WA: CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AS A POET?
MARYAM: I am Oteeyho Iro. I have always loved words—I was the kind of child who scribbled quotes at the back of my notebooks. Poetry found me when I realized I could say so much in just a few lines, and since then, I’ve been deeply in love with it. I began reading more and exploring the internet, and when I came across “Mama” by Emtithal Mahmoud, I was captivated and felt every word deeply. It inspired me to write more, though I rarely shared my work at first, except occasionally with my siblings. Later, my sister introduced me to a poetry app called Nojoto, and from there I began submitting my work to journals. Poetry challenges me, and I enjoy the challenge of expressing complex emotions in a small space. For me, if someone reads a line and thinks, “Yes, I’ve felt that,” then that means everything.
WA: HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS POETRY COMPETITION?
MARYAM: Instagram.
WA: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS COMPETITION?
MARYAM: The theme of human rights is what drew me in. These are urgent issues that demand attention, and what better tool than poetry to confront them? Poetry has the power to make even the blind see and the deaf hear.
WA: WHAT SPECIFIC HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE DID YOUR POEM FOCUS ON?
MARYAM: My poem touches on three key issues—justice, freedom, and social justice—but they all fall under one umbrella: justice.
WA: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THAT PARTICULAR HUMAN RIGHTS THEME FOR YOUR POEM?
MARYAM: I chose justice because it feels both urgent and personal. I wanted to remind people that these are not distant problems but lived realities that require attention.
WA: CAN YOU SHARE THE INSPIRATION OR STORY BEHIND YOUR SUBMITTED POEM?
MARYAM: I was moved by the courage it takes to speak against injustice, as well as the fear and silence that often surround such struggles. The poem tries to capture the tension between speaking truth and the risks that come with it.
WA: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR POETIC STYLE OR APPROACH TO WRITING ON SOCIAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES?
MARYAM: My poetic style is direct, emotional, raw, and unapologetic, especially when addressing social and human rights issues. I don’t believe in softening the truth to make it comfortable. Poetry has always been a tool of resistance, and I use it that way—to name injustice and amplify silenced voices. Clarity is important to me; I want even someone who has never read poetry to understand and feel something. Poetry may be quiet, but it is powerful—it doesn’t shout, yet it lingers. And for human rights issues, that lingering impact can be just as powerful as protest.
WA: WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE WHILE WRITING YOUR ENTRY FOR THIS COMPETITION?
MARYAM: The main challenge was ensuring the poem didn’t just state facts or emotions but truly connected with readers—something that would move them, make them think, and feel. I had to revisit it often and ask myself if it was achieving what I intended.
WA: HOW DO YOU THINK POETRY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFRICA?
MARYAM: Poetry has a unique and necessary role. It allows us to speak truth in ways that cut through fear and censorship. It is not just art—it is memory, resistance, and survival. It carries both the weight of history and the urgency of the present, and it can endure even in the harshest conditions.
WA: IN WHAT WAYS HAS PARTICIPATING IN THIS COMPETITION CHANGED OR BROADENED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON HUMAN RIGHTS?
MARYAM: It deepened my understanding that we all have a role to play in shaping the world we want. Human rights are not abstract ideas—they require active participation and collective effort.
WA: WERE THERE ANY OTHER POEMS OR POETS IN THE COMPETITION THAT PARTICULARLY MOVED OR INSPIRED YOU?
MARYAM: I haven’t had the chance to read the other entries yet, but I’m looking forward to it. It’s always inspiring to see how different voices approach similar themes.
WA: WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR POEM?
MARYAM: That injustice thrives in silence, and freedom of speech is not just a right but a responsibility we must all embrace.
WA: HOW HAS THIS COMPETITION HELPED SHAPE YOUR GROWTH AS A POET AND AS A HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE?
MARYAM: It reaffirmed my belief that poetry and activism are deeply connected, and that words can create real impact. It pushed me to approach my work with greater urgency and intention.
WA: DO YOU BELIEVE POETRY HAS A UNIQUE ROLE IN CREATING AWARENESS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES? WHY?
MARYAM: Yes. Poetry is resistance, witness, a call to action, and an act of solidarity. It can make the blind see and the deaf hear.
WA: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE COMPETING WITH POETS FROM OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES?
MARYAM: It felt less like a competition and more like a chorus of solidarity. Regardless of where we came from, we were united by a shared urgency to speak truth, demand justice, and honor those who cannot speak for themselves. Each poem felt like a thread in a tapestry of shared experiences and hopes.
WA: WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE EXPERIENCES AND THE THEMES YOU EXPLORE IN YOUR POETRY?
MARYAM: Poetry is personal before anything else. Many of the themes I explore come from what I have seen and felt, but these experiences are not isolated—they are connected to larger systems and realities.
WA: WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE YOUR POETRY WILL HAVE ON BOTH AFRICAN SOCIETIES AND THE GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENT?
MARYAM: I hope my poetry inspires both reflection and disruption. I want young people to recognize the power in their voices—that they do not need permission to speak, feel, or question. Ultimately, I hope my work becomes a force for change.
WA: HOW DO YOU PLAN TO CONTINUE USING POETRY AS A TOOL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY?
MARYAM: I will continue to use poetry as both a mirror and a hammer—to reflect realities and to break down the structures that sustain injustice.
WA: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO FUTURE ENTRANTS OF THIS COMPETITION?
MARYAM: Write freely and fearlessly. Be honest, be intentional, and remember—we are the voices we have been waiting for.
WA: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT ANY UPCOMING POETRY PROJECTS OR PUBLICATIONS YOU’RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON?
MARYAM: I am currently working on a spoken word video project based on poems I wrote some time ago. One explores themes of identity and language, particularly how they intersect in foreign spaces, while another addresses child labour as a human rights violation and emphasizes the need to protect the dignity of every child.
Maryam Ibrahim Musa, who writes under the name Oteeyho Iro, is a word enthusiast and emerging Nigerian poet whose work has appeared or is forthcoming in Subnivean, Journal of Expressive Writing, Oriire, Jalada Africa, and Visual Verse. Hailing from northern Nigeria—a region deeply affected by insecurity—her writing often engages themes of human rights, grief, identity, and lived experience. Through her poetry, she seeks to give voice to silences many carry, using language as both witness and resistance. She talks about her writing career.
