Bolu Mayode

The State of Africa

Government EN ↓ 56 episodes

The State of Africa is a narrative deep-dive into how Africa became what it is today; the history we weren’t taught, the systems that shaped us, the decisions that broke us and the possibilities that can rebuild us. Each episode unpacks a piece of Africa’s story and how that reflects today. These are honest conversations, journeys through the past to understand the present. A reminder that Africa’s problems didn’t appear overnight & neither will the solutions. But if we understand how we got here, we can understand how to move forward.

Author

Bolu Mayode

Episodes

The Kingdom That Europe Feared 27.11.2025 4:50

The Benin Kingdom was not a myth. It was a global power. It was organized, artistic, diplomatic, and advanced. The question is: Why were we told it was primitive? TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofafrica_

The City They Said Africans Couldn’t Have Built 26.11.2025 4:51

Great Zimbabwe was a city of global trade, mathematics, architecture, and power that was built by Africans. But the world denied it because the truth was too powerful. We are not rediscovering greatness. We are remembering it. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestat...

The City of Books in the Desert 25.11.2025 4:41

Africa was not only wealthy, Africa was scholarly. Timbuktu was a city of scholars. A global center of learning long before Oxford or Cambridge were world-renowned. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofafrica_

The Richest Man Who Ever Lived 25.11.2025 4:30

The Mali Empire wasn’t a myth. It was a civilization of wealth, knowledge, and global influence. And at the height of this empire stood one man: Mansa Musa Keita I. Mansa Musa didn’t just have money, he had power. And the world knew it. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.c...

The Forgotten Black Pharaohs 24.11.2025 4:54

Africans ruled Egypt. They built pyramids. But the world forgot their names because they were black. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofafrica_

When Africa Was the Center of the World 23.11.2025 4:17

There was a time when Africa was the world. The Trans-Saharan Trade built empires and gave Africans a deep sense of confidence in who they were. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofafrica_