I explore ideas and concepts across disciplines. I am a voyager in consilience. I make video essays (and podcasts sometimes).
Check out my magazine: https://disaffected.ng/
Find me on:
X: https://x.com/LukeOlaniyi
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DisaffectedNigerian/videos
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dukeluke_ng/
TikTok: iktok.com/@dukeluke_ng
Why does Africa keep going back to military rule?From Mali and Guinea to Burkina Faso, Niger, Sudan and Gabon, Africa has experienced a resurgence of military coups in recent years. But are coups really the solution to corruption, bad governance and economic stagnation?In this video essay, I examine the relationship between military coups, corruption, economic growth and political instability in Africa. Drawing on recent research by Seydou Ouattara, I explore what happens to institutions when military governments seize power, why coups can become self-perpetuating, and why the promise of a “benevolent dictator” often fails to deliver the transformation people hope for.I also look at countries such as Botswana, Mauritius, Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, Namibia and South Africa, which have avoided successful coups since 1990, and ask what their experience can tell us about institutional continuity and political stability.This is not an argument that African democracies are functioning perfectly. Far from it. Corruption, electoral manipulation, weak institutions and poor governance are real problems. But if democracy is dysfunctional, should the answer really be to dismantle the institutions that make political correction possible?The question is not simply democracy versus military rule. It is whether Africa can build institutions capable of correcting its political failures without repeatedly resorting to coups.Check out my magazine: https://disaffected.ng/Spotify and other podcasts: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/olayemi-olaniyiFollow me on my socials:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dukelukepoetry/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LukeOlaniyiDiscord: https://discord.gg/ChCBdnRP
17 Sept 2026
The World Is Better Than You Think | Factfulness by Hans Rosling
Are we living in the best time in human history? It certainly doesn’t feel that way when we look at the news. Wars, poverty, unemployment, pandemics, crime, climate change and political crises dominate our attention. But what happens when we look beyond the headlines and examine the data?In this video essay, I explore Hans Rosling’s Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World—and Why Things Are Better Than You Think and its argument that our perception of the world is often much more negative than reality. From the Gap Instinct and Negativity Instinct to the Fear, Size, Generalisation and Urgency Instincts, Rosling explains why even educated people can have a surprisingly inaccurate understanding of global progress.We look at the decline in extreme poverty, rising life expectancy, improvements in education and healthcare, and the broader story of human progress. We also examine why bad news receives so much attention and whether recognising progress means we should become less concerned about the problems that still exist.The world is far from perfect. But perhaps the world we see in the headlines is not the whole world.Check out my magazine: https://disaffected.ng/Spotify and other podcasts: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/olayemi-olaniyiFollow me on my socials:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dukelukepoetry/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LukeOlaniyiDiscord: https://discord.gg/ChCBdnRP
29 Aug 2026
The Truth About African Counter-Elites
What do Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, Fela Kuti, and Jomo Kenyatta have in common? We often remember historical figures as heroes, freedom fighters, and liberators, but there may be another way to understand them: as counter-elites. Drawing on Peter Turchin’s ideas in End Times, this video explores how political and ideological movements are often led not by the masses themselves but by educated, well-connected, wealthy, or otherwise privileged individuals who mobilise popular discontent against the establishment. From the French and Bolshevik Revolutions to African independence movements, we examine the role of privilege, education, power, and ambition in producing revolutionary leaders—and ask what happens when yesterday’s counter-elites overthrow the establishment and become tomorrow’s ruling elites.
Check out my magazine: https://disaffected.ng/
Follow me on:
X: https://x.com/LukeOlaniyi
TikTok: tok.com/@dukeluke_ng
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dukeluke_ng/
Email: olayemi@disaffected.ng
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67,030
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 50 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
45
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
60
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