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Seun Matiluko is a “zillenial” and a British-Nigerian journalist. She has a large and vibrant family – who won’t stop sending her messages in the group chat! Seun’s grandfather was a diplomat who studied in England in the 1950s but went back to Nigeria on the dawn of independence. Due to political and economic turmoil, Seun’s parents immigrated to the UK – where Seun was born.
But is it possible to authentically be both British and West African? Seun decides to speak with other British-West Africans to find out, including Radio 1 DJ Melvin Odoom and playwright Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini.
Matilda suggests that looking to history might help…Seun begins her journey in the 16th century with John Blanke. She meets Independent historian Michael Ohajuru who tells her more about Blanke, the first Black person in British history for whom historians have located both a name and an image.
She then looks to the 17th and 18th centuries, and West African abolitionists like Olaudah Equiano with the help of Professor Gretchen Gerzina.
Finally, Seun chats with spoken word artist Tuggstar Togoboh who recently discovered his Ghanaian great-grandfather stowed away on a ship to Britain in the 19th century.
Producer and Presenter: Seun Matiluko. Supervising Producer: Jessie Bland. Researcher: Richard Ampeh. Theme music: Richard Olatunde Baker. Sound design: Kalua. Artwork: Tinuke Fagborun. A Three Arrows Media production for BBC Sounds Audio Lab. Commissioning Editor: Khaliq Meer.
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British-Nigerian journalist Seun Matiluko unpacks the term “farming” used to describe a period between the 1950s and 1990s when tens of thousands of West African children were privately fostered in the UK.
Can you authentically be both British and West Africans when you’re brought up by non-West Africans?
In this episode, Seun speaks with three adults who were “farmed” as children: former Olympian Kriss Akabusi, British Blacklist – founder Akua Gyamfi, and musician Ric Flo alongside his white foster parent Denise. Some details in stories have been changed to protect individual's identities.
Corrections: Akua Gyamfi was first fostered between the ages 0-4 in Portsmouth. Her surname is pronounced "JAM-FI."
Seun also speaks with a West African parent who fostered their child – Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka.
Finally, Seun speaks with an academic expert, Professor Jordanna Bailkin from the University of Washington.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this episode, please contact support organisations in your own country. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support for survivors of child abuse, go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.
Producer and Presenter: Seun Matiluko. Supervising Producer: Jessie Bland. Researcher: Richard Ampeh.
Voice actors: Ozioma Ihesiene, Aishat Adebisi and Eniola Promise. Theme music: Richard Olatunde Baker. Sound design: Kalua. Artwork: Tinuke Fagborun. A Three Arrows Media production for BBC Sounds Audio Lab. Commissioning Editor: Khaliq Meer.
With special thanks to Nursery World who will celebrate their hundredth anniversary in 2025.
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In episode two, British-Nigerian journalist Seun Matiluko learned that thousands of West African children were privately fostered up and down the UK, including in many rural locations.
Seun wants to find out more about different West African communities that exist across the UK. She travels across the country to find out how the community around you can help shape your identity.
She eats the best kind of jollof rice – Nigerian jollof – at the Flygerians restaurant in South London!
She travels up Peckham Rye with entrepreneur Kenny Imafidon and looks out across the bay at the Cardiff Docks.
She learns about Cape Verdean and Liberian seafarers in 18th century Liverpool with the help of National Museums Liverpool.
She speaks with Glaswegian Championship footballer Azeem Abdulai, treks around Edinburgh with YouTuber Vanessa Kanbi, and chats with filmmaker Tolu Ogunware in Belfast. Correction: Vanessa first went to Ghana at the age of 2. She later visited the country, at the age of 16, without her parents.
Producer and Presenter: Seun Matiluko. Supervising Producer: Jessie Bland. Researcher: Richard Ampeh. Theme music: Richard Olatunde Baker. Sound design: Kalua. Artwork: Tinuke Fagborun. A Three Arrows Media production for BBC Sounds Audio Lab. Commissioning Editor: Khaliq Meer
With special thanks to Professor Michael Boyle and Dr Diane Frost who provided guidance on the Liverpool section of this episode.
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In episode three, British-Nigerian journalist Seun Matiluko spoke with British-West Africans across the UK: from Peckham to Belfast. There was one thing that united everyone she spoke with...the desire to learn their heritage language.
Seun does not know her heritage language, Yoruba. With the encouragement of Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka, she decides to take one of the online West African language classes that have become increasingly popular among young British-West Africans. She takes a class run by Blessing Kayode, of Yoruba Lessons.com.
Many young British-West Africans do not know their heritage languages. Seun speaks with academic Professor Paul Kerswill about this, who informs her that a recent study suggests West African immigrant parents are less likely to pass on their heritage languages to their children than other immigrant groups. The study cited by Professor Paul Kerswill is Sophie Liggins, Heritage languages in plurilingual secondary school cohorts: Exploring students’ diverse linguistic repertoires (2022).
Gbemisola Isimi concurs with the findings of the study. Gbemisola is the founder of Culture Tree, a UK-based organisation that promotes and preserves West African languages, arts, and culture. She suggests many West Africans value English more highly than their heritage languages.
Writer Aminatta Forna and Danica Salazar, the World English editor at the Oxford English Dictionary, argue that English should be considered a West African language in its own right.
Meanwhile British-Ghanaian dramaturg Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu (who recently directed the Olivier-nominated play For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy) and Sierra Leonean-British writer Dr Kadija George MBE explain why language can make or break an identity.
Producer and Presenter: Seun Matiluko. Supervising Producer: Jessie Bland. Researcher: Richard Ampeh. Theme music: Richard Olatunde Baker. Sound design: Kalua. Artwork: Tinuke Fagborun. A Three Arrows Media production for BBC Sounds Audio Lab. Commissioning Editor: Khaliq Meer.
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British-Nigerian journalist Seun Matiluko marks the end of the series by exploring what celebration means to British-West Africans!
She starts by looking at Yoruba naming ceremonies, reminiscing with world-renowned music video and TV producer Luti Fagbenle. She then tries to understand how British-West Africans celebrate death, attending a Ghanaian celebration of life in Hackney.
She then reflects on West African hall parties and speaks with social media influencer Hemah K and Bafta-winning director Tobi Kyeremateng about whether these sorts of events are dying out.
She speaks with Anabela Semedo, of the Cape Verdean Association, who explains how the Association is keeping an old Cape Verdean tradition alive in the UK – Batuko.
And Seun caps everything off with an acknowledgement of jollof rice wars and a visit to the Yaram Festival, an annual celebration of British-Gambian culture held in Neham.
After all of this, Seun thinks she can finally answer the question: is it possible to authentically be both British and West African?
Talking Drums are used across West Africa to spread important messages. Seun ends the series by sending out an important message on hers.
Producer and Presenter: Seun Matiluko. Supervising Producer: Jessie Bland. Researcher: Richard Ampeh. Theme music: Richard Olatunde Baker. Sound design: Kalua. Artwork: Tinuke Fagborun. A Three Arrows Media production for BBC Sounds Audio Lab. Commissioning Editor: Khaliq Meer.
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Stories about white families fostering African children, identity, language and jollof rice, lead Seun to ask whether it is possible to be authentically British and West African.
