Open Country Mag

https://opencountrymag.com
Open Country Mag is an independent magazine that documents African literature, Nigerian cinema, and local culture through longform Profiles, features, reviews, and interviews. Founded in 2020 by writer and editor Otosirieze, it set out to give the continent’s literary and screen worlds sustained, authoritative coverage. The magazine is known for deep cover stories on leading voices — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Wole Soyinka, Teju Cole, Damon Galgut, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Leila Aboulela, Maaza Mengiste, Chinelo Okparanta — and, in March 2023, it made Nollywood its second beat with a landmark film cover on actor Rita Dominic. Alongside features and reviews, it runs editorial projects that foreground new talent and industry data: The Next Generation special issues spotlight emerging writers, while the Rovingheights x Open Country Mag Bestseller List (2022 – present) has been described as Nigeria’s first formal bestseller list. In 2023, it became the publishing home for Folio Nigeria content, originally created under the platform’s CNN affiliation, expanding its archive of culture reporting. Open Country Mag also mentors creatives through the OCM Curatorial Fellowship, a program supported by Africa No Filter. Its readership spans Nigeria, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The magazine’s ambitious, in-depth approach has drawn recognition from scholars who call it one of the most important contemporary platforms for African writers.

Source: Code for Africa

Last updated date: July 2026

Location:
opencountrymag.com, Nigeria
Year the organization started publishing:
2020
Languages:
English
Type of coverage:
International
Countries of coverage:
Ghana
Ivory Coast
Kenya
Senegal
South Africa

Content

Editorial coverage:
A single topic (such as education, environment or criminal justice)
Type of content produced by theme:
Education
Lifestyle
Entertainment and culture
Society and human rights
Entrepreneurship
Feminism
LGBTIQ+
Ethnic minorities
Religious minorities
Refugees
Migration
Journalism genres:
Reviews
Chronicles and non-fiction
Essays
Interviews and reporting
Opinion
Narrative journalism
Journalism coverage types and techniques:
Explanatory journalism
Tech platforms and other mediums used:
Newsletter
Social media platforms
Podcast
YouTube
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Audience and reach

Social media audience

Facebook number of followers:
1,312
Twitter number of followers:
4,400
Instagram number of followers:
2,600

Management and team

Founders

Female:
0
Male:
1
Founders:
Otosirieze Obi-Young
Directors:

Team

Full-time employees:
0
Part-time employees:
0
Freelancers or consultants:
7
Volunteers:
0

Business structure and revenue sources

Organization tax status:
Non-profit

Why is this profile included?

This media outlet is part of our directory because it meets SembraMedia’s inclusion criteria: it produces original content, serves the public interest, and works with independence and transparency. This profile was developed using information provided directly by the media outlet, through surveys or interviews. We aim to keep the information current, but SembraMedia does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness, and recommends verifying any key details with the media organization.

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