Twenty Essayists Make the African Human Rights Essay Competition Longlist

By Wole Adedoyin

Twenty Essayists from across Africa have made the African Human Rights Essay Competition longlist.
The longlist was selected from more than fifty English-language submissions. The selection of the longlist was done by Izunna Okafor.
Izunna Okafor is a renowned  journalist based in Anambra State, Nigeria. He is also an author of five books, with 27 national and international awards, and thousands of publications, cutting across journalism and creative writing.
 A diglot writer and Igbo Language Activist, Okafor, who was a joint winner of the National Light’s Staff of the Year in 2019, and won 2015 Nigerian Writers Award, is also the Coordinator of Society of Young Nigerian Writers (Anambra State Chapter), the convener of Chinua Achebe Literary Festival; as well as the Project Coordinator, Writers Against COVID-19 Movement, and Editor-in-Chief, Chinua Achebe Poetry/Essay Anthology, and COVID-19 Poetry/Essay Anthology, among other positions.
Entries were received from six different countries which include: Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Ghana, Dubai and USA. Submissions were judged based on originality of thought, depth of analysis, clarity of expression, spelling and grammar and conformity to contest rules.
Find below the complete longlist:
1. ABDULLATEEF B. ISA - Human Rights Abuse and Violations in Africa: The Nigeria's Case
2. BETTY IGE - Women’s inalienable Right to Respectful Maternity Care
3. BONFACE ISABOKE NYAMWEYA - The Streets of Law Prostitution in Africa and the Quest for Human Dignity
4. CHARLES IORNUMBE - Teenage Sexual Molestation: Rethinking the Havoc on Girl Child
5. FLOSSY KAMBUKU - Human Rights Abuse and Violation in Africa
6. FRANKLIN IFEANYI DIALA - Human Rights Abuse and Violations in Africa
7. GODSTIME NWAEZE - Abuse and Violations of Human Rights in Africa
8. GRACE OLUKOYA - Africa's Development in the Face of Poor Respect for Human Rights
9. INNOCENT CHIEMEZIE OHAEKWE - The Locust in Africa
10. JIDE OGUNLANA - Human Rights in Africa: The Lacuna
11. NWOKEABIA, IFEANYI JOHN - Human Rights Abuse and Violation in Africa: A Mortal Carnage
12. OBEBE OLUSOJI - Human Rights Abuse and Violations in Africa
13. ODE CONFIDENCE - Human Rights Abuse and Violation; Issue with the Freedom of Expression by Activist
14. ODHIAMBO JERAMEEL KEVINS OWUOR - Human Rights Abuse and Violation in Africa
15. OKAFOR MOSES ONYEBUCHI - Human Rights Abuse and Violation in Africa
16. OLUWATOBILOBA GRACE LAWALSON - Human Rights Abuse and Violations in Africa: Gender Based Violence and Trafficking of Human Persons
17. OSHO TUNDE - Human Rights Abuse and Violations in Africa: Gross Domestic Violence Against Women
18. PHILIP ONYIMOWO - General Idea of Human Rights Abuse and Violation
19. SAMUEL EPHRAIM EDWARD - Human Rights Abuse and Violations in Africa
20. UGOCHUKWU ANADI - Human Rights Abuse and Violations in Africa: It’s a Crime to be happy in My Country

The shortlist will be announced tomorrow, Wednesday April 28, 2021.
African Human Rights Essay Competition is an initiative of the International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF), USA aimed at promoting human rights values in Africa and to positively influence the betterment of the human rights situation in the continent.