December 2020 - Bimbo Stanley Omopo

Interview of the Fellow of the month

 December 2020 - Bimbo Stanley Omopo (postgraduate in Anthropology, at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan.)

"These experiences, without mincing words, have equipped me with the necessary skills to conduct socio-anthropological fieldwork."

Being part of the IFRA fellowship…

Describe yourself briefly

I am Bimbo Stanley Omopo, a postgraduate student, studying to earn a Master’s degree in Anthropology, at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan.

Since when are you a fellow of IFRA-Nigeria?

I have been an IFRA fellow since I got into the university, which was in the spring of 2018.

How have you benefited from IFRA-Nigeria?

I have benefited in more ways than one, especially through the methodical workshops organized by IFRA, oftentimes. Some of these workshops that have stood out for me particularly, include, but not limited to: “Individual trajectories as research materials: biographies, life histories and prosopography,” facilitated by Dr Elodie Apard, and “Decompartmentalizing knowledge: researching and writing across the humanities and social sciences,” facilitated by Prof. Saheed Aderinto.

These experiences, without mincing words, have equipped me with the necessary skills to conduct socio-anthropological fieldwork. I believe they will also come in handy in my future endeavours, going forward.

Have you contributed to IFRA in any way?

I am currently contributing my quota to IFRA, as a research assistant to Dr Cyrielle Maingraud-Martinaud, who is Deputy Director of the institute. I am working with her on a research project on Inter-religious Dialogue in Nigeria and a couple of other projects.

A bit more about yourself….

 What are your main research interests?

My main research interests are on Christian-Muslim relations in the Nigerian experience, religious interactions across spaces, and religious crises, conflicts and violence in Nigeria and Africa.

What research project are you currently working on?

I am currently working on a project on religiosity and COVID-19 in Nigeria. With Dr Cyrielle, I am working on a project on Inter-faith relations in Nigeria.

What is the main advice you will give to a junior researcher ? 

My advice to them is to not be afraid of making mistakes. Sometimes, we cannot stop ourselves from writing like a mediocre, but we shouldn’t remain as one. Consulting those who have gone ahead of us in a particular field absolutely makes one better and allows for improvement. We should also try our best to be involved in other life-ventures outside of academics, as it helps to tune down the stress.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

To be honest, I do not have all the answers, yet. But I sincerely look forward to teaching and researching religion and culture. I am beginning to enjoy the academia, and I envision myself earning a PhD on that subject matter, raising a small and lovely family, and travelling the world, doing those things I love to do best.

Anything else you’d like to share with us?

I enjoy walking the city at night, leading teams for social change, and I love being at the forefront of ventures that would help us limit the impact of climate change on the earth that we walk and live in. You can call me an eco-warrior! One more thing: black women inspire me!

More information about Bimbo Stanley Omopo

Follow him on Academia and Twitter