As Nigeria commences another constitutional amendment process, the second since its return to democracy in 1999, the issue of tenure limits rears its head again. The first time it came up in 2006, it was as the second and final term of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency was drawing to a close. There was a proposed constitutional amendment that governors [...]

by Temitayo Olofinlua    “Is there anything to eat in this house this evening?” Barbara asked. “There’s porridge,” I replied. “Porridge is not food. Porridge is just something that I will drink with the main meal,” Barbara announced. We were both confused on our definitions of porridge. She told me that porridge is made from corn or millet. From her [...]

This is a press release by Writers and Academics Against Homophobia. Feel free to append your signatures in the comment section, and to share this petition through your social networks. _________________________________ We the undersigned condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of Mr David Kato the Ugandan gay rights campaigner. We wish to state emphatically that homosexuality is neither a [...]

On Monday, 1st March, a group of activists and civil society organisations in Uganda presented a petition signed by 450,000 people from across the world opposing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The Petition was presented to Edward Sekandi, the Ugandan Speaker of Parliament and called for Parliament to “enact laws that will protect people and not humiliate or kill them”. It pointed [...]

I’m writing this post in response to number of articles on the prevalence of homophobia in Africa and to try and give some perspective and historical context.     In the last six months we have seen the expression of homophobia with the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill; the arrest of gay Malawian couple, Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza, for getting married;  [...]