Interviews

By Toyin Falola It was Les Brown, an American politician, who said, “life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals, and charge after them in an unstoppable manner.” In this sentence of fewer than 20 words, Brown summarizes the trajectory of ambition and the key ingredients that make …

By Toyin Falola         Since its inception, The Toyin Falola Interviews has been a not-for-profit endeavour through which we have sparked conversations and debates on several issues of national and international concern, having people from all walks of life as revered interviewees on the platform – from …

  By Wale Okediran   Veteran Writer, Prof Ngugi Wa Thiong’o has reiterated his well-known position on the use of Language in African Literature with a new charge to African writers to write in African languages.   In a correspondence addressed to Dr Wale Okediran the Secretary General of the …

This is the second interview report with President Mbeki on June 19, 2022. Viewership figures on television, radios and over a dozen platforms reached over 35 million by June 20, 2022. For the transcripts: YouTube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KoRTpv6lEfA  Facebook: https://fb.watch/dL9miB2tHc/       President Thabo Mbeki: On South Africa and the South …

Faces of the African Youth Movement for Change BY Toyin Falola   Despite being famous for the abundance of its natural resources, Africa has not lived up to its potential in the eyes of many. The continent has come to be synonymous with strife in contemporary times. The current situation …

 The Professor, the Journalist, and their Country  By Toyin Falola   This is the third report on the interview with Professor Attahiru Jega on December 12, 2021. The extensive interview, which has received millions of views across different platforms, exposes Nigeria in all of its ugliness while also offering a …

The Abeokuta Prince and the Art Palace By Toyin Falola My trip to Abeokuta in November 2021 yielded treasures of performance and orality at the Ake Palace, the city itself, and the lovely home of an Egba Prince. The trip became part of what I will label, with poetic license, …

Attahiru Jega: The Measure of Excellence and Integrity  By Toyin Falola       Many people know Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega as a Nigerian intellectual with a zeal for excellence and a flair for brilliance. His popularity came from his roles and involvement in the recent political history of the …

    PART 1 SEUN KUTI: MUSIC, POLITICS, AND FELA’S LEGACY Toyin Falola Many questions arise on the death of an influential and famous person, and diverse matters come to play. People ask, “Who will succeed the Great?” “Will their names live on?” “Should we not immortalize them?” “What will …

By Toyin Falola   October 12 has been declared “Ali A. Mazrui Memorial Day” by his friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. This year’s observance is very unique as it coincides with Zanzibar-born Professor Abdulrazak Gurnah winning the prestigious 2021 Nobel Literature Prize. Indeed, I will use this opportunity to eulogize, once …