The Institute of African and Diaspora Studies (IADS) University of Lagos, has restated its commitment in pushing the boundaries in its quest for human capital development and advocacy globally.
The institute, was established in 2017 with the tripartite mission to serve as the foremost site cutting-edge research, teaching and advocacy related to Africa and the African diaspora.
Speaking at the institute’s maiden 2025 Open Day to highlight some of its major developments and achievements in the past seven years on Wednesday in Lagos, Director of the institute, Prof. Olumiyiwa Falaiye said IADS sought to challenge entrenched power structures, that had historically positioned the West as the primary authority in African representation and knowledge production.
According to him, the objective is to reimagine the field of African Studies, by shifting the centre of scholarly activity and intellectual authority, back to the African continent and its diasporas.
Highlighting some of the major developments and achievements, the director noted that research constitutes the cornerstone of the institute’s activities, as it had managed to secure variety of grants to fund its research activities.
“Our long standing motto is; ‘No funding, No research’ and this principle has motivated the team to seek out grants, far and wide, no matter how small.
“In 2019, the IADS became one of four African Cluster Centres of the Africa Multiple Centre of Excellence at the University of Bayreuth in Germany, which benefits from an on-going 7-year infrastructural, as well as research grants for projects and initiatives aimed at reconfiguring African studies, among others,” he stated.
Speaking further, he noted that the institute had produced not less that 15 short-term projects funded directly by the Clusters of Excellence, which includes Locating the Albatross in Women Political Participation in Sub-Saharan Africa;, Municipal Road Construction in Kenya and Nigeria; Investigating the Politics of Infrastructure Development, among others.
The don noted that many of the IADS’ research projects had let to workshop with topics like: “Lagos Ownership and Identities, including one month photography exhibition and Digitizing Folktale Workshop, (which had primary school pupils invited to screen animation and provide feedbacks), ami y many others.
“We have successfully produced five documentaries and animation series to also enable our research to reach a wider audience, even outside academia.
“We also received grants in 2021 from the Nagel Institute of Calvin University, to fund project titled: Nollywood and Evangelical Films; Exploring Nigerian Cinema in Telatiin to African Traditional Histories, Values and Spirituality. The projects findings were presented at a news conference in June 2024,” he said.
Speaking further, he said that the UNILAG-ACC had also hosted over 12 visiting scholars at the institute.
According to him, collaboration is key to most of the institute’s activities, as it is constantly seeking to build relationships with partners, the world over, interested in furthering its commitment to reconfiguring African Studies.
In the area of teaching, Prof. Falaiye also noted that in-line with the mission of IADS to mentor young African scholars in African Studies, the UNILAG-ACC had sponsored and hosted 30 doctoral students from universities across Nigeria for a graduate conference in African studies in 2021.
He added that UNILAG-ACC hosted the 2nd one in 2023 and have awarded Postdoctoral fellowships to five scholars since 2022.
In the area of advocacy, the IADS boss said each year, the institute celebrated the Black History Month, inviting secondary school students from within Lagos for competition/exhibition, based around the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH)’s theme for the year.
He also pointed out that every year, the IADS organized a traditional medicine day and exhibition to raise about traditional healing remedies and ensure that the health sector was not excluded from the decolonisation agenda.
According to him, the day also provided traditional practitioners the space to educate the public about indigenous healthcare methods and exhibit their remedies.
Projecting into the future, he said that the IADS would be launching a joint PhD programme with in Health and Identity, in collaboration with the ARUA (African Research Universities Alliance) Centre of Excellence, in 2026.
“Also in the same year, we are looking forward to graduating our first set of PhD students,” he said.
He however regretted that the institute had to navigate some challenges in the past years, to pull through most of these achievements
The don cited issues such as inadequate research staff and space for staff offices as well as new staff members, to ease the burden currently being borne by the very few existing staff.
He lauded some research staff of the institute for their fellowship awards by other institutions.
“I want to special commend our researchers, Dr Akinmayowa Akin-Otiko, Dr Feyi Ademola-Adeoye, Dr Anthony Okeregbe and Dr Moses Yakubu among others,for these achievements,” he said.
Earlier in her brief remark, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola commended the institute for the giant strides it had made in the short period of its existence.
“Whenever I come to IADS, I am always very excited. It is an example of model of what as academics should be doing.
“There is a whole lot of things to be learnt from here. As it is said, Africa should own their stories. The greatest damage of colonization is what it has done to our thinking. It is what you think that you do. One of the essence of this institute is to see how we do our own interpretation of who are.
“IADS is a model institute in the development of human capacity and int are of writing grant and others.I therefore want to congratulate the institute and also challenge it also that it has not done well until all other centres start performing like it is doing,“ she said.
Duro Oni, Professor of Theatre Arts and a former Dean, Faculty of Arts of the university, also expressed delight at the achievements of the institute and described its activities as unprecedented in the history of the university.
“There have been so much research fundings, so much work, and it is something to be proud of. It focuses not just on African studies but also diaspora. I want to specially congratulate you and say that you have done well “ he stated.
Prof.Tunde Babawale, one time Director General of the Centre for Black and African Arts Civilization (CBAAC) said he would remain proud of the accomplishments of the institute having carved a nitche for itself, both in the are of works and research grants, describing it as formidable.
“I remain proud of your achievements and can only wish you more successes,” he said.
