On 22 October 2026, IFRA-Nigeria welcomed Dr Oladapo Ajayi from the Institute of African Studies of the University of Ibadan for our latest methodological seminar, where he spoke on “Becoming an outsider at Home: Fieldwork, Access and the limits of Insider Status in Fújì Ethnography (2017- 2023)”.
Dr Oladapo Ajayi
In particular, in the framework of this methodological seminar, he decided to explore the fact that once written may appear coherent, but actually carry inward complexities in the field, as well as some of the things left unsaid in the final paper.
Dr Ajayi started his presentation with a quote by Holden Thorn who says in It matters who does science (2023) “Scientists should embrace their humanity” to introduce the importance of positionality in his work.
Using the lyric of the song “Egungun be careful” (2012) from Obesere and Zlatan, he highlighted the clash between tradition and modernity that Fuji faces and that was at the centre of his research on this music genre. Fuji grew out from a genre of music in the Southwest of Nigeria to wake people during Ramadan. Barrister is considered to be the founder of the Fuji genre.
He first introduced his assumptions, saying that as he was a national of Nigeria, familiar with the language, geography and culture of the Southwest. However, once in the field he turned out to be less of an “insider” than he thought.
His project was initially reshaped by the courses he took in Bayreuth University where he conducted his PhD, and this is what initially led him to extend his work on Fuji music beyond literary studies. He explained that the reasons why he decided to do fieldwork are threefold:
- Conceptual: he approached Fuji as a cultural text that embodies particular Yoruba aesthetics.
- Practical: the meaning of Fuji music, unlike most Western music, is dependent on the people in the room. Understanding its meaning depends on the context, which justifies the need for fieldwork.
- Personal: fieldwork allowed him to return home, as he highlighted the necessity to understand the personal influences in a research project.
His initial plan for fieldwork was based in three cities: Lagos which is both home to the most successful Fuji musicians, but also of working-class neighbourhoods where this genre is popular; Ibadan, its reputed city of “origin”; and Ilorin, which marked for him the heart of the Islamic root of this music and is also home to popular Fuji musicians.
However, his pre-fieldwork plans soon clashed with reality: his contacts in Lagos didn’t actually prove fruitful, and after a week he decided to relocate to Ibadan. However, even there he struggled to gain entrance into the Fuji circles, despite speaking the same language.
In the end, it was the decision to attend a Sango Festival party at the palace of the Alaafin in Oyo town that offered a first breakthrough. He noted there that Fuji musicians are very mobile, and the importance of connections to enter the Fuji circles. In his case it is in particular one man, Oba Adewolu, friend and benefactor of the singer Saheed Osupa, who provided the contact of a middle man to help him reach the musician. This not only offered him access, but also exposed the importance of “patrons” and “patronage” in the Fuji ecosystem.
Another breakthrough moment came as one of his contacts informed him that a popular Fuji musician would be interviewed on the radio in Ibadan. By rushing there, he was able to connect with his assistant and obtain their travel itinerary.
Participants during the seminar
Next, Dr Ajayi explored the different ways in which his feeling of being an “insider” was challenged in the reality of the field. First, through language. Though he speaks Yoruba, some interviewees will specifically use the Igboro (street) lexicon, assuming that because as a researcher and an older man he wouldn’t understand it. He also grew up in a Christian home where Fuji music was rarely played, and this shaped his taste. It made him an outsider in Muslim working-class communities of Lagos. Finally, being a “German returnee” and a researcher proved a useful form of social currency, but also created some challenges. He cited an example in which, as he was following a singer, he was asked to join a radio interview as a researcher to validate the importance of said singer in the Fuji space.
Faced with the field “answering back” he had to find new solutions. The first: redraw the map, as he ended up following musicians in towns that he hadn’t planned to visit. Next, he used snowballing and leveraged patron’s connection both to connect with the singer and to learn about the clientele relationship. As a result of his findings, which he detailed in journals and field reports, he changed his research question to be about theme rather than space.
He concluded his presentation by returning to the opening “Egungun be careful” song, saying that as the song implies Egungun, meaning traditional Fuji music, cannot stay off the road, representing modernity. It has learnt to navigate this road and change as a result.
His presentation was followed by a discussion with Dr Adekola of the Institute of African Studies, UI, and a Q&A session with participants.