I'm a Nigerian. I write poetry and essays. My research interests are social media, youth political participation, politics and ethnicity.
I blog at FEATHERS PROJECT
Latest posts by Nwachukwu Egbunike
12 October 2018
Why are African governments criminalising online speech? Because they fear its power.
The noise we make on digital platforms scares oppressive regimes. In some cases, it can even force them to rescind their actions.
6 September 2018
Two women who dared to oppose Rwandan President Paul Kagame
"By extending his 23 years in power, Kagame is denying Rwandans an opportunity to experience the first-ever peaceful transition of power in their country."
4 September 2018
Confronting human rights violations in Africa one hashtag at a time
Galvanised by increased connectivity, pan-African online communities are using social media to speak out against repression and support young candidates challenging leaders who've been clinging to power for decades.
25 July 2018
Nigeria is launching a new national airline — but will it take off?
"A national carrier is something we have tried and failed multiple times...[On] what basis are you hopeful that an administration that has failed more than others will be successful?"
6 July 2018
Ugandans say #NoToSocialMediaTax because it exploits women, youth and the poor
Ugandans are saying #NoToSocialMediaTax because it is unconstitutional, increases poverty, targets youth, and exacerbates the digital divide.
#NoToSocialMediaTax: Join Global Voices for a July 9 tweetathon against Uganda's social media tax
Freedom is free, not taxed. Global Voices supports the #NotoSocialMediaTax campaign in Uganda.
14 June 2018
Port Harcourt: Nigeria's city of ‘soot so thick’
Soot causes cancer and lung disease, and long-term exposure to soot increases the risk of coronary artery disease.
13 June 2018
Leading independent websites go dark as Tanzania’s ‘blogger tax’ deadline approaches
"It is not only a self-censorship license but a way to become the state's tool to censor others (contributors) civic right to express."
28 May 2018
How ‘African’ is Northern Africa?
"Why are Africans from north of the Sahara sometimes not considered definitively 'African'?"
16 April 2018
Liberian journalists detained, slapped with US 1.8 million lawsuit amid political feud
Only weeks after FrontPage Africa reported on the LEITI scandal, the newspaper was slammed with a crippling libel civil lawsuit. Press freedom activists believe FrontPage Africa has been targeted.
12 April 2018
Will Tanzanian Bloggers Pay Up or Push Back Against ‘Blogger Tax'?
In Tanzania, where media historically holds strong ties to government interests, blogging opened up possibilities for individuals to establish private news outlets that proved immensely powerful.
9 April 2018
On World Health Day, African Nations from East to West Struggle to Improve Basic Health Care
Whether it's psychiatric illness and stigmatization in Somalia, the rising drug abuse epidemic of Nigerian youth or the exodus of Nigerian doctors, the state of health across Africa remains precarious.
20 March 2018
“Africa and the Poetry of News”: Global Voices Hosts a Twitter Chat for World Poetry Day
To honor World Poetry Day on March 21, 2018, Global Voices sub-Saharan Africa team will host a Twitter chat on "Africa and the Poetry of News." Join us! #GVSSA #Poetrynews
21 February 2018
As Leaders Step Down, a Cautious Hope Rises on the African Continent
After the resignation of Zuma and Desalegn, "the mood on the continent is one of hope, on the one hand, and of palpable restraint and scepticism on the other."
14 February 2018
Several Months After Their Abduction by Boko Haram, Thirteen Nigerian Citizens Regain Freedom
"We are so pleased that these 13 people are free and will be able to see their families again..."
15 January 2018
Nigerian Police Arrest a Journalist and His Brother Over a News Article They Didn't Write
"Police have no business raiding a journalist's home and locking him up just because an officer does not like something written in the press."
12 January 2018
Africans ‘School’ US President on Good Governance After ‘Shithole’ Comment Sparks Global Outrage
"Yes, Africa [has] problems. We don't dispute it. But name calling & outright disrespect by the very nation that has stripped off its resources for years is totally crossing it."
29 August 2017
Nigeria's President Surprises With a Speech Not About His Health, but About Ethnic Tensions
President Muhammadu Buhari finally returned after three months in the UK on medical vacation, and his first public address flagged online comments that "question[ed] our collective existence as a nation."
4 August 2017
Even the Best Dancer Leaves the Dance Floor: African Strongmen and Political Transition
"The fear of challenging leaders who cling to power is, for some Africans, rooted in anxiety about alternatives—alternatives which remain unknown because they are never allowed to emerge and develop."
12 July 2017
As Ethnic Hate Speech Rises, Nigerian Writers Push Back
The confusion has been exacerbated by the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari who has been on medical leave in London since May, leaving behind a divided nation.
