Afropolitan – Details, episodes & analysis

What happens when we stop centering shame in conversations about sex? In this deeply vulnerable and transformational episode, we sit down with Olawunmi Esan—one of Nigeria’s leading certified sex therapists and educators—to unpack the emotional, cultural, and psychological layers of sexuality that society rarely names. From her personal story of surviving sexual trauma to helping thousands heal their relationship with pleasure, Olawunmi brings science, soul, and softness to the conversation. We discuss porn addiction, performance anxiety in men, desire discrepancies in marriages, and what it truly means to create safety in intimacy—for yourself and with others. Whether you're single, dating, married, or healing, this episode will shift how you think about sex, connection, and emotional honesty. 🔗 Explore More from Olawunmi Esan: Sexcapades: Erotic Intimacy Exercises https://learning.olawunmiesan.com/sexcapades Book a One-on-One Session with Olawunmi www.olawunmiesan.com/myservices Take a Course on Pleasure & Healing https://learning.olawunmiesan.com/products/ Chapters: 00:00 - Redefining Sex Beyond Intercourse 01:43 - Why Ola Became a Sex Therapist 03:46 - The Link Between Shame, Pleasure & Pain 05:31 - When to Start Teaching Children About Sex 10:53 - The Problem with Porn Education 18:32 - Faith, Masturbation & Porn: Complex Conversations 24:36 - Sexual History, Marriage & Performance Anxiety 34:48 - Not All Men Cheat: Reframing Intimacy Norms 42:29 - Lagos and the Epidemic of Desire Discrepancy 46:14 - Olawunmi’s Personal Story of Rape & Healing 53:07 - How Parents Can Create Safe Spaces for Kids 57:02 - Reclaiming Your Body After Sexual Trauma 1:00:00 - Advice for Partners of Trauma Survivors 1:03:24 - Sexual Discipline & the Diddy Allegory 1:08:23 - Why Erectile Issues Are Often About Anxiety 1:12:23 - Men, Intimacy & Emotional Healing 1:14:06 - Rapid Fire: What Men Should Stop Doing in Bed 1:15:22 - Why Planned Sex Isn’t Boring 1:17:17 - The True Definition of Sex 1:20:09 - Final Question: Who Should Sit in This Seat Next? 1:20:23 - Breaking Hypersexual Habits Before Marriage The Afropolitan Podcast is your passport to conversations at the intersection of legacy, liberation, and global Black excellence. Subscribe and turn on notifications to never miss an episode.

From Ikorodu to Times Square: Tunde Onakoya on Pain, Purpose & Breaking World Records Twice | Afropolitan Podcast What does it mean to turn pain into purpose—and purpose into global impact? In this unforgettable episode of the Afropolitan Podcast, we sit down with Tunde Onakoya, the Nigerian chess master, movement builder, and two-time Guinness World Record breaker. From growing up in poverty in Lagos to leading a cultural revolution through Chess in Slums Africa, Tunde shares the full, raw story behind his meteoric rise—from the streets of Ikorodu to the bright lights of Times Square. This isn’t just about chess. It’s about: The emotional cost of reinvention when the world wants you to stay who you were Fame, friendships, failure, and finding purpose in pain Building global influence without losing your soul What it takes to be an outlier—and why greatness always starts in small places Whether you're a dreamer, builder, or just someone navigating your own season of becoming, this conversation will meet you where you are. 00:00 - Intro 02:09 - Grit, Purpose & Outliers 12:09 - Growing Up in Ikorodu 22:09 - Chess as a Tool for Reinvention 37:09 - The Crisis of Fame 47:09 - Breaking the World Record (Twice) 1:07:09 - Ferdinand’s Story 1:17:09 - Dating, Desires, and Private Love 1:27:09 - Rapid Fire: Books, Suya, and Legacy 🎥 Watch the full episode and let us know what part hit you the most. 📍 Subscribe to The Afropolitan Podcast for more conversations that redefine legacy and soft power across the diaspora. #AfropolitanPodcast #TundeOnakoya #ChessInSlums #AfricanExcellence #GuinnessWorldRecord #Reinvention #FameAndPurpose #NigerianCreatives #LegacyMakers 🎧 This is one of the most powerful episodes we've ever recorded.

Quote - “The spirit of Afropolitan, and why I'm so excited about the community that's being built, is to connect one of the most powerful forces in the world, which is human communities, to the fastest growing place in the world, which is the African continent.” The Afropolitan Podcast highlights Afropolitans who embrace the unknown and walk with purpose. Through this podcast, we aim to empower Africans in the Diaspora to maximize their potential and contribute to the development of a vibrant and progressive black community. In this episode, we chat with Daniel Yu, Founder & CEO of Wasoko, a technology company that is transforming the $600 billion market for essential goods sold through mom-and-pop stores in Africa. Wasoko provides on-demand ordering, delivery, and financing services to these small retailers. Wasoko's platform enables shop owners to place orders at any time via SMS or a mobile app, and offers free same-day delivery of goods directly to their stores. Additionally, Wasoko provides "Pay Later" financing options to support the growth of these shops. The company operates in several African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Côte d'Ivoire, and Senegal, and collaborates with major companies such as Unilever and Procter & Gamble. Wasoko has raised over $145 million in equity financing from investors like Tiger Global and Avenir Growth Capital, making it one of the largest tech companies in Africa. Daniel Yu is an entrepreneur and software developer with extensive experience working and traveling in over 65 countries, primarily in emerging economies such as Africa, the Middle East, Central America, Brazil, Southeast Asia, and China. He is skilled at exploring markets and building networks to effectively launch technology-driven businesses. Daniel is conversational or fluent in eight languages: English (native), Mandarin, Swahili, Arabic, Spanish, Cantonese, Portuguese, and French. Daniel is passionate about leveraging technology and innovation to transform the retail landscape in emerging economies, empowering small businesses, and making a positive social impact across Africa. Join us as Daniel discusses his journey with Wasoko and the importance of digital technology and services to solve Africa’s supply chain problems. Daniel’s Reading List: 1. Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism Can Help You Help Others, Do Work that Matters, and Make Smarter Choices about Giving Back by William MacAskill - https://amzn.to/41EnFJj 2. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight - https://amzn.to/3IkPMq2 3. Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder - https://amzn.to/455COGn Show Notes 2:00 Daniel breaks down his background and what led him to Africa as an entrepreneur 3:27 Daniel, as the founder and CEO of Wasako, has been working to transform commerce in Africa and tells us the problem it aims to solve 4:49 Daniel details the monetization model of Wasoko 5:16 Daniel talks about some of the assumptions he had of this commerce model and what challenges he faced going to market 6:54 Daniel talks about the importance of startups to vertical integrate in Africa to ensure successful delivery of their chosen offerings and how the process of building in Africa differs from being in California, where certain aspects are already taken care of, and the focus is primarily on software development 8:20 Daniel explains why he started in certain African countries compared to others and the cultural differences experienced in each country 10:09 Daniel paints the customer onboarding process early on 11:16 Daniel details the early stages of a startup and the struggles you have to go through 12:37 Daniel talks about his educational background and how It informed the work he does today

Quote: "Don't approach entrepreneurship from a position of
desperation; instead, build and have leverage."

The Afropolitan Podcast highlights Afropolitans who embrace the
unknown and walk with purpose. Through this podcast, we aim to empower
Africans in the Diaspora to maximize their potential and contribute to
the development of a vibrant and progressive black community.

In this episode, we chat with Obinna Ukwuani, Chief Digital Officer at
the Bank of Kigali Plc, where he drives digital product development to
achieve digital financial services objectives. Obinna, born in America
with Nigerian roots, studied Economics at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT). He founded and directed the Makers Robotics
Academy Rwanda and NESA by Makers, and now serves as the Founder and
Director of Bruk Oil Mills in Enugu. Obinna previously worked at
Paystack and shares his entrepreneurship insights in this episode.

Obinna is passionate about education, entrepreneurship, and the
transformative power of Web3/Blockchain technologies for people
worldwide. Join us as Obinna discusses his journey to the Bank of
Kigali and the importance of digital technology and services in
solving Africa's challenges.

Obinna's Reading List:
1. Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by
Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson - https://amzn.to/3kD1fbO
2. The Biafra Story: The Making of an African Legend by Frederick
Forsyth - https://amzn.to/3Zt7vBN
3. The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis - https://amzn.to/3ICWJlD

Show Notes:
1:22 Introduction to the Afropolitan Podcast
1:42 Obinna's background and journey to MIT, earning a BSc in
Economics
7:28 Obinna's decision to return to Nigeria and his role in
nation-building and creating opportunities
12:09 Obinna's work with the Makers Robotics Academy Rwanda and its
impact on the local community
14:14 Obinna shares his first significant encounter with failure and
the lessons learned
20:46 Obinna discusses insights from working with Paystack and Bank of
Kigali on technology's potential for Africans
24:19 Obinna talks about his experience raising funds for startups and
offers advice for first-time founders navigating the fundraising
process
28:35 The importance of managing desperation and balance when
dealing with investors
31:20 Sam Altman's New Yorker profile and the need for Africa to
leapfrog - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/10/sam-altmans-manifest-destiny
38:12 Obinna shares his thoughts on Web3 and Blockchain, addressing
skepticism and guiding principles
42:53 Books that have profoundly impacted Obinna's life
50:27 Hypothetical title of a book about Obinna's life
51:35 Obinna's perspective on what it means to be Afropolitan

The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of
Afropolitan. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit,
or wherever you get your podcasts.

Connect with Afropolitan:
Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan
Website - https:

Quote - “Founders need to realise that investors love founders that
have failed before because it is in your failings, you learn the
most.”

The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to
step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope
to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential
and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black
community.

Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about
leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant
afterwards.

This episode features Kyle Maloney, Co-Founder of Tech Beach; a
startup with an active community designed to connect the Caribbean
with the Global Technology Ecosystem.

Klye studied Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University and was exposed to entrepreneurship early on which
culminated in Co-founding Tech Beach to offer a much needed service in
the region.

He is passionate about empowering people and companies in the
Caribbean through technology to scale and solve pertinent issues.

Listen and enjoy as Kyle talks to us about his journey with Tech
Beach, his background and plans for the future.

Kyle’s Reading List

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Arthur R. Pell
https://amzn.to/3XzOzzZ

The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary
Results by Gary Keller, Jay Papasan
https://amzn.to/3lFdS6a

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad
Ones by James Clear
https://amzn.to/2P8LAvI

Show Notes
2:30 Impact of covid and background of Tech Beach
5:58 Context of the Caribbean for startups
7:52 Expansion in the Caribbean compared to Africa
9:07 Fundraising process, challenges and advice
11:32 Recruiting and retaining talent
13:31 Kyle’s background and influences
19:49 Lessons from failure
24:00 Process to find the right mentor within the ecosystem
28:15 Title of the book about your life
30:53 Reading list
32:44 Being Afropolitan
35:03 Future plans

The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan.
Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or
wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to learn more about Afropolitan?

Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan
Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/

Quote - “There is no joy to be found in playing small and dimming your lights.”


The Afropolitan Podcast spotlights Afropolitans who aren’t afraid to
step into the unknown and walk in purpose. With this podcast we hope
to empower Africans in the Diaspora to harness their full potential
and contribute to the development of a bold and progressive black
community.


Our guests will share their working formulas, the hard facts about
leaving familiar terrain, embracing the unknown, and staying relevant
afterwards.


This episode features Hanu Agbodje, Founder & CEO of PATRICIA; a
fintech company founded in 2017 using Blockchain technology to process
cryptocurrency transactions in Africa and beyond.


Hanu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Statistics from
University of Port Harcourt and founded PATRICIA after 13 other
unsuccessful businesses.


He is passionate about crypto and how the technology can solve
Africa’s biggest problems and synergise payments.


Listen and enjoy as Hanu talks to us about his journey with PATRICIA
and ambition to transform alternative payments solutions in Africa.


Hanu’s Reading List


The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason

https://amzn.to/3E3l8iW


Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter
Thiel and Blake Masters

https://amzn.to/3lt34Iq


How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell

https://amzn.to/2VzobXM


Show Notes

1:23 Patricia's mission and vision for the world

1:58 Recruiting and retaining talent

3:30 The journey to Patricia

9:39 African founders competing anywhere in the world

12:25 What promise cryptocurrency holds for Africa?

15:02 Advice for founders dealing with government regulation

16:25 Dealing with failure and lessons learnt

19:23 Balance between creativity and objectives

20:38 Title of the book about your life

22:07 Other passions aside from Patricia

24:08 Self-care and avoiding burnout

25:07 Reading list

30:41 Being Afropolitan

32:38 Future of Patricia


The Afropolitan Podcast is hosted by Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan.

Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Jamit, or
wherever you get your podcasts.


Want to learn more about Afropolitan?


Twitter - https://twitter.com/afropolitan

Website - https://www.afropolitan.io/