Launching this month, AMAKA presents ‘The Update’ hosted by junior staff writer, Yaa Addae. In commemoration of the one-year anniversary of Nigeria’s Lekki Toll Gate Massacre, the audio documentary-style episode unpacks the legacy of the #EndSars protests and what it means for the future of youth organizing.  

The 45-minute pilot features an explainer of this pivotal moment in Nigeria, a condensed timeline of events leading up October 20th 2020, and insight from the following guest experts:

Dr Toyin Falola

Dr Toyin Falola is a Nigerian historian and professor of African studies. He is currently the chair of Humanities at the University of Texas-Austin and prior to this has taught at Cambridge University in the U.K, York University in Canada, The Australian National University in Canberra and the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos, Nigeria. Dr Falola is a fellow of the historical society of Nigeria and of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. He is the author and editor of over 100 books including A History of Nigeria (2008), A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt (2005), and Colonialism and Violence in Nigeria (2009). In 2014 and 2015, Dr.Falola served as the president of the African Studies Association of North America.

Yemisi AdegokeYemisi Adegoke is a British-Nigerian journalist and documentary maker. Formerly reporting for CNN Africa, she is now a Senior Reporter with BBC Africa and is based in Lagos, Nigeria. Adegoke was nominated for the 2016 Future Awards Africa Prize for Journalism and is a contributing author to the highly-acclaimed anthology of Black British writing, Slay in Your Lane Presents: Loud Black Girls.

Rinu Oduala

Rinu Oduala is a 23-year-old social media strategist and human rights activist who was heavily involved in last year’s organizing. After the #EndSars protests, 29 states set up Panels of Inquiry into police brutality. Rinu was one of the youth representatives on the Lagos judicial panel. She was recently recognized by the United Nations as a changemaker in their Peace, Unity, and Equality Campaign.

Matthew Blaise

Matthew Blaise is a human rights activist who largely focuses on the injustices of Queer Nigerians at the hands of police and wider society. Matthew’s platform grew after they were filmed in a viral video chanting ‘Queer Lives Matter’ while protesting SARS. Blaise was highlighted in the Dazed 100 2021 cohort for their research into the history of queerness in Africa.

Join us in this examination of the longest-running series of national protests in Nigeria, its history, and context. Tune into The Update on Oct. 2oth wherever you get your podcasts.