The Gallery

Art · Film · Poetry Curation

A contextual essay about a politically significant work of art, film, or published poetry. You are not reviewing the work — you are using it as a lens to illuminate a political reality, a historical moment, or a civic question.

• 1,000 – 2,500 words
• Must reference a specific, named work (painting, film, poem, album, photograph, novel)
• Must connect the work to a political or civic theme — not just describe it
• No star ratings. No thumbs up or down. This is curation, not criticism.

The Framework

Political Systems · Governance Models · Structural Proposals

An analytical essay that presents a political framework, governance model, or structural proposal — explains how it works elsewhere, examines its strengths and weaknesses, and asks whether it could apply to Nigeria or Africa.

• 1,500 – 3,000 words
• Must reference at least one real-world example (a country, a constitution, an institution)
• Must present possibilities, not prescriptions — never tell the reader what Nigeria “should” do
• Cite your sources. Name the documents, the laws, the data.

The Verse

Political Poetry from Across the World

Political poems — published classics and original works — that carry the weight of nations. We present each poem with a short contextual introduction: who wrote it, when, why it matters. The poem does the work; we just open the door.

• Submit published poems with full attribution and context (author, year, historical background)
• Original poems are also welcome — they must be previously unpublished
• Must engage with themes of governance, identity, citizenship, resistance, belonging, or nationhood
• No love poems unless the love is for a country, a people, or an idea
• We do not edit poems. If we accept it, we publish it as written.

Essays

The Blueprint · The Lost Accord · The Civic Handbook · Echoes of Protest

Long-form essays in one of our four core formats. These are the hardest to get right because they must carry the voice of the paper. Read at least five published essays before submitting.

• 1,500 – 4,000 words
• Must fit one of the four formats:
  • The Blueprint — a global ideology examined through Nigerian practice
  • The Lost Accord — a past agreement or treaty, what was promised, what happened
  • The Civic Handbook— a legal right or civic process explained as direct address to “you”
  • Echoes of Protest — a historical resistance placed alongside a modern parallel
• Must be grounded in verifiable source material — name your sources
• Must observe, not instruct. Ask, not answer. Inform, not prescribe.

What we do not publish

• Opinion pieces that tell the reader what to think or who to vote for
• Partisan content that endorses or attacks a specific politician or party
• Content generated entirely by AI without substantial human authorship
• Academic papers — we are a journal, not a journal of record
• Breaking news or current affairs commentary — we are an archive, not a newsroom
• Anything speculative, conspiratorial, or not grounded in verifiable fact
• Hate speech, ethnic supremacism, or content that dehumanizes any group