Somtochukwu Udeozo
Published works
11 pieces
Trade, Totems and the Invention of Isi-Agu
How the Igbo transformed a Victorian trade commodity into the Isi-Agu
8/25/2026 · 6 min
The Nigerian Cat: Domestic or Demonic?
Is the Nigerian cat a pet, a pest controller, or a paranormal operative?
8/12/2026 · 6 min
Mbe the Tortoise
Mbe the Tortoise survives because every society eventually rewards someone like him.
6/23/2026 · 7 min
Interrogating the Roots of Afrophobia in South Africa
How a nation forged in liberation became a continent's most violent rebuke of it.
6/18/2026 · 8 min
“The Night Is Not for Children”: Insecurity and the Emerging Myth of Nigeria’s Future
Survival tactics of today are forming the myths that would define the future.
3/1/2026 · 7 min
‘Die by Fire!’: The ‘Africanisation’ of Christianity
Turns out, Christianity did not erase African traditions. It just learned to speak their language.
2/18/2026 · 5 min
The 'Tomato Ebola' of 2016
When a moth infestation wiped out tomato supply, Nigerians were forced survive on improvisations.
1/20/2026 · 7 min
Nollywood’s First Blockbuster and the Nigerian 1990s
Living in Bondage (1992) followed Andy Okeke's rise on a tide of blood money and his descent into haunted ruin. Nollywood's first blockbuster caught a Nigeria rattled by economic collapse and spiritual dread in the SAP years, condensing the decade's anxieties onto VHS.
10/26/2025 · 10 min
When One Says Yes: Destiny as Dialogue in Igbo Spiritual Belief
In Igbo thought, destiny is a bargain struck before birth, witnessed by God and the ancestors, then carried out in the open world. It turns on the bond between chi, the personal god who assigns a fate, and ikenga, the will to achieve it, and a person's own choices can still strengthen or destroy it.
10/12/2025 · 9 min
What Is Freedom to the Unfree? Emancipation Through African Eyes
How has West Africa dealt with its role in the history of slavery? This article reflects on Emancipation Day and looks at the need for open dialogue and renewed connection with the global Black diaspora.
8/7/2025 · 14 min
Ikpirikpi Ogu and the Ancestral Might of Ohafia
Among the Ohafia of Abia State, courage was once proven on the battlefield, where a young man took the head of his strongest foe to be counted a man. Their war dance, Ikpirikpi Ogu, keeps that warrior past alive, teaching each new generation what honour and manhood once demanded.
8/5/2025 · 9 min