Between 14 and 19 April, IFRA-Nigeria, in collaboration with the New Culture Studio, held an artistic workshop on "Beading our stories". It featured a diverse range of activities each day for nine selected participants, including photographers, researchers, and artists. This event is part of our Alternative Heritages project, which aims to highlight the diversity of Nigerian culture. Scroll below to learn more and see some pictures of the event!
The National Museum of Unity, Ibadan and IFRA-Nigeria, cordially invite you to an Exhibition and Guest Lectures on the Notion of Heritage. Organized as part of our French Embassy Fund project Nigerian Alternative Heritages, this event seeks to facilitate meaningful dialogue and critical perspectives on the evolving concept of heritage and showcase Nigerian cultural legacy. It also aligns with the theme of the 2025 International Day for Monuments and Sites: Resilient Heritage: Adapting to a Changing World.
Starting at 9am on 30 April, there will first be a guided tour of the Adebisi House, highlighting the significant artifacts from Sanusi Adebisi Giwa's collection. Next, Hon. Zainab D. Popoola and Dr. Kolawole A. Lawal, will deliver insightful lectures addressing critical issues such as the varied and evolving meaning of heritage, the transformative nature of this concept and challenges posed to monuments and sites, including sociopolitical and economic issues, climate change, and urban development, and the role of local communities in safeguarding, conserving, and preserving cultural sites.
Practical information:
Date: Wednesday, 30 April, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM
Venue: Adebisi House, Idikan, Ibadan
Audience: This event is open to the public, including children, students, and professionals. No prior registration is required.
On 24 April, join the Thursday Film Seriesfor a screening of "Speak Up for Freedom", a powerful documentary directed by Clément Sibony. This event, in collaboration with MIST (Mission of Intervention and Sensitisation against Trafficking) and supported by IFRA-Nigeria, sheds light on one of the most harrowing realities faced by Nigerian women in Europe — human trafficking.
The film follows six Nigerian women who, having survived trafficking and sexual exploitation, reclaim their voices through theatre. With legal justice out of reach, they stage a fictional trial, an act of defiance that transforms pain into power. Through this deeply moving documentary, we witness their journey of healing, storytelling, and resistance.
Joining us for the post-screening discussion is Dr Elodie Apard, board member of MIST, researcher and coordinator of the Life after Trafficking project. Together, we will explore the intersections of art, activism, and justice, reflecting on how creative expression can challenge oppressive systems and empower survivors.
This screening is more than just a film; it is a call to action. We invite you to engage, learn, and stand in solidarity with those whose voices have been silenced for too long.
Practical Information:
Date and time: 24 April, 4 pm
Location: Draper's Hall, Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan
Attendance: free and open to all!
IFRA-Nigeria and the National Museum Onikan Lagos are proud to invite you to the grand opening of our exhibition "Beyond the classical: unveiling the unsung". Join us on 5 May at 11am to be the first to discover the forgotten artifacts of the Museum's archives, and discover a whole new perspective on Nigerian cultures!
This event is part of our Nigerian Alternative Heritages project, financed by the French Embassy Fund. Scroll below to learn more about this one of a kind event!
The exhibition will be open to the public from 5 to 13 May, only at the National Museum Onikan Lagos.
(French below)
We're proud to announce the publication of the latest Cahiers des UMIFRE, the journal of France's international research institutes! This year's theme, "What does the question of gender reveal about societies?" includes our Life After Trafficking project, highlighted through the article Une étude transnationale de la traite des êtres humains du Nigéria vers l'Europe, written by its coordinators, Elodie Apard and Precious Diagboya . IFRA-Nigeria's Director, Barbara Morovich, also features for her December 2023 dialogue with architect Demas Nwoko on "Architecture for the people" at the Alliance Française in Lagos (the full conference is available on our YouTube channel).
For French speakers, you can find the Cahier on the UMIFRE's website.
Nous sommes fiers d'annoncer la publication des derniers Cahiers des UMIFRE, la revue des instituts de recherche internationaux français ! Le dossier central de cette année, « Ce que la question du genre dit des sociétés ? » inclut notre projet Life After Trafficking, mis en lumière par l'article Une étude transnationale de la traite des êtres humains du Nigéria vers l'Europe, écrit par ses coordinatrices, Elodie Apard et Precious Diagboya . La directrice de l'IFRA-Nigeria, Barbara Morovich, est également présente pour son dialogue de décembre 2023 avec l'architecte Demas Nwoko sur « L'architecture pour le peuple » à l'Alliance française de Lagos (l'intégralité de la conférence est disponible sur notre chaîne YouTube).
On 15 April, we welcomed Dr Sa'eed Husaini from the Centre for Democracy and Development in Abuja for our latest Methodological Seminar "On glass-eating priests and political party structures in Nigeria". Reflecting on his PhD research in Zaria and most of all Ekiti states, he highlighted how to manage positionality as a researcher in contact with political parties. Describing more specifically his own work, he also encouraged the attendants to question the dominant discourses of academia, which may not be as neutral as it appears.
Scroll below for a full summary of Dr Husaini's presentation.
On 3 April, Ibadan came alive with music and dance as a vibrant parade made its way through the city — the National Museum of Unity's rally, offering a creative and engaging way to promote awareness of the museum’s activities. This celebration of culture was organized as part of IFRA-Nigeria's Alternative Heritages project, recipient of the French Embassy Fund (FEF). Scroll to see some pictures of this lively event!
Between 8 and 9 April, IFAS-Research in collaboration with IFRA-Nigeria, the History Workshop of Witwatersrand University, the University of Lille and the Worker's Museum of Johannesburg, organized a two-day workshop on the theme "Alternative Archives: Methods and objectives. Conversations between South Africa and Nigeria". This event brought together a diverse group of voices to engage in meaningful discussions about archives—both digital and non-digital—and their role in shaping history. More specifically, they focused on how to preserve non-institutional archives, non-colonial, and recovering forgotten or suppressed narratives.
Three of IFRA-Nigeria's collaborators also shared their work on archival preservation. Olushola Patrick Babalola, our documentalist and archivist, presented his efforts in training archivists in new techniques, alongside his own digitisation projects. In addition, two coordinators of our Alternative Archives Project highlighted their preservation initiatives, both within the project framework and through their individual research. Femi Olanrewaju showcased his work on preserving traditional architecture in Ibadan, while Dr Sa'eed Husaini discussed his project focused on the digitisation of militant archives. Scroll below to see pictures of this great event!
Visit the IFAS website to see the full program and the complete list of speakers.
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.
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!
New Culture Studio and IFRA-Nigeria invite artisans, storytellers, researchers, and creatives to participate in “Beading Our Stories,” a unique exploration of beadwork as a medium for identity, cultural preservation, and social transformation. This initiative will feature a series of events, including symposiums, workshops, exhibitions, and film screenings, all centered around the rich heritage of beadmaking and its evolving role in contemporary society.
This event is part of IFRA-Nigeria's Nigerian Alternative Heritages, a project made possible by the French Embassy Fund (FEF).
Deadline for application: 29/03/2025
Scroll below to discover how to apply!
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.
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