uvibesAfrica

Lagos, Nigeria: Unchained Vibes Africa (UVA) has announced the 2025 edition of its flagship programme, the Freedom Vibes Academy (FVA), a hybrid training and mentorship initiative designed to empower emerging artists and cultural activists to use their creativity as a force for social transformation, freedom of expression, and democracy in Nigeria. Running from October to December 2025, the Academy will bring together 16 socially conscious artists for an intensive learning experience that blends virtual workshops, peer mentorship, and an in-person convening in Kano. The goal is to strengthen the voices of young creatives who use art to challenge oppression, promote accountability, and advance inclusion across communities.

UVA Statement on the Kano Court’s Order Compelling Two TikTok Creators to Marry Unchained Vibes Africa (UVA) condemns the recent ruling by a Kano magistrate court ordering two TikTok content creators Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda to marry within 60 days over videos described as “indecent.” The videos in question are fictional works of […]

Index on Censorship announces 2025 Freedom of Expression awards shortlist Unchained Vibes Africa (UVA) Unchained Vibes Africa (UVA)  is a Nigeria-based cultural organisation that leverages the power of the arts to promote civic education, human rights, and cultural diversity across Africa. Founded in 2020, UVA uses music, poetry and performing arts to challenge censorship, defend freedom […]

Lagos, Nigeria – September 30, 2025: Unchained Vibes Africa welcomes the September 25 ruling of Nigeria’s Supreme Court granting leave for a late appeal in the case of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, an upcoming Kano-based singer sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy. In 2020, Yahaya’s spontaneous singing and freestyling in response to a debate in a WhatsApp group sparked heated arguments which some interpreted as blasphemous. He was later arrested, tried under Sharia law, and handed a death sentence. The death sentence drew widespread criticism for violating his rights to free expression, fair trial and human dignity.

Unchained Vibes Africa (UVA) strongly condemns the recent decision by the Kano State Censorship Board to suspend 22 popular Hausa-language film series for alleged non-compliance with censorship regulations. This sweeping action, which effectively bans these creative works from airing or streaming, represents a blatant violation of and a grave threat to freedom of expression, artistic freedom, and the fundamental rights of cultural practitioners in Nigeria.