Political affairs in Nigeria are often not discussed with the required nuance. At such a crucial, fragile time in the country’s existence, with threats to the freedom of the press, there is a need for more platforms to unequivocally speak on issues that affect the Nigerian citizen, whether at home or abroad.
The acclaimed novelist Okey Ndibe is doing just that with his podcast The Offside Musings. Co-hosted with Emeka Onyeagwa, it promises “deep and often entertaining insights into Nigerian current affairs and culture.” The two hosts do so “in a style that is learned, penetrating and engaging. . . with aplomb and more than a sprinkle of lightheartedness, wit and humor.” It is a production of The Droit Media.
The Offside Musings began in 2019 and most recently released Episode 9 of Season 2. An episode last month, “It’s Not Just About Mrs. Buhari’s Dubai Birthday,” discussed the outrage sparked by a viral video of members of the Nigerian Governors’ Wives Forum who traveled to Dubai to celebrate the First Lady Aisha Buhari’s 51st birthday.
With election season approaching in 2023, Nigerians are discussing the prospects of having credible politicians across federal and state offices. The podcast has been especially recognizing of the period: before the Aisha Buhari episode, the previous two episodes were on Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) party leader with questionable dealings who’s made clear his ambition to run for the presidency.
Ndibe is famed for his incisive columns in The Guardian, 234Next, and The Sun in the 2000s. Last year, two days after being detained by the Department of State Security (DSS) at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, he told Open Country Mag that he’s been on a list of “enemies of the Nigerian state” since 2008.
“There’s little secret about the original reason,” he said of why he is being targeted. “My consistent criticism—in writing and speeches—of Nigeria’s mediocre, visionless, and vicious rulers. It’s amazing that any government would put writers like me on a list of enemies of the Nigerian state but bestow national honors on those who’ve gutted the country’s promise and kept Nigeria in a dismal state.”
The Offside Musings is ranked among Feedspot’s Top 35 Nigerian Podcasts.
