A Platform for Culture, Ideas, and Connection
Laipo Magazine is the literary and cultural publication of the Noirledge Foundation and the official magazine of the Ibadan Book and Arts Festival. It exists as a public-interest platform committed to strengthening Africa’s creative and cultural ecosystems through storytelling, critical thought, and artistic exchange.
Inspired by Layipo, Bower’s Tower, a historic Ibadan landmark known for its expansive view of the city, Laipo offers wide-ranging perspectives on African culture, creativity, and identity. The magazine is rooted in place but outward-looking in vision, engaging both local realities and global conversations.
Laipo believes in storytelling as a tool for cultural preservation, social inquiry, education, and connection across generations and geographies. We publish work that is intellectually rigorous, emotionally grounded, and accessible, with a strong commitment to African experiences, voices, and imaginations.
As a project of the Noirledge Foundation, Laipo aligns with the Foundation’s mission to support education, publishing, festivals, and the broader development of the Creative and Cultural Industries in Nigeria and across Africa. The magazine serves as a year-round platform for ideas, complementing the convening power of the Ibadan Book and Arts Festival.
Editorial Vision and Focus
Laipo’s editorial vision is guided by excellence, inclusion, and public value. We support work that interrogates culture, society, and art while remaining attentive to craft, clarity, and context.
We are particularly interested in writing that bridges disciplines, encourages intergenerational dialogue, documents cultural memory, and responds to contemporary African realities. Our editorial process is collaborative and developmental, with an emphasis on nurturing emerging voices alongside established practitioners.