News

Between 19 and 27 March 2025, IFRA-Nigeria's Deputy Director Delphine Manetta, was on a mission at Uppsala University in Sweden. There she met with the anthropological department of the University and participated in two events.

We had the pleasure to welcome Dr Abiola Ayodokun for a Methodological Seminar on 8 April, on the theme "Ethnography of gender in charcoal production". Dr Ayodokun presented the work she carried out for her PhD presentation, and the challenges she had to face to be accepted in the traditional communities she studied. She described how she needed to account for cultural sensitivities, religion and the use of working with a research assistant who could open doors.

This Seminar was a very interactive one, with fellow researchers and students sharing their questions, experiences and opinions on the topic of positionality and how to adapt to different cultural norms. You can scroll to read a full summary of Dr Ayodokun's presentation.

The newest issue of Sources is out! Enjoy free access to this interdisciplinary, multilingual, open-access peer-reviewed journal.

This ninth volume titled “Varia” invites us to follow empirical approaches and the collection of material leading to original research on African societies.

Read it now!

Scroll below for more details

The two open-access, peer reviewed journals Sources and Revue d'Histoire Contemporaine de l'Afrique are planning a special double issue on the theme “Return(s) to Africa”, to be published in October 2026.

This topic is particularly relevant at a time when the African Union has placed the year 2025 under the banner of “justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations,” and when African states are discussing and adopting laws to facilitate access to nationality for Afro-descendants. This issue aims to center the often implicit and little documented dimension of these mobilisations, that of the migration of Afro-descendants to Africa, commonly referred to under the expression Back to Africa.

Deadline for submission of proposals: 15/05/2025

Download the ToR in English   /   Téléchargez les TdR en français or check the Sources website!

IFRA is proud to announce that we are co-organizing the International Symposium "Working with Masculinities" in collaboration with the Institut des Mondes Africains (IMAF) and Tampere University. This exceptional event is taking place on 26-27 March 2025, at IMAF in Aubervilliers. 

IFRA’s own deputy director, Delphine Manetta, will be the moderator for the “Workers, Spaces, Cultures and (Post)Colonial Orders” panel!

 Open to researchers with sound field experience, this symposium aims to reassess the place of masculinities in contemporary economies, whether through a reflection on work, on men's participation in household-making, or on the lifestyles associated with conceptions of masculinity. By taking a cross-disciplinary approach, this symposium will shed light on the entangled material and symbolic dynamics that shape contemporary masculinities in postcolonial contexts.

 You can scroll below to see the full program, or to download it!

We are excited to announce our upcoming event with the National Museum Onikan Lagos, the “Beyond the Classical: Unveiling the Unsung” Conference. This high-profile gathering for academics, culture and heritage professionals, and more will take place on 2-3 June 2025 at the National Museum Onikan Lagos.

This is the latest event of our Alternative Heritages Project, made possible by the French Embassy Fund (FEF).

We invite you to submit abstracts and present your research papers, innovative practices and/or case studies at this important event.

Deadline for submission: 20 April 2025

Read/download the full terms of reference below.

On 18 March, IFRA-Nigeria hosted the literary translator Mona de Pracontal for a one-of-a-kind event for IFRA-Nigeria: a translation workshop! Students and French-speaking professionals got to enjoy Mona's extensive insights in translation, based on her experience translating many authors into French, including many of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's books and most recently The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma. The workshop gave the participants hands-on French into English translation experience, and introduced them to French literature through the graphic novel Broderies of French-Iranian writer Marjane Satrapi.

Click below to read a more detailed account of the workshop and see pictures of this event!

On 28 February 2025, a workshop on "Digital transformation and integration of archival materials" was organized by IFRA Nigeria. The training workshop was carried out by an archivist from IFRA Nigeria, Mr Shola Babalola, supported by an archivist from the National Archives of Ibadan, Mr Austin Otigbu.

Twenty professionals were selected from different information centers like Libraries, Archives and Museums to participate.

The purpose of the workshop was to introduce and discuss the significance of transforming paper-based archival materials to digital contents and to look at the possibilities of integrating archival materials from different institutions into a specific platform for easy retrieval of information. The workshop also aimed at collaborating and creating an information sharing map  where archival resources could be access and shared remotely.

The participants had the opportunity to explore some of IFRA's archival resources and practice using the Institute's equipments. This event was a great moment of learning and capacity-building for Nigerian professionals working on archive and digitization.  

Click below to see some pictures of the event!

On 27 February, IFRA-Nigeria and IAS were proud to welcome Professor Sanya Osha (African Studies Centre Leiden & ZMO Berlin) and Dr Philip Ademola Olayoku (University of Ibadan) as his discussant for an exploration of the philosophy of decolonialism on the theme "Decolonial approaches in Africana espistemologies of the global South". Prof. Osha presented a historical overview of decolonialism in philosophy, emphasizing its African roots alongside its Latin American development. His discussion centered on three influential African philosophers—Kwasi Wiredu, Paulin Hountondji, and Olabiyi Babalola Yai.

He first talked of Wiredu, who is often regarded as the greatest African philosopher of his generation, and his theory of ‘conceptual decolonization', inspiring comparisons of Western and indigenous philosophies through epistemological and linguistic analysis. His contemporary, Hountondji, was a critic of the relativism of ‘ethnophilosophy' and sought to reconcile universalism with local knowledge through the concept of 'endogenous knowledge.' Finally, Prof. Osha discussed the work of a man he worked with extensively on the UNESCO's epistemological forum project, Olabiyi Babalola Yai. In his final words, he also touched on Afro-Brazilian intellectual traditions shaped by the transatlantic slave trade.

The event concluded with a discussion between Dr Philip Ademola Olayoku and Professor Osha on language, modernity, and power dynamics in decolonialism, followed by a Q&A session on the future of decolonial thought. Click below to read a detailed summary of this seminar!

Professor Osha's full talk in now available on YouTube!

On 22 February 2025, IFRA-Nigeria, in coordination with New Culture Studio in Ibadan, organized a showing of the stage play Òṣùpá Alẹ́, written and directed by Emmanuel Orisunmibare, and produced by Fasiat Busari. The play was entirely in Yoruba and offered a beautiful celebration of Nigerian heritage and culture! It was also a moment of festivity, as there was game and music before and after the event.

This event was held as part of the French Embassy Fund (FEF) "Nigerian Alternative Heritages", which is an instrument of the French Embassy in Nigeria seeking to support Nigerian civil society actors.

On 25 February, IFRA-Nigeria and the National Museum of Unity in Ibadan organized "A Dialogue on Traditional Dance & Music", featuring Dr. Olaolu Emmanuel Adekola, Research Fellow in African Music and Postgraduate Coordinator at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, and Oluyomi Duro Ladipo (Àrólé Àṣà), dancer, singer and stage performer. The event was a memorable one, attracting over 150 participants, among which many pupils from local schools, students from the Music Department of the Polytechnic Ibadan, Lead City University, the Director of the Institute of African Studies in the University of Ibadan Professor Sola Olorunyomi, Miss Ibadan, Commissioner of Culture for Oyo State Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun, local traditional authorities, State officials and several members of the Museum Staff.

This event was held as part of the French Embassy Fund (FEF) "Nigerian Alternative Heritages" project, and featured a special guided tour of the Museum's collection of ancient instruments, a presentation of Nigerian traditional music, a riveting musical performance and finally a dialogue between research and artistic practice. You can learn more about this exciting event below!

On 20 February, IFRA-Nigeria held a Methodological Seminar with Charles Vashala, researcher at the Center for the Study and Promotion of Cultural Sustainability of the University of Maiduguri and Cotutal doctoral candidate in Maiduguri and at the University of Hildesheim (Germany). He is also the recipient of an IFRA research grant. He presented the innovative methods he used for his research on the "Exploration of Traditional Healing and Mental Health in Maiduguri".

He began his presentation by presenting his research project and his goal to see it being used to bring about better policies on mental health in Borno state. He reflected on the specific challenges of access and trust while conducting research in a dangerous environment. He explained the importance of the use of partners to work around it, and the ethical challenges of needing to adapt to local beliefs and cultural practices. Finally, he explained his innovative methodology : participatory methods through drawing. A Q&A session followed the presentation.

You can find a summary of Mr. Vashala's presentation below!

The Embassy of France in Nigeria is implementing the French Government Scholarship Programme, "France Excellence" among which are the "Séjours Scientifiques de Haut Niveau (SSHN, High-Level Scientific Stays)". Addressed to academic and research staff wishing to spend some time in a higher education or research institution in France, the SSHN also aim to be a tool to increase the cooperation with French institutions.

In 2023, 7 Nigerian researchers have been awarded this grant for a 2 to 4 weeks mobility. In 2024, the Embassy of France offered 7 scientific grants of one month each. In 2025, the number of visits funded may be higher, depending on the available budget, the duration of the visits.

To find out more about the eligibility criteria, timeline and to download the application form, visit the French Embassy's website.

Deadline for application: 26 April 2025

IFRA-Nigeria is launching its annual call for research projects. The institute will be funding several research projects, individual or collective, focusing on social science in West Africa. This call is open to master's, doctoral and post-doctoral students, as well as researchers. Learn how to apply below!

Deadline : 2 April 2025

L'IFRA-Nigeria lance son appel annuel à projets de recherche. L'Institut financera plusieurs projets de recherche, individuels ou collectifs, portant sur les sciences sociales en Afrique de l'Ouest. Cet appel est ouvert aux étudiants en master, doctorat et post-doctorat, ainsi qu'aux chercheurs. Découvrez comment postuler ci-dessous !

Date limite : 2 avril 2025

On 6 February, IFRA took part in the screening of The Poets, a documentary by director Chivas DeVinck, featuring Nigerian poet Niyi Osundare and Sierra Leonean poet Syl Cheney-Coker as they reflect on their lives, experiences, and poetry. The event, organized by the Thursday Film Series and facilitated by Dr Emilie Guitard (Prodig), was attended by Niyi Osundare himself, as well as two other writers : Molara Wood and Adéọlá Adérè̩mí. Following the movie, there was a lively discussion between students, faculty members and the three writers on environmental protection in the University of Ibadan and beyond. The full panel discussion is available on TFS’ YouTube channel!