NFM Weekly Digest: Women, Power, Violence and the Stories We Refuse to Ignore
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For this week’s news edition, we reported on the continued underrepresentation of women in political decision-making, the violence women face in their homes and online, and the staggering gap between femicide cases and accountability in Nigeria. We also spotlight women challenging inherited ideas about gender and culture, making history on the global stage, and navigating life, work and relationships on their own terms. Below are some of the reports from the week. Click on the links to read the full stories.
- Osun Decides 2026: Electoral Hub Decries Underrepresentation Of Female Stakeholders
The Electoral Hub, an election accountability and advocacy group, named the persistent underrepresentation of women in elective and decision-making positions among its central concerns ahead of Saturday’s Osun State gubernatorial election, in a statement released on August 14, 2026.
- The Power of Asking “Why”: Dr Chisom Paula Ogamba on Language, Feminism and the Stories We Inherit
Dr Chisom Paula Ogamba is a linguist, lecturer and researcher whose work explores language, gender and culture. Recently recognised as the best graduating PhD student in her department at Babcock University, she has spent years thinking and writing about the ways language shapes how we understand ourselves and the world around us.
- “I was attacked while holding my son,” David Martins’ spouse cries out about domestic abuse
Popular Nigerian wedding photographer David Martins is facing allegations of domestic abuse after his wife, Alicia Daniella, publicly accused him of physically, verbally and psychologically abusing her throughout their three-year marriage. Daniella, a Venezuelan Trinidadian model, shared her account on her Instagram story on Sunday, August 16, drawing attention to what happened in a marriage that had largely been presented to the public as a picture-perfect portrayal of love, faith, and family.
- Inside Nigeria’s Telegram Sex Trade: Paid Access, Blackmail and Cross-Border Recruitment
“To join, you must pay ₦15,000 first.” That was the response an administrator of a Telegram group with more than 11,000 members gave this reporter after she inquired about joining. The payment was not for a product or subscription. According to the administrator, it was the fee required before prospective members could advertise commercial sexual services in the group.
- Nigeria Records 182 Femicide Cases in 2025, But Only Five Reached Court Charges — DOHS Reports
A report by the DOHS Cares Foundation has documented 182 femicide and gender related killings of women and girls across Nigeria in 2025, exposing very significant failures in prevention, documentation, and accountability.
- Angélique Kidjo Receive a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as First African
On August 18, 2026, Beninese music icon Angélique Kidjo made history as the first African musician and the first Black African artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in a ceremony held at 7011 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. She received the 2,854th star on the famous boulevard, awarded in the Recording category.
- “If You Don’t Want to Go to School, Learn Skill” — Phyna Urges Students in Calabar
Reality TV star and entertainer Josephina Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, has advised students in Cross River State to learn vocational skills if they do not intend to pursue formal education.
- “I Knew My Marriage Would End” — Halima Kazaure Opens Up on Divorcing Bashir El-Rufai
Nigerian lawyer Halima Kazaure, ex-wife of Bashir El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has opened up about her life after divorce, writing about single parenthood, falling in love again, heartbreak, and navigating her ADHD diagnosis as a working single mother of twin boys.
