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In order to enhance discussions and work on the topics close to the Cluster of Excellence’s agenda, the University of Lagos African Cluster Centre has invited four renowned scholars to visit the centre as part of its fellowship programme.

Research collaboration and scholars visiting other institutions play a vital role in the fruitful fertilisation of research. That is why the Lagos African Cluster Centre at the University of Lagos (Unilag) in Nigeria has established a fellowship programme inviting scholars in the field of African Studies as visiting research fellows in order to work together on the issues close to the Cluster of Excellence’s agenda. Prof. Dr. Muyiwa Falaiye, Professor of African Political Philosophy and African Studies at Unilag and Director of the Lagos African Cluster Centre (ACC), points out: “We feel it is crucial to work together with those who share our agenda: To shape African Studies in such a way that they speak to and work with African realities and African contexts. Therefore, we are excited to welcome scholars from other institutions at the Lagos ACC in order to enrich these discussions further.”

Since its establishment in 2019, the Lagos ACC has invited four renowned scholars from other parts of Africa and one from Asia to come to the University of Lagos African Cluster Centre, Lagos, Nigeria.

Prof. Dr. Ousseni Illy, October–November 2020

Prof. Dr. Ousseni Illy

Prof. Dr. Ousseni Illy is an Associate Professor of Law at the Thomas Sankara University (formerly Universite d'Ouagadougou), Burkina Faso and a principal investigator of the Ouagadougou ACC, Joseph Kizerbo University, Burkina Faso. He was one of the recipients of the 2020 Lagos African Cluster Centre (Lagos ACC) visiting research fellowship. His research interests for this fellowship are re-examining the mandate/mission of the African Court of Justice and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Professor Ousseni was in Lagos for a period of five weeks from October to November 2020. Specifically, Dr. Ousseni's fellowship facilitated academic research exchange on contextually relevant concerns between scholars in the West Africa sub-region. Professor Muyiwa Falaiye and Professor Ayodele Atsenuwa were his hosts during his stay in Lagos. As part of the research section “Affiliation”, he worked extensively on regional integration and globalization.

Dr. Ọbádélé Kambon, March 1–March 26, 2021

Dr. Ọbádélé Kambon

Dr. Ọbádélé Kambon of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon arrived in Lagos on March 1, 2021 as a visiting research fellow of the Lagos ACC. He was awarded the 2020/2021 Lagos African Cluster visiting research fellowship. His research complies with the Cluster’s agenda and particularly the research section “Knowledges” while also creating synergies with the research section “Arts & Aesthetics”.

Working with his host Dr. Abisoye Eleshin, Dr. Kambon will investigate the semantics of the defunct noun class system of Yorùbá examining parallels to these vestigial prefixes and that of Akan, Wolof, Kiswahili and Kikôngo Languages. They will also be working on a comparative analysis of Serial Verb Construction Nominalization (SVCN) in Akan and Yorùbá. Having coordinated the African World Documentary Film Festival since 2015, Dr. Kambon will establish the Institute of African & Diaspora Studies (IADS) as an additional location. The Lagos African Cluster Centre has also submitted its landmark film on Lagos: Ownership and Identities documentary for the Festival.

Prof. Dr. Benard Sorre, June–August 2021

Prof. Dr. Benard Sorre

Prof. Dr. Benard Sorre is an Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology in the Department of Sociology, Psychology, and Anthropology, School of Arts and Social Sciences at Moi University, Kenya. He is a principal investigator in the multi-disciplinary Moi African Cluster Center of the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence and part of the Research Section “Moralities”. He has been awarded a three-month fellowship starting in June 2021.

During his stay in Lagos, Prof. Sorre will be hosted by Prof. Dr. Patrick Oloko. Prof. Sorre’s research project will contribute to the existing scholar desire by the Lagos ACC for more critical studies on moralities in Africa-by-African scholars. His visit will focus on a new understanding of social issues in the Cluster’s research section “Moralities”, while also contributing to the Cluster’s research section “Arts and Aesthetic”. Prof. Dr. Sorre’s research aims to provide an interdisciplinary perspective that will enrich the wider research agenda of the ACC.

Prof. Dr. Munir Sewani, June–August 2021

Prof. Dr. Munir Sewani

Prof. Dr. Munir Sewani is a Professor of Human Rights Education from the Sindh Madressatul Islam University & Global Forum for Teacher Educators in Karachi, Pakistan. His research on “Challenges of Introducing Human Rights Education in the African Countries, and Designing a Contextual Human Rights Education Course for Universities through the Lens of Socio eco-ethical model of Human Rights Education” is leaving no stone unturned to spread awareness about human rights as well as improving the lives of the victims of human rights abuses using education as a medium.

His project aligns with the Cluster’s agenda; hence he has been awarded the 2021 Lagos ACC visiting research fellowship. He will be hosted by Prof. Dr. Muyiwa Falaiye. Prof. Sewani is expected to be in Lagos between June and July 2021 for the duration of a three-month fellowship.