As part of the Nigerian Alternative Heritages project, a French Embassy Fund programme, IFRA-Nigeria began a collaboration with the Centre for Contemporary Art Lagos (CCA) at the beginning of 2026. Its main goal was to digitize, make accessible and valorise the CCA archives.
On 1 June and 16 June, the Alliance Française of Port Harcourt and Lagos respectively, organised with IFRA-Nigeria and the support of the Institut Français the screening of "Speak up for Freedom". This documentary movie by Clément Sibony follows Nigerian women who survived sexual trafficking in Europe, as they put together a play retelling their experiences.
This play was organised by MIST (Mission of Intervention and Sensitisation against Sexual Trafficking), a survivor-led association operating in France. Both screenings were followed by a discussion with Flora Enifo, MIST's co-Founder and Project Manager, and Dr Elodie Apard, Researcher at IRD, board member of MIST and head of the Life After Trafficking research project.
This event is part of our 2026 "Debate of Ideas" programme on the theme "Listen to Sensitive and Alternative Voices to Pave the Way." The goal of this screening: to look past the stigma, give back their voices to the women first concerned by this issue, and encourage a dialogue on the topic between civil society, academics, artists and more.
On June 3, 2026, IFRA-Nigeria, with the National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, hosted a pop-up exhibition to close the two-year French Embassy-financed Nigerian Alternative Heritages project partnership between the two institutions. This project was made possible by the French Embassy Fund.
Conceived by Dr Delphine Manetta and Adéjọkẹ Rafiat Adétòrò, the programme was centred on the theme “Build Your Museum” and invited the public to reimagine heritage while challenging conventional norms that have long dictated our understanding of identity, culture, and belonging. The event was aimed at encouraging members of the public to actively participate in the narratives on heritage, as people were invited to contribute stories, objects, memories, and cultural experiences that shape their understanding of heritage and resonate with their own journey and community.
You can watch some highlights of the event on IFRA-Nigeria's YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/5ZnXzWa7MD8
On Thursday 14 May 2026, the participants of the February workshop on "Sensitive ways of doing, writing and sharing research" presented their work in an exhibition at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, with the collaboration of the Cornelius Adepegba Museum of African Art (CAMAA). The four groups each carried out a fieldwork in the Ibadan central bus station, from which they extracted a scientific analysis in an original form: a creative writing piece, photographs and an audio montage. From the same location and with the same instruction, each revealed different insights on health, gender, the market and infrastructure in the station. This event is part of our 2026 "Debate of Ideas" programme on the theme "Listen to Sensitive and Alternative Voices to Pave the Way."
The opening of the exhibition was attended by the participants, students, staff of the Institute of African Studies and representatives of workers at the bus station. After introductory remarks by Dr Pauline Guinard, IFRA-Nigeria Director, Dr Delphine Manetta, IFRA-Nigeria Deputy-Director and Professor Molatokunbo Seunfunmi Olutayo, the attendants were able to look through the students' creations and interact with them regarding their work.
Between 19 February and 9 March, IFRA-Nigeria and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) held an exposition titled "Archives of Popular Struggle" at the CAMAA Museum. Building on selected pieces from the different activist's archives digitised by CDD with the support of the French Embassy Fund project Nigerian Alternatives Heritages, it highlighted the pro-democracy movement in Nigeria. From student activism, women's groups and union mobilisations, it covered all the variety of these vibrant organisations.
On the opening day, Dr Sa'eed Husaini (CDD), curator of the exhibition, walked participants through the different pieces of the collection.
On 4 February 2026, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, the National Museum Lagos and IFRA-Nigeria organised an exhibition on the theme "Reimagining Nigerian Alternative Heritage: An Exhibition on Monuments and Natural History". This event took place at the Old Secretariat Building, Federal Ministry, providing an historical setting, ideal to exemplify the exhibition's display of Nigerian monuments.
Join the opening of the "Vivre le végétal en ville à Dakar, Ìbàdàn, Porto-Novo, Yaoundé" ("Living with Plants in Dakar, Ìbàdàn, Porto-Novo, and Yaoundé") at the Humathèque (Paris), on 18 December. This research-creation event marks the closing of our INFRAPATRI project, headed by former IFRA-Nigeria Deputy-Director, Dr Emilie Guitard. This exhibition explores the rich relationships between inhabitants and trees in four major African cities by bringing together the writing and art of photographers, film makers, visual artists and social science researchers produced as part of the INFRAPATRI project.
The exhibition "Zongo en recit, des citadinites haoussas d'hier et d'aujourd'hui" is taking place in Cotonou, Benin Republic, 26 July and 3 August. Berenice Busson, PhD student at Universite Paris Cite and its organisator, presented her pictures and the result of her research in the Zongo neighbourhood of Cotonou.
The exhibition explores the history of Hausa settlement in Cotonou, how these Hausa city dwellers build a sense of belonging to the city, the challenges they face, the successes they achieve, how they negotiate their relationships with public officials.
To learn more, visit the exhibition's Instagram page
The Thursday Film Series, MIST association and IFRA-Nigeria co-organized on 24 April, a screening of "Speak up for Freedom", a documentary directed by Clément Sibony. The documentary follows six women, members of MIST, who reclaim their voice by creating a theater play. 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. MIST (Mission of Intervention and Sensitisation against Trafficking) is a French NGO founded by Nigerian women who survived sexual trafficking, and are seeking to provide support for victims.
Dr Elodie Apard, MIST board member and coordinator of the Life After Trafficking joined us for a lively post-screening discussion. We discussed the making of the documentary and the play, the role art can play in dealing with traumatic memories, the dynamics of exploitation of Nigerian women in Europe, the difficult access to justice, the role of religion and family pressure in trafficking and paths for women to build their life back. Scroll to see some pictures of this event.
If you want to learn more about the subject, we invite you to visit the MIST website and specifically their "True Talk" podcast, in which MIST members reflect on their experiences, as well as the Life After Trafficking page, as well as three of our former projects: Human Trafficking for sexual exploitation research project, Hidden Narratives on Transnational Organised Crimes in West Africa and PACKING.
On 6 February, IFRA took part in the screening of The Poets, a documentary by director Chivas DeVinck, featuring Nigerian poet Niyi Osundare and Sierra Leonean poet Syl Cheney-Coker as they reflect on their lives, experiences, and poetry. The event, organized by the Thursday Film Series and facilitated by Dr Emilie Guitard (Prodig), was attended by Niyi Osundare himself, as well as two other writers : Molara Wood and Adéọlá Adérè̩mí. Following the movie, there was a lively discussion between students, faculty members and the three writers on environmental protection in the University of Ibadan and beyond. The full panel discussion is available on TFS’ YouTube channel!
Based on two current fieldworks conducted in Osun Grove, Osogbo and Victoria Island, Lagos, this exhibition presented some of the materials produced during these research projects in order to capture and render the sensitive dimension of spaces. This visual and sound installation presented maps, photographs, and sound recordings. Te opening in the presence of the artist and researchers was held on April 5th, at 3pm in the Hall of the Institute of African Studies, UI.
On Tuesday 25 April, Dr Vincent Hiribarren participated in a panel discussion entitled 'The Restitution Debate: Diaspora Affairs, Migration and the Reinvention of Identity'.
Wednesday July 12, 3-5pm, Draper's Hall, UI
On Wednesday 12th of July 2017, iOpenEye Ltd, the Institut Francais of Nigeria, IFRA Nigeria and the Women Research and Documentation Centre (WORDOC) were pleased to present “HEAR WORD! Naija Women Talk True” in Draper’s Hall, Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan.
8th of June 2017, University of Ibadan
On the 8th of June 2017, Apkass, the Institut Francais of Nigeria and IFRA Nigeria were extremely pleased to organise two special events in presence of the prominent filmmaker Alain Gomis, two-time winner of the Golden Stallion for the best African film at the FESPACO Festival of Ouagadougou and recipient of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2017 Berlin Film Festival.
As a crowning final to this really fruitful academic year, IFRA Nigeria and WORDOC, together with the Institut Français Nigeria, iOpenEye Ltd and the Institute of African Studies, are delighted to invite you to the presentation of HEAR WORD! Naija Women Talk True, a piece of performance art staged by Ifeoma Fafunwa, on Wednesday 12th of July from 3pm to 5pm in Draper's Hall, Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan.
4th of May 2017, Draper’s Hall, Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan
On Thursday, 4th of May, IFRA Nigeria organised a special screening of the movie Tomorrow in Draper’s Hall, Institute of African Studies (IAS), University of Ibadan. The screening took place within the scope of a film tour in Nigeria in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Institut Francais du Nigeria (IFN). In Ibadan, it was set in collaboration with the Thursday Film Series movie club powered by the IAS’ students association that screen movies followed by debates with an academic audience every week in Draper’s Hall.
Thursday, May 3rd, 2017, 3pm prompt
Special event about ecology and participative democracy, in collaboration with the Institut Français, AFD, the Thursday Film Series, the African Village Square and the Institute of African Studies.
Thursday, April 13, 2017 - 4.30pm prompt
Draper's Hall, Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan
The screening will be immediatly followed by a discussion with Dr Vincent Hiribarren