Video Stories
Our video stories bring African realities to life through powerful, human centered storytelling. From short documentaries and field reports to explainers, profiles, and visual essays, we use video to break down complex issues, spotlight everyday changemakers, and show not just what is happening, but what is possible.
Threads at Risk
The fight to protect Nigeria’s aso ofi industry
In Iseyin, southwestern Nigeria, the steady rhythm of wooden looms has shaped a centuries-old tradition of weaving Aso Ofi, a fabric that carries Yoruba history, culture, and identity.
But as cheaper, factory-made imports flood the market, local artisans are struggling to compete.
This video story follows the weavers and businesses behind Aso Ofi, exploring how global demand and foreign imitations are threatening their livelihoods and what it will take to protect a craft that has been passed down through generations.
Reporting - Fola Folayan
Production Director - Ayo Adams
Defying conflict to track the world’s rarest chimpanzees
GASHAKA GUMTI NATIONAL PARK, Nigeria — Here in Nigeria’s largest protected wilderness area lies one of the last strongholds of the Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti), the world’s rarest chimpanzee subspecies. For nearly a decade, however, this population has lived largely out of sight.
Once a leading hub for field research in West Africa, Gashaka fell silent in the late 2010s when insecurity in the area forced scientists to withdraw. “By 2018, all research had stopped,” says conservationist Elisha Emmanuel.
When the researchers left, so did the rangers who protected the park. Without them, Gashaka became vulnerable to poachers and bandits, and its research stations slid into disrepair.
But a handful of local research assistants refused to leave. “It’s our bush,” says Maigari, who grew up in nearby Gashaka village. “If they want to kill me, they will kill me because the chimps are my friends.”
Reporting: Leo Plunkett, Tom Richards, Sandy Watt
Publisher: MONGABAY