‘There is time for everything. A season for everything under the sun…’ For the past decade, I have been thinking of doing some creative work around the theme of space. Mostly looking at how space is appropriated and with a particular focus on religious space. Later on, six years later, I included the additional dimensions …
Author: Dabesaki
On public policies and aspirational incompatibilities
The issues of public policies and aspirational incompatibilities first caught my interest during the Nigerian 2015 election cycle. At the time, trending social media hashtags (mainly on Twitter, now X): #babawhenyougetthere, #babanowthatyouarethere, and, on inauguration day, #changeishere, were used to articulate the aspirations and expectations of youth. I was interested in understanding the diverse aspirations …
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Beere: A commentary on resilience, the past, the present and the future
This evening I saw a powerful stage play titled Beere, written by Abiodun Baiyewu. The play sought to re-enact the past while reminding us of the present. Beere is about the 1946 Abeokuta women's revolt against unjust and high taxation led by Funmilayo Ransom Kuti, through the eyes of a witness - someone who was …
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The Light
You were the light of the world Of my world, of our worlds To all of us who were there You showed the way to those near and afar Some saw the light, some saw the way and some saw what you did not show But we all saw You opened the door to the …
Forty Big Questions for Progress and Shared Prosperity
Structural factors including inequality, discrimination and disadvantage have impeded progress in sub-Saharan Africa for much of the last century. Many of these factors are rooted in colonialism, culture and economic systems that inhibit the capacity of Africans and African countries to unlock their full potential. In recent years, national epidemics and global pandemics, such as …
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