Mustapha Lawal

Human first! I am that I am. I am because you are. Just a curious being living with the work and hoping that it will all make sense someday.

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Mustapha’s ELH Newsletter

3 weeks ago | mustaphalawal.substack.com | Mustapha Lawal

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Chapter 26: Still Becoming

1 month ago | mustaphalawal.substack.com | Mustapha Lawal

Earlier this year, I asked ChatGPT to create an FBI profile of me. I didn’t know what to expect, but what came back felt uncomfortably accurate; like someone had printed out the inside of my mind and handed it to me in bullet points.
Wanderlust

1 month ago | medium.com | Mustapha Lawal |Robert E. Ralph

A poem about adventureI’ve roamed the galaxy for a thousand light years and been to a thousand planets and a thousand constellations… questing spaceI’ve travelled to a thousand realms and fared a thousand miles through uncharted territory… on a journey of discoveryI’ve embarked on a thousand trips and caught a thousand trains to a thousand stations… chasing destinationI’ve voyaged on a thousand vessels, over a thousand waters… to the shores of a thousand islands and continents...
Mustapha’s ELH Newsletter

1 month ago | mustaphalawal.substack.com | Mustapha Lawal

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Sorrows Sorrows Prayers

1 month ago | mustaphalawal.substack.com | Mustapha Lawal

sorrows sorrows prayersThat phrase started off as a line from Queen Charlotte, a spin-off of Bridgerton. Delivered to Lady Danbury in a moment of hollow comfort. She said it twice, “sorrows, sorrows”, as if naming pain could contain it. Then she ended with “prayers”, the only thing we ever really have when nothing else can be done. Thanks for reading Mustapha’s ELH Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. The internet caught it and ran.
Mustapha’s ELH Newsletter

2 months ago | mustaphalawal.substack.com | Mustapha Lawal

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The Truth is Never in a Hurry

2 months ago | mustaphalawal.substack.com | Mustapha Lawal

I remember the first time I stumbled upon journalism. It wasn’t a grand calling or a childhood dream—I just wanted to write better. It was 2018, and I was a second-year student at the University of Ilorin. On a random Friday after Jumu’ah, I noticed a poster pinned to the faculty notice board. It was from the Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ, Unilorin), calling for new members interested in sharpening their writing and speaking skills.
Mustapha’s ELH Newsletter

2 months ago | mustaphalawal.substack.com | Mustapha Lawal

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Kurima Sinda

Mar 9, 2025 | mustaphalawal.substack.com | Mustapha Lawal

The holy month of Ramadan is a time when everything slows down, yet the heart feels more awake than ever. The rhythm of life shifts—days begin in the stillness before dawn, with whispered prayers and quiet reflections over a pre-fast (Sahoor) meal. Hunger and thirst are not just physical; they serve as reminders of our deeper needs, our longing for something greater than what the world can offer.
For all women and girls

Mar 8, 2025 | mustaphalawal.substack.com | Mustapha Lawal

Dear Reader,Every year, International Women's Day reminds us of something we should never forget: the world is stronger, wiser, and more beautiful because of the women and girls who shape it. Thanks for reading Mustapha’s ELH Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This year’s theme—"For All Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment."—is more than just a call to action. It’s a reminder of the work still ahead and the victories already won.