The story of the 10 Plagues of Egypt you read in the Bible was scary but it didn’t tell of all the plagues. There was one more it failed to mention. No, it’s not COVID-19. It’s women coming to your house and stealing your clothes. The reason why your money is running out is because […]

The Twitter ban has affected a lot of people and businesses in different ways. We tend to overlook the impact Twitter has had in various aspects of our lives. One of such aspects is relationships. I spoke to 6 Nigerian men who found love on Twitter. They had such interesting stories. Tosin We had been […]

What does it mean to be a man? Surely, it’s not one thing. It’s a series of little moments that add up. Man Like is a weekly Zikoko series documenting these moments to see how it adds up. It’s a series for men by men, talking about men’s issues. We try to understand what it means to […]

The Nigerian government’s decision to suspend popular social media platform ban will hit Nigeria’s teeming youth population, for whom Twitter has become a source of escape from the hard-hitting Nigerian situation. Many use the platform to find job opportunities, companionship and networking. It will also prove to be disastrous for small and medium scale businesses […]

Fat people in Nigeria go through a lot of abuse and degradation from society at large. It seems they get no respite from the constant passive aggression and fatphobia. The male perspective on this topic isn’t often heard, so we talked to 5 men about what it was like to be fat in Nigeria. Tolu […]

51 years ago, the former Eastern Region of Nigeria unilaterally declared independence from Nigeria as the Republic of Biafra. Millions of lives and 30 months later, the war ended with a Nigerian victory. The Nigerian military adopted inhumane tactics such as food blockades and genocide, leading to the widespread death of civilians through famine. Many […]

Today’s “Man Like” is Imoh Umoren, an indie filmmaker. He talks about losing both his parents at the age of 15, surviving a tough divorce and fathering his nephew and his son. When did you realise you were a man? When my mum died when I was 13 and my dad followed at 15.  Before […]

I’ve often heard of men who gave regular allowances to their girlfriends but had never met one (that I knew of). A friend prompted me to talk to men who “paid salaries” to their partners so I put a call out. I got some pretty interesting responses from six men. Here’s what they said. Patrick […]

We all had grand dreams of what we’d be when we were kids. Doctors, lawyers, scientists, Pulitzer-winning journalists — a child’s imagination is truly boundless. For Children’s Day, we asked 14 Nigerians what they wanted to be when they were young and what they do now. The answers ranged from hilarious to “God when”. Aphrodite […]

As told to Femi Nigeria’s Lunacy Act of 1958 is long overdue for repeal and here’s why. It describes any person living with a mental health condition as a “lunatic”. It strips such a person of all decision-making rights and resigns them to depend on decisions made for them by relatives and guardians. According to […]

Modern-day fatherhood is no mean feat. Have you met children? Raising daughters is doubly difficult because of a culture and society that’s mostly unfair to women. Still, being a father to girls has its rewards in the small, unexpected moments. I discussed with five young fathers about their favourite things raising daughters. Ken Daughters aged […]

Today’s Man Like is Leo Dasilva, a former Big Brother housemate and an entrepreneur. He talks about having to find his feet by himself in the United Kingdom, coping with grief when he lost both his parents and surviving an abusive relationship. Was there any defining moment where you realised, “Oh shit, I’m now a […]

For an essential service and integral part of our fundamental human rights, accessing mental health care can be quite expensive. This often discourages most people from seeking out help. People with suicidal ideation, who are in dire need of accessing mental health professionals, find themselves without the crucial help they need. According to Nigeria’s mental […]

Homeschooling, also known as home education, is the education of school-aged children at home or in a place other than a conventional school. Certain parents prefer to homeschool their children for a variety of reasons, ranging from religious to social. I spoke to four Nigerians who were homeschooled about their experiences. Kevwe I was homeschooled […]

Today’s Man Like is Osunniyi, a 30-year old Ifá priest and the Oluwo (Chief priest) of Ile Oluwo Idingbe Temple. He discusses growing up with his grandfather, how he became the youngest-ever Oluwo at the age of 23 and the stigmatisation of traditional religions in Nigeria. Tell us a bit about yourself. My name is […]

Abuse in mental health institutions is not a new phenomenon. Reports of abuse emanate from care institutions nationwide. This is worsened by the fact that there are thousands of unregistered mental health institutions which often use unorthodox methods in the treatment of patients. The case isn’t any different in government-run institutions where practitioners operate unsupervised […]

According to the World Health Organisation, one in four Nigerians live with a mental health condition. That’s 50 million Nigerians. Yet, the country is ill-equipped to provide adequate care to the people who need it the most. With only eight federal government-run neuropsychiatric hospitals, there are a ton of people in need of mental health […]

Men might not be the most expressive people, especially when it comes to their friendships. Still, friends often go to great extents to help each other out, expressing their affection for each other in other ways without saying, “I love you bro.” I spoke to 5 men about the best things their friends have done […]

Fathers aren’t usually in the news for good things. From buying the wrong diaper sizes to forgetting birthdays, some men clearly need to do better as fathers. Still, there are some solid fathers out there, doing the work, both as men and as fathers. I spoke to 11 women about the best things their dads […]

Today’s Man Like is Bolu Okupe, a 27-year old bodybuilder and model living in Paris. He talks about repressing his sexuality until he was in his 20s, having to assert his masculinity and how he deals with internet trolls. When did it first hit you that you were a man? I don’t think there was […]

As told to Femi We hope for easy lives. But life doesn’t always go the way the wish. I spoke to Balo*, a an educational program advisor. We talked about fending for his family when he lost his father and a culture that does now allow men to grieve. We had an interesting chat. My […]

May Day, Workers’ Day or Labour Day, is a public holiday celebrated in many countries across the world. While it usually occurs in May, the date varies across countries. However, here in Nigeria, May 1st is a constant.  So how can you get the best of this holiday knowing full well that it’s just a […]

This week’s Man Like is Tex, a father, lawyer and satirist. He talks growing up as the first child with three brothers, raising three girls in a patriarchal society and experiencing grief when he lost his friend. At what point did you start to feel like you were a man? I would say when I […]