t was Pliny the Elder who said "Ex Africa semper aliquid novi." Meaning, "Out of Africa, always something new." Of course, podcasting is neither an African invention nor something new in Africa. In fact, Africa is not the first place this writer's ears ever greeted a podcast. Out here in the United States, podcasts and podcasters are a dime a dozen and there is no subject matter under the sun that doesn't have a podcast. As I delved deeper into the world of podcasts, I began to search for Nigerian contents which will bring the motherland closer to me and salve the perpetual loneliness and longing for home that is the eternal affliction of many an exile, albeit an economic one like myself.

A podcast can best be described as a descendant of shortwave listening. I was a youth of the nineties who clung to the battery-powered shortwave radio to catch programs beamed from the newsrooms of the BBC, VOA, RFI, Deutsche Welle Radio and FRCN. Out of these airwaves, we listened to programs such as the BBC World Service, Newshour, Outlook, Hard Talk, Focus on Africa, From Our Own Correspondent, American Stories in Special English and many more. It could be rightly said that before most of us got the opportunity to "japa", our hearts had been prepared for a life of podcast listening by long nights of listening to international radio broadcasts. As the versatile bush radio gave way to the cellphone and internet radio, programs that we waited for days to listen to, could now be listened to on demand and at the snap of a finger.

As the internet became more improved, so did our accesses to some of these programs through their websites or even on YouTube. As an itinerant individual, it is not always convenient for me to sit in front of a computer screen and watch podcasts so the best option available to me was through my phone. Every major cell phone provider has made it possible to download podcast applications. The first podcast I ever remembered downloading was Brett McKay's Art of Manliness, which dealt with a wide range of topics concerning the human male. Then I graduated to American History Tellers and on to the Know Mercy (later called the Stephen A Podcast which my kids couldn't get enough of) and then later the Club Shay Shay podcasts. They were a welcome distraction from the long monotony when crisscrossing American interstates and were always a welcome companion.

As time went on, and I began to long for beloved Naija, the land of my birth, I began to search for podcasts that featured Nigerian-centric content. It was on such a quest that I stumbled on the Honest Bunch podcast, aka The HB podcast. This podcast is informative, educative and entertaining. It comes from the stables of the famous Glitch Africa Studios, owned by the talented and enterprising producer and creative content director, Best Amakhian. The powerful quartet of Deity Cole, Ezinne, Husband Material and Nedu, form a dedicated face of the media, who ask guests tough questions while making them comfortable enough to express themselves. The viewer/listener is given a front row seat to peer into the lives and minds of the greatest movers and shakers in the Nigerian society today. Their lineup of guests ranges from the controversial to the bewildering; from the humorous to the soul-tugging; from the leader of industry to the motor park tout and the bread seller on the street. Their range of topics include politics, music, business, entertainment, religion, activism and lifestyle. There is nothing off the table when it comes to dealing with matters affecting the Nigerian society.

Now and then, a guest may appear that piques the interest of society at large and hence, becomes a hot button topic on social media. For example, there was a tale of the social media influencer, Saida Boj, who suggested that her minimum asking price to date a guy, was five million naira, which set social media on fire as different parties weighed in on the issue of being a "runs-girl" in Nigeria. There was also the controversial minister, Abel Damina, whose interview went viral and generated months of conversation about the prosperity gospel in today's Christianity. Nigerians also paid attention to the likes of Portable, Sowore, Blackface, Eedris Abdulkareem and Charly Boy as they told their own side of the story for the world to hear. Fewer platforms than the Honest Bunch can claim to have provided an avenue for these individuals to showcase their body of work for the world to see.

What one takes away from these interviews with their guests is the fact that there are no overnight celebrities. One needed to listen to the HB podcast to know that Kenny Ogungbe got a lot of nurturing from Late Chief Raymond Dokpesi; that Dele Momodu founded Ovation while on the run from the Abacha government; that Daddy Showkey was once a Baban Bola (scrap metal collector), or that Eedris Abdulkareem actually lived the hardship he sang about, and even tried to "japa" the country through the dreaded Sahara Desert route, before fate returned him to Nigeria to become the activist that he is today. In a nutshell, the story of success is the same whether in Lagos or in Los Angeles. A gifted child is born into hardship, he or she crawls through the hustle, their talent is discovered and by some stroke of luck, is shot to the limelight for the world to see.

The Honest Bunch is not just another podcast where a bunch of hosts try to outtalk and browbeat their guests with the sound of their voices. Once the guest begins to air his or her views, they are allowed to follow their train of thoughts to a logical conclusion. Hardly do the hosts interrupt them or prevent them from airing their views, no matter how controversial or unpopular.

The HBP is a national treasure of sorts. A history cum social studies class rolled into one. It could not have come at a better time than the present when the teaching of history has been largely erased from our classrooms. Listening to the guests gives the youth a window to the past and enables them to garner vital life lessons from those who witnessed it yesterday. To my mind, I believe that history is the most important subject we can teach in our schools today. More important than science, more important than religion and yet, it is more overlooked than all the courses taught in Africa. We have allowed strangers to craft our history to their own advantage. It is no wonder that the late sage, Professor Chinua Achebe was quoted to have remarked, "Until the lions have their historians, the story of the hunt will always glorify the hunter."

The Honest Bunch podcast recently hit a rough patch. A fallout from an interview they conducted which dragged in one of Nigeria's most controversial personalities, Very DarkMan, led to the show going on a brief hiatus and the resignation of one of its main anchors, Chinedu. At a point, it was even believed that the days of the show has been numbered but no one was more happier than this author, when they resumed (even without Nedu) to continue with the business of serving as a sounding board for the movers and shakers of the Nigerian society. Like all man-made objects, the HB podcast is not without its pimples and warts. One is bound to find lots of faults with the show by way of format, content, personalities, motives etc. However, this is not to say that one must throw away the baby with the bathwater. By submitting constructive criticisms, we can continue to fine tune and improve the show and evaluating it for the national treasure that it truly is. Speaking on things to improve on the podcast, this writer can quickly mention the penchant for the male hosts to constantly interrupt or talk over their female colleagues over the air ("sorry, Ezinne, I will let you finish…" a la Kanye West vs Taylor Swift.) This can be pardoned if it was a rare occasion but a premise where it becomes a frequent occurrence can cause listeners to get irritated down the line.

The ladies should be respected for their input in the show and not just as mere window dressing. They are accomplished, intelligent and bring just as much value to the show as the men (or man, as they are currently.) Another suggestion for improving the show should be to embrace diversity. The podcast is currently hosted by individuals who are mostly from southeastern Nigeria. It could be spiced up either by inviting guest hosts from other regions of the country or even hiring a permanent host that comes from the northern part of the country. This will truly reflect the color of the nation and also occasion patronage from a greater swathe of the country who may, up to now, feel that the show is not for them. Other ways include, shortening the time for introducing participants (seven minutes as at the last count), being authentic (before his resignation, Nedu was going a bit overboard with the fake British/ American accent.) and not using the podcast to throw shades on supposed enemies (the Basketmouth and Dee-One interviews clearly stand out as examples.)The mission of the HB podcast as an instrument of cultural, educational and intellectual worth is simply too vital for pettiness to rule the day.

On a final note, this writer states that as the Honest Bunch podcast comes up for its second wind, subscribers should give them a listening ear and continue to support them. Having learned their lessons, I believe that the owners of the podcast will do all that is possible to avoid the show from slipping into another scandal. A cost benefit analysis will reveal that the Honest Bunch Podcast is simply too important at this time in our nation's existence to go ignored. Gather your children around the media and play them an episode. They will thank you later.