive health. Our conversation was part of the 16 Days of Activism, a global campaign that, this year, places a spotlight on ending digital violence against women and girls.

Securing Your Privacy and Freedom Online

Photo by appshunter.io on Unsplash

By Simbiat Amzat

In this century we live in, it is almost impossible to separate our digital lives from our everyday lives. For billions of people worldwide, including millions in Africa and Nigeria, the internet shapes how we work, communicate, learn, and participate in society. Every message sent, post shared, or transaction made generates data: data that, without safeguards, can be collected, analysed, or exploited. Protecting digital rights, particularly privacy and freedom of expression, is therefore essential for human dignity and democracy.​

Governing Digital Transformation in Africa

By Simbiat Amzat

Globally, digitalisation is accelerating, and the energy surrounding the digital future in Africa is unfolding rapidly. Citizens want faster, smarter public services. Governments aim to build systems that deliver, and the continent is full of opportunity. That excitement came alive at the AfreGov webinar, themed “Governing Digital Transformation in the Public Sector: Inclusive Institutional Models for Sustainable Financing for e-Governance in Africa,”  which Shades of Us attended on Thursday, November 20, 2025.

Women, Peace, and Equality: Reclaiming the Conversation

Photo by zibik on Unsplash

By Yecenu Sasetu

Thirty years after the Beijing Platform for Action, the world still grapples with the same questions: how do we make peace real, and how do we make it inclusive? These were the questions that anchored a powerful consultative session convened by the NGO CSW/NY Peace and Gender Equality Working Group, a space where advocates, researchers, and practitioners came together to reflect on what peace truly means for women and girls in today’s world.

Resilient Health Futures

Yecenu Sasetu at the Gatefield Health Summit in Abuja on October 22–23, 2025

By Yecenu Sasetu

I attended the third Gatefield Health Summit (GHS 2025). No, I was actually the Master of Ceremonies for the two days the event was held. Health advocates, leaders, analysts, professionals, students, and journalists gathered in Abuja on October 22–23 for the Summit, which has now become a platform for dialogue on public health futures in Africa.

Beyond the Hashtags: What Happens After the Posts?

Photo by Walls.io on Unsplash

By Cynthia Umeh

Hashtags like #EndDigitalViolence and #UniteAgainstAbuse fill our feeds during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. We share posts, re-tweet powerful messages, and voice our support. But what happens after we hit “post”? Does the conversation stop when the hashtags fade from our timelines? The reality is that real change starts beyond the hashtags.

This Is What Online Safety Looks Like

Photo by Adem AY on Unsplash

By Atinuke Adeosun

Ever heard the saying “evil evolves”? It is painfully true. No matter how far humanity travels, no matter how many breakthroughs we celebrate or hard-won agreements we reach, those determined to harm always find new terrain. The internet and the smartphone — two of the most transformative inventions of our age — should have been pure gifts, widening opportunity, shrinking distance, expanding possibility. Yet in the hands of the worst among us, they have become megaphones for the kind of venom that used to hide in locker rooms, dim parlors, and back-alley whispers.

Media As A Tool For Ending Violence Against Women And Girls

Photo by mulugeta wolde on Unsplash

By Yecenu Sasetu

Vee was only 24 when she walked into a radio station, asking for help; all she needed was for someone to listen to her. She met someone on a social media platform. He was nice, handsome, and romantic, so she thought she had met the man of her dreams. He wasn’t rich, but he was comfortable and had great ideas for the future, and their conversations were focused on career and growth. Indeed, she had met her soulmate, or so she thought. 

UNiTE to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Why This Fight Matters Now More Than Ever

By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

Every year, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women forces us to pause and take stock of how far we have come and how much work still lies ahead. This year’s theme, “UNiTE to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls,” feels especially urgent. The online world has become an extension of our lives, and with all its promise has come new kinds of harm. For many women and girls in Nigeria, that harm is constant, unrelenting, and deeply personal.

The Evidence for Solutions Journalism

Key Learning and Insights at the Solutions Journalism Africa Summit in Abuja

By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

At the Solutions Journalism Africa Summit in Abuja, I sat with a familiar mix of curiosity and anticipation. More than ever, it felt clear to me that the future of storytelling depends on how deliberately we engage with data, knowledge, and the insights we can glean from there. Without data to ground our assumptions, without research to guide our methods, and without insights to shape our decisions, even the most passionate storytelling risks speaking into a void.

Finding Solutions Stories in Times of Conflict and Crisis

“Complicating the Narrative: Finding Solutions Stories in Times of Conflict and Crisis” at the 2025 SoJo Africa Summit in Abuja

By Yecenu Sasetu

The panel on “Complicating the Narrative: Finding Solutions Stories in Times of Conflict and Crisis” at the Solutions Journalism Africa Summit in Abuja reminded me why this work matters. In moments when communities face violence, displacement, trauma, and uncertainty, it is easy for journalism to focus only on the suffering. But this panel made it clear that even in chaos, people still try to solve problems, protect one another, and rebuild what conflict has taken. The conversation challenged us to look again, look deeper, and report with the intention of restoring humanity to the people whose stories we tell.

Two Sides of the Lens: Insights from the SoJo Labs

SoJo Labs at the 2025 Solutions Journalism Africa Summit in Abuja

By Yecenu Sasetu

Journalism constantly demands a choice: to stop at the problem or to look deeper for what is working. Every day, reporters meet communities that survive against the odds; people who organise themselves after disasters, innovators who solve local problems with limited resources, and institutions that quietly shift outcomes. These stories matter. They tell the fuller truth of our society.

Chude Jideonwo’s Shares Storytelling Insights at the SoJo Africa Summit

By Cynthia Umeh

There are moments when you hear something that hits differently, something that stays with you long after the conversation ends. That moment for me came at the Solutions Journalism Africa Summit, which happened in Abuja on November 14 and 15, 2025. 

Lightning Talk: Stories That Surprised Me

Lightning Talkat the Solutions Journalism Africa Summit in Abuja

Reflections from the SoJo Africa Summit 2025

By Simbiat Amzat

The SoJo Africa Summit 2025, which happened in Abuja on November 14 and 15, brought together storytellers, journalists, innovators, and changemakers from across the continent to explore how solutions journalism can reshape narratives about Africa. The summit spanned two days and provided a rich blend of conversations and learning opportunities. On Day One, a session in particular stood out for me: the Lightning Talk titled “Solutions That Surprised You.” I found it very refreshing and deeply insightful as journalists reflected on unexpected ways change emerges within African communities.

SoJo QuickInsights: New Tool Transforming the Future of Solutions Journalism

SoJo QuickInsights Presented by Nigeria Health Watch's Chinwendu Iroegbu (Media Programme Officer) and Ebenezer Olla (IT and Innovations Manager)

By Simbiat Amzat

In today's world, saturated with information but short on clarity, journalists, researchers, policymakers, and advocates often struggle to sift through countless articles to identify what genuinely works in solving social problems. Nigeria Health Watch, through its longstanding commitment to solutions journalism, has introduced a refreshing and much-needed tool to change that reality. 

What Happens When Journalists Choose Solutions

Shades of Us at the Solutions Journalism Africa Summit in Abuja

By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

(For Long-Winded Writers and Readers Like Me)

Shades of Us was proud to be a media partner of the inaugural Solutions Journalism Africa Summit, which happened in Abuja on November 14 and 15, 2025.

Honoring African Industrial Leaders Moving the Continent Forward

Photo by Chelaxy Designs on Unsplash

By Simbiat Amzat 

The industrial landscape in Africa is experiencing a paradigm shift. For decades, the continent has been viewed primarily as a source of raw materials for global markets, but this narrative is shifting. Across countries, local manufacturers are expanding production, building supply chains, and proving that Africa can compete and lead. 

My Experience at the Africa Films for Impact Festival

Ramatu Ada Ochekliye at the 2025 Africa Films for Impact Festival, which happened in Abuja from October 29–31. 2025 

by Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

This year, I was a fellow of the Africa Films for Impact Festival (AFFIF) through its Films for Impact Fellowship.

Sips of Goodness

Yecenu Sasetu at the Nigerian International Tea Festival

By Yecenu Sasetu

I love Tea. Sorry, I have to say it again. I. love. Tea.

Investing in Health in a Limited Fiscal Space

By Cynthia Umeh

As Nigeria continues its journey toward achieving Universal Health Coverage, the need for sustainable, domestically driven health financing grows more urgent. On October 29, 2025, Nigeria Health Watch, in partnership with Premium Times and The Punch, hosted a high-level virtual dialogue titled “Investing in Health in a Limited Fiscal Space.” The event brought together government leaders, policymakers, development partners, civil society, media, and private sector stakeholders to sustain momentum from the National Health Financing Dialogue and explore actionable steps to strengthen Nigeria’s health financing system.

The Generation We Are Ushering In

Photo by Lisa Marie Theck on Unsplash

By Ojonugwa Yahaya — Daughter of Africa

I write so that silence can be heard. ✍🏼

____________

In this reflection, I will not be economical with words. I will speak plainly — brutally, if I must — because sometimes the truth must sting before it heals.