A City That Never Sleeps
An interactive drone videography showcasing the chaotic blend of modern development and informal structures which defines Lagos.
With storytelling at the heart of my work, I travel across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa to cover global health, development, human rights, the environment, and social justice — reporting in English and French for leading publications worldwide.
I've covered the social disruption of the Boko Haram crisis in northeast Nigeria, the abductions of schoolchildren in the northwest, and the threat of malaria — a major cause of maternal and child illness in Sub-Saharan Africa — amid the strain the 2020 coronavirus pandemic placed on an economically unstable continent.
From documenting the lives of communities affected by human trafficking to covering innovative health solutions across Africa, I strive to bring underreported stories to light. I led a multinational team of journalists on a 25-minute documentary — using filmmaking supported by drone videography — to amplify the voices of trafficked women across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Based in Lagos, I contribute to leading publications worldwide in both English and French. I also serve as the Africa correspondent for Retreading Business, a UK-based publication, where I deliver market analysis and executive interviews and expand coverage of the African tyre retreading industry.

Malaria, maternal and child health, and health innovation across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Human trafficking, displacement, and the communities living through crisis and conflict.
Development, environmental change, and the industries shaping the region's economy.
Social justice movements and equity across Nigeria and the wider African region.
8+ years of experience
Exploring and reporting stories that capture evolving trends in global development, seascapes, urbanization, technology, global health, policy, and emerging issues across Nigeria through accurate, engaging, and well-researched articles that uphold The Guardian’s editorial standards of fairness, accuracy, and integrity under tight deadlines.
Collaborated with a multinational team of journalists on a 25-minute documentary, using filmmaking supported with drone videography, to amplify the voices of trafficked women across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Exploring narratives that highlight the convergence of health and innovation in Africa, garnering high engagement and thought-leadership recognition among global development stakeholders.
Delivering timely market analysis and executive interviews as Africa Correspondent, expanding coverage of the African tyre retreading industry and increasing regional readership.
Investigated human trafficking networks, conducting field research across communities in Nigeria's oil-rich region and producing findings that informed advocacy strategies and policy discussions.
Reported on breaking news and developing stories across multiple Nigerian states, reaching a combined audience of over 1 million readers between 2020–2023. Also produced in-depth features on human rights and social justice movements that were cited by international advocacy groups and contributed to ongoing policy dialogues.
Covered and edited stories on environmental sustainability, e-waste management and recycling activities in Nigeria, publishing reports that informed cross-border conversations on circular economy practices.
Nearly a decade of reporting across global health, human rights, the environment, and social justice. Filter the archive by publication.

An article on initiatives to save infant lives in Africa through human milk banking.

An article about a circular economy model that enables parents from impoverished Nigerian slum communities to pay their children's school fees by swapping discarded plastic bottles, also known as PET bottles.
Lagos's energy and vibrant nightlife earned it a reputation as a city that never sleeps. But the same dynamism powering its growth is also driving its housing market to breaking point.

Declining fish populations are a common complaint in coastal areas and are often linked to the climate crisis. But fishers also say the lagoon floor has changed: deeper dredged channels, murkier water, swirling currents.

After a firecracker accident cost Ubokobong Amanam his fingers in 2019, he discovered that prosthetics in Nigeria are difficult to access: expensive, foreign-made, and rarely suited to African users.

With many unable to access or afford qualified therapists, AI is increasingly stepping in to fill the mental healthcare gap, even as calls for tighter regulation grow louder.

In December 2025, excavators arrived under the cover of darkness in Makoko, Nigeria's largest floating slum, destroying homes, schools, churches, businesses, and lives.

For those who get a diagnosis, the costs of radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be prohibitive. Each round costs between 600,000 and 1.5m naira.

Nigeria has a mass kidnapping problem, and this has been an especially horrific month. We are in conversation with a Nigeria-based development journalist with interest in Social Justice and Global Health topics across Sub-Saharan Africa, unpacking some of the reasons behind these kidnappings and what is being done to curb the problem.
Listen →Kwena Moabelo speaks with Valentine Benjamin, a journalist based in Nigeria, to discuss the #EndSARS protest in Nigeria and other countries. The Nigerian military has issued a warning to 'subversive elements and trouble makers' to desist after a week of protests about police brutality.
Listen →Nigerian-based Journalist Valentine Benjamin speaks to Kwena Moabelo about Nigeria's state of press freedom.
Listen →Journalist Valentine Benjamin joins Kwena Moabelo on the line to speak about Nigeria suspending all international flights.
Listen →Nigerian journalist Valentine Benjamin and Prince Debo Adesina, the founder of the Nigerian Lives Matter movement, join Kwena Moabelo on the line to talk about putting an end to the country's police unit that tortures detainees.
Listen →Nigerian security forces stepped up efforts to rescue dozens of students who were abducted from their hostels in northwestern Kaduna state in the latest attack on schools. Journalist Valentine Benjamin joins Kwena Moabelo to speak about the trend of school children being abducted in Nigeria.
Listen →Valentine Benjamin is a Nigeria-based journalist with interests in development journalism, global health, social justice and the environment. His works have been featured in Vice World News, The National News, Ozy, Equal Times and more.
Listen →Nigeria-based journalist Valentine Benjamin speaks to Kwena Moabelo about the current mood in Nigeria following the violent protests against foreigners in South Africa, which saw hundreds of foreign nationals return to their home countries.
Listen →An interactive drone videography showcasing the chaotic blend of modern development and informal structures which defines Lagos.
An interactive drone videography showcasing an aerial view of Makoko, Nigeria, which defines the struggle of residents living on stilts.
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