July 2020 - Precious Diagboya

Interview of the Fellow of the month

   Juy 2020 - Precious Diagboya (PhD candidate at the Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria)

"Rejections in research do not mean the doors are closed, it simply means there are other doors you could try, so keep knocking. Always remember that opportunities abound, so look for them."

Being part of the IFRA fellowship…

Describe yourself briefly

I am Mrs. Precious Oghale Diagboya, a PhD candidate at the Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan.

Since when are you a fellow of IFRA-Nigeria?

2014

How have you benefited from IFRA-Nigeria?

In 2014 I got a travel grant to attend the international conference on slavery in Africa at Nairobi, Kenya. In 2018, I participated in the IFRA training workshop on Nocturnal Fieldwork and ‘Assisted’ Field Research” led by Mrs. Chrystel Oloukoi. In the same year, I also participated in the IFRA training workshop on "Researching Religion: The Interview" led by Dr. Abdoulaye Sounaye. In 2017, I took part in the IFRA training workshop on “Media as fieldwork. How to do ethnography with press articles” led by Dr. Julien Bonhomme, and another one on the “Anthropological production of knowledge in the context of secrecy” led by Dr. Dominique Somda.

Among so many others, these are the most significant encounters I can remember, and I have been able to learn so much about research methodologies. I can say that these events put together have made me a better researcher, not just an armchair scholar. I have also benefitted greatly from the mentorship of two scientific directors at IFRA Nigeria (Dr. Xavier Moyet and Dr. Elodie Apard). 

Have you contributed to IFRA in any way?

In 2015, I was part of the research team on trafficking for sexual exploitation. As a part of the team, I focused on trafficking for sexual exploitation among gays in Abuja, Nigeria. In this position, I was able to put a spotlight on the gender gap in migration for sexual exploitation research; emphasizing the fact that male sex workers are largely invisible and so do not reach out for government or non-government support.

In 2017, I was part of the Research project called PacKING (Protection of migrants and Asylum seekers especially Children and women coming from Nigeria and victims of Trafficking). In this project, I was able to research and analyze the role of the native justice system in Edo society and how criminal networks of traffickers and smugglers take advantage of it. 

A bit more about yourself….

 What are your main research interests?

Epistemologies of ignorance, Feminist epistemology, human trafficking and Migration.

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

Start early, don’t wait. Push and don’t wait to the pushed/encouraged because there is no comfortable time, the time is now. Remember that the world is willing to follow those who are sure of their paths. At the start, people may disbelieve your purpose, course or research topic, but once you are able to prove yourself, the world will follow you; the world will give you a standing ovation only when you succeed.

Rejections in research do not mean the doors are closed, it simply means there are other doors you could try, so keep knocking. Always remember that opportunities abound, so look for them.

More information about Precious Diagboya:

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