The National Museum of Lagos and IFRA-Nigeria are offering academic research grants for researchers to work on the documents and artifacts of the Museum, focusing on questionning the notions of "heritages" and "alternative heritages".
Each of the selected researchers will have to participate to a colloquium that will be organized in May 2026 in Lagos on the theme “Re-Imagining Nigeria Heritage” and will have subsequently to submit awritten article for IFRA-Nigeria working papers .
This grant is part of our Nigerian Alternative Heritages project, made possible by the French Embassy Fund.
Deadline for applications: 7 December 2025
Read the full call below or download it here.
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The Nigerian Alternative Heritages Project is a FEF-financed initiative of IFRA-Nigeria in collaboration with the National Museum of Unity, Ibadan. The project aims to foster scientific engagement through the exchange of knowledge and insights, research co-creation, and dissemination by facilitating talks and dialogues with academics, practitioners, and the public. The partnership between these two institutions has led to more public-facing events that open up the Museum of Unity Ibadan, allowing it to engage a new audience in learning about and exploring the heritages of the Nigerian people, fostering cultural understanding, awareness, and ultimately, knowledge production. At the core of the questions that have emanated from these engagements is the theme of “(Re)imagining Heritage, (Re)using the Museum”.
This grant was incorporated into the FEF project to facilitate and support a team of researchers and artists in conducting original projects, in the form of science- and art-based pieces, such as drawings, paintings, performances, videos, and sound pieces, on topics related to heritage and museums. Proposals must consider and mobilise the collections of the National Museum of Unity, Ibadan.
Deadline for application: 11:59 PM on December 1, 2025
Notification of successful application: 3rd week of December 2025
Project timeline: January to May 2026
Read the full call here
On 8 October 2025, the new IFRA-Nigeria director, Dr. Pauline Guinard, and deputy-director, Dr. Delphine Manetta met with two of our Nigerian Alternative Heritages collaborators : the Cultural Centre and the National Museum of Unity, Ibadan.
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IFRA-Nigeria Director, Dr. Pauline Guinard, and Research Project Manager, Marie Lureau, attended the opening night of the Afrobeat Rebellion : Fela Anikulapo Kuti exhibition. Organized by the French Embassy in Nigeria and the Kuti family, this exhibition initially presented at the Philharmonie in Paris in 2022, has been augmented for its showing in Lagos. The opening night included an interactive art piece and a concert by Seun Kuti, Fela's son, and the Ezra Collective.
The book of Professor Sola Olorunyomi, Director of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ibadan, Afrobeat! Fela and the imagined continent is for sale at the exhibition' shop. The book was co-published by IFRA-Nigeria and Noirledge.
The exhibition remains open and freely accessible to all at the Felabration hall, Ecobank headquarters in Lagos, until 28 December.
On 13 August, Geo Meridien and IFRA-Nigeria held a conference day on “Heritage and Vernacular Architecture – a Foundational Dialogue”. The event, part of the Nigerian Alternative Heritages (French Embassy Fund) project, took place at the Olubadan Palace in Ibadan. Mrs Toyin Odugbesan (Geo Meridien) and Prof. Barbara Morovich (IFRA-Nigeria director) opened the meeting, introducing the theme and speakers, and launching the discussion on heritage protection, vernacular architecture, and definitions of the term.
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Geo Meridien International in partnership with IFRA-Nigeria invites you to the Alternative Heritages Conference, themed “Alternative Heritage and Vernacular Architecture - A Foundational Dialogue”. This conference is held as part of the Nigerian Alternative Heritages project, financed by the French Embassy Fund (FEF).
This conference brings together academics, architects, historians, heritage professionals, conservators, art historians, archaeologists and anthropologists for a foundational conversation on the intersections of alternative heritage and vernacular architecture. The gathering will offer a space for critical dialogue, exploring the social, architectural, and cultural significance of alternative heritage spaces that are central to community identity but largely undocumented. Other sub-themes include: Gender, Ritual, and Memory in the Spaces We Inhabit; Preserving the Architecture of the Unrecorded; and Rethinking Preservation through Community, Oral Traditions, and Everyday Architecture
Practical information:
Venue: Old Olubadan Palace, Oja’ba, Mapo, Ibadan
Time & date: 13 August, 2025, 9:00am
Open to everyone
IFRA_Nigeria is pleased to announce the upcoming Alternative Heritage and Vernacular Architecture Conference, a premier gathering and a foundational dialogue for academics (confirmed, young PhD and Master students), culture and heritage professionals, architects, heritage conservators, art historians, archaeologists, …, taking place on 13 August 2025 in Ibadan. Two main sessions will involve an academic conference and a round table with different stakeholders cordially invite you to submit abstracts to participate and present your research papers, groundbreaking methodologies and practices, and case studies at this important event. The proposition will be chosen on the basis of an original perspective and fieldwork. Purely theoretical and second-hand abstract will not be considered as relevant.
Conference Theme: Alternative Heritage and Vernacular Architecture - A Foundational Dialogue
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On June 2 and 3, 2025, the National Museum Lagos hosted the "Beyond the classical: unveiling the unsung" conference. A collaboration with IFRA-Nigeria, as part of the Nigerian Alternative Heritages project, made possible by the French Embassy Fund. A follow-up to the exhibition of the same name in May, it shared its objective to highlight the forgotten aspects and people of Nigerian heritage. This conference was a unique meeting of academics, archivists, documentalists and specialists of the topic. This event marked the completion of our first year of collaboration.
Each day, we welcomed two keynotes speakers: Dr Ayo Adeduntan who spoke on "Heritage Power and the Production of the Unsung" and Dr Oluwatoyin Sogbesan on "Alternative Heritage: Redefining Heritage Boundaries in Nigeria." Following a call for abstracts held by IFRA-Nigeria and the Lagos Museum, 12 papers from 13 researchers were selected to be presented at the conference.
See the full program.
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New Culture Studio organised the performance of the play "Law for Sale" written and directed by Emmanuel Orisunmibare and produced by Fasiat Busari, on 31 May. This event is a result of the collaboration with IFRA-Nigeria as part of the French Embassy Fund project, Nigerian Alternative Heritages. Thi stage play is a witty drama and satire on the decadence of the rule of law in society. It follows the life of a chief judge, who sells the law to the highest bidder. His inability to control his desire to amass wealth by selling the law led to a catastrophic revolt from the people.
Scroll to see some pictures
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On June 11, 2025, IFRA-Nigeria and the National Museum of Unity hosted the latest event of their partnership within the Nigerian Alternative Heritages project “Giving ‘Hands’ to Overlooked Objects”. The event was centered on so-called minority groups and objects of shared heritage.
The National Museum of Unity, among its 2,500+ object collection, holds not only objects from so-called major groups in Nigeria but also from ‘non-major’ groups, exemplifying the shared heritage of Nigerian peoples. Specifically, the mask collection at the museum is evidence of the shared cultural heritage and objects of minority groups across different geopolitical zones in Nigeria. For this event, facemasks from the communities of the Igala, Ibibio, Uhrobo, and Idoma people were showcased. While these masks serve different functions and have varied shapes and meanings, they also share commonalities in religious significance and features associated with cultural festivals.
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IFRA-Nigeria, in collaboration with the National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, presents a special event as part of the Nigerian Alternative Heritages Project (made possible by the French Embassy Fund), celebrating Nigeria’s rich cultural diversity. It will feature a lecture by Prof Rasheed Oyewole Olaniyi an expert in Economic & Social History from the University of Ibadan, a mask-making workshop with sculptor Adebayo Adeleye Ajepe (Bayo Arts) and a roundtable discussion. Come to discover the shared heritage of non-major groups in Nigeria, explore the significance of masks, and learn the art of carving.
Practical information:
Date & time: 11 June 2025, 9am (immersion session) and 10am (main event)
Location: National Museum of Unity, Ibadan
Attendance: free and open to all, no registration needed
The National Museum Onikan Lagos and IFRA-Nigeria are co-organizing the Alternative Heritages Conference "Beyond the classical: unveiling the unsung" on 2-3 June. Taking place at the National Museum, it's a follow up to the exhibition held between 5 and 16 May, which highlighted forgotten artifacts of Nigerian heritage. This Conference is not only a chance to learn more about Nigeria's heritage, but also to meet professionals and academics, specialists of the topic. In addition, the May exhibition will be back, giving you a chance to (re)visit it! This event is part of our project Nigerian Alternative Heritages, funded by the French Embassy Fund (FEF). Scroll down to register.
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New Culture Studio Ibadan and IFRA-Nigeria are co-organizing two-session of a traditional candle-making workshop, on 21 and 22 May. Genny Ray Fragrances will take us through a journey of discovering the rich aromas of Nigeria's culinary heritage, and crafting them into your own spice-infused candle.
Only a few spots are available, to RSVP email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Deadline : 20 May 2025.
The National Museum of Lagos Onikan and IFRA-Nigeria, as part of their partnership through the Nigerian Alternative Heritages project, organized the exhibition "Beyond the classical: unveiling the unsung", which aims at highlighting underrepresented objects of Nigeria's diverse heritages. This project is funded by the French Embassy Fund.
You can attend the exhibition, free of charge, until 16 May at the National Museum Lagos.
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On 30 April, IFRA-Nigeria and the National Museum of Unity of Ibadan organized a mix exhibition and lecture event as part of the French Embassy Fund project "Nigerian Alternative Heritages". As a celebration of International Monument Day, this event explored the "Notion of Heritage", and took place in one of Ibadan's oldest buildings, the Adebisi House, which exceptionally opened its doors to the Museum staff, pupils, Polytechnic students and other members of the public interested in the arts and heritage studies.
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