Afrobeat 'Son' DEDE on MESSENGERS
We are joined by the renowned Afrobeat saxophonist, performer, and bandleader, Dede Mabiaku - often regarded as one of Fela Kuti’s musical sons
Africa-Related New York
Afrobeat saxophonist Dede Mabiaku. On stage in Lagos, at Felabration 2019.
In this episode of 'Messengers with Oyiza,' we are joined by the renowned Afrobeat saxophonist, performer, and bandleader, Dede Mabiaku. Often regarded as one of Fela Kuti’s musical sons, Dede shares vivid stories from the formative years of Afrobeat, reflecting on his life both on and off stage with Fela and leading The Kalafrika Band.
A trained theatre artist with a commanding stage presence, Dede’s journey is rooted in rhythm, resistance, and a deep commitment to African culture. This episode explores lineage, identity, and the evolution of an artist within a global movement.
Dede and Fela in an undated photo. Courtesy of Dede Mabiaku
Dede & Kalafrika Band perform at Felabration 2019 at Freedom Park, Lagos.
Dede reflects on a question on Messengers Podcast
Oyiza Adaba: Host of Podcast series ‘Messengers’.
‘MESSENGERS with Oyiza’ is an engaging interview TV/podcast series hosted by Nigerian journalist and producer Oyiza Adaba. Produced by Africa-Related and recorded remotely from New York and on location, the show blends relaxed conversations with interviews of selected guests who discuss topics about Africa for a global audience. The conversations aim to bridge divides, correct misconceptions, and spark positive discussion about Africa and its people. Each 30-minute episode features inspiring stories, creative graphics, video clips, and background reports. The series focuses on Africa's People, Places and Issues.
For more stories told from an African perspective, follow us at africarelatedinc
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Textile Artist And Teacher Gasali Adeyemo Features on 'Messengers
Textile artist and teacher Gasali Adeyemo talks about preserving Nigeria’s traditional textiles -like batik, adire, itinochi, and akwocha -his humble childhood, his biggest influences, and the next generation.
Africa-Related New York
Textile Artist Gasali Adeyemo dicusses the Yoruba art of Adire (tye-dye) making.
From modest beginnings to becoming a leading voice in textile preservation, Gasali Adeyemo shares a journey rooted in craft, culture, and continuity.
In this episode of Messengers with Oyiza, Gasali explores the rich history and cultural significance of traditional Nigerian textiles from Adire and Batik to Itinochi and Akwocha and the urgent need to preserve these indigenous techniques for future generations.
He shares his experience styling Viola Davis in the film "The Woman King". He also reflects on his early influences like Nike Art Gallery (@nikeartgallery), the discipline behind mastering textile artistry, and the responsibility of passing down knowledge in a rapidly changing world.
This is a conversation about heritage, identity, and the role of artists as custodians of culture.
Follow Gasali @yoruba_indigo. Watch now on Spotify.
‘MESSENGERS with Oyiza’ is an engaging interview TV/podcast series hosted by Nigerian journalist and producer Oyiza Adaba. Produced by Africa-Related and recorded remotely from New York and on location, the show blends relaxed conversations with interviews of selected guests who discuss topics about Africa for a global audience. The conversations aim to bridge divides, correct misconceptions, and spark positive discussion about Africa and its people. Each 30-minute episode features inspiring stories, creative graphics, video clips, and background reports. The series focuses on Africa's People, Places and Issues.
For more stories told from an African perspective, follow us at africarelatedinc
#AfricaRelated #AfricanArt #art #podcast #conversation #artist #messengerswithoyiza #Messengers #AfricaRelated #TextileArt #adire #batik #CulturalHeritage #TheWomanKing #oyizaadaba
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DELA Screens at Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art Lagos
On March 8, 2026, Lagos hosted a screening of DELA: The Making of El Anatsui, a biographical documentary exploring the creative journey of one of Africa’s most celebrated artists. Directed by Oyiza Adaba and produced by Africa-Related over a ten-year period, the screening was held in collaboration with the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art as part of Lagos Gallery Week 2026.
Africa-Related, Lagos
From bottle caps to monumental global artworks, the story behind the art is just as powerful as the work itself.
On March 8, 2026, Lagos hosted a screening of DELA: The Making of El Anatsui, a biographical documentary exploring the creative journey of one of Africa’s most celebrated artists. Directed by Oyiza Adaba and produced by Africa-Related over a ten-year period, the screening was held in collaboration with the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art as part of Lagos Gallery Week 2026.
The event took place at the museum’s premises within Pan-Atlantic University, drawing an audience of students, staff, and art enthusiasts.
Attendees were also invited to explore the history behind the work of El Anatsui. His early wood carvings, including the famous wooden trays that earned him the nickname "TV Man," are on permanent display at the YSMA in Lagos.
Share this with anyone who appreciates art, film, and African creative history.
Houston Prepares for FIFA World Cup
Cerca Africa, in partnership with the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) hosts 75 Women Entrepreneurs and Leaders in Abuja, Nigeria.
Africa-Related, Houston
Photo of the artwork ‘Fair Play’ by Mathieu JN Baptiste and various commissioned artists at Houston’s Hobby International Airport.
The city of Houston, Texas, is an official host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. There are a total of seven matches scheduled at NRG Stadium (Houston Stadium) for the tournament between June 14 and July 4, 2026.
The matches include five group-stage games, a Round of 32 match, and a Round of 16 match. The city is also set to host a 39-day fan festival in East Downtown during the tournament period.
Countries like Germany, Curaçao, Portugal, The Netherlands will play some matches in Houston. With a population of about 2.3 million people, Houston is widely regarded as a convergence pot of global cultures in the United States of America. It is home to over 50,000 Nigerians.
Photos by Africa-Related
Images and artworks at Houston Hobby Airport, George Bush International Airport and other parts of the city show a city ready to welcome visitors and host some exciting line ups.
Check out other host cities here.
#fifaworldcup
Photos by Africa-Related
For more stories told from an African perspective, follow us at africarelatedinc
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Now on SPOTIFY: Podcast Series 'MESSENGERS with OYIZA' Season 3
Don't miss MESSENGERS: with Oyiza - Season 3 on SPOTIFY! Bringing together the rich flavors of Africa's peoples, places and issues.
Africa-Related, New York
MESSENGERS: Bringing together the rich flavors of Africa's peoples, places and issues.
Podcast Series ‘Messengers with Oyiza’ on Spotify
‘MESSENGERS with Oyiza’ is an engaging interview TV/podcast series hosted by Nigerian journalist and producer Oyiza Adaba. Produced by Africa-Related and recorded remotely from New York and on location, the show blends relaxed conversations with interviews of selected guests who discuss topics about Africa for a global audience. The conversations aim to bridge divides, correct misconceptions, and spark positive discussion about Africa and its people. Each 30-minute episode features inspiring stories, creative graphics, video clips, and background reports. The series focuses on Africa's People, Places and Issues.
Season 3 Episodes:
EP 1: Beatrice Bee, Arthur, and Felivian - January 12, 2026
EP 2: Christopher Richards and Dean - January 19, 2026
EP 3: Nmadili Okwumabua - January 26, 2026
EP 4: Demas Nwoko - February 2, 2026
EP 5: Nnamdi Okonkwo - February 9, 2026
EP 6: Enos Nhlane Manthata - February 16, 2026
EP 7: Baba Ani - February 23, 2026
EP 8: Eedris Abdulkareem - March 2, 2026
EP 9: Amarachi Okafor - March 9, 2026
EP 10: Gasali Adeyemo - March 16, 2026
EP 11: Dede Mabiaku - March 23, 2026
EP 12: Lemi Ghariokwu - March 30, 2026
EP 13: Kofo Wonder - April 6, 2026
EP 14: Gogo Anyanwu - April 13, 2026
Produced by Africa-Related
Hosted by Oyiza Adaba
Sponsorship
Africa-Related Contact:
info@africarelatedinc.com
africarelatedinc.com/messengers
@africarelatedinc
Produced by Oyiza Adaba
Music: @thewordsbymoe
© An Africa-Related Production
#messengerswithoyiza #africarelated #africarelatedinc #art #music #textiles #film #africa #artfilms #podcast #museum #nigeria #demasnwoko #architecture #design #fashion #authors #history
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NAIJA SOUNDS AND VISION SCAPES: A Centennial Celebration of Nigerian Popular Music (1925–2025)
This November, the Nsibidi Institute hosts A Centennial Celebration of Nigerian Popular Music (1925–2025). From the seminal recordings of Yoruba Folk songs by Chief Ladipo Solanke, under the Zonophone label in 1925, the modern Nigerian popular music industry emerged.
By Africa-Related, Nigeria
This November, the Nsibidi Institute invites you to a landmark cultural gathering that commemorates 100 years of Nigerian popular music and its deep visual, social, and historical footprint.
Date: 30 November 2025
Time: 1 PM – 9 PM
Venue: Didi Museum, 175B Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos
NAIJA SOUNDS AND VISION SCAPES
A Centennial Celebration of Nigerian Popular Music (1925–2025)
From the seminal recordings of Yoruba Folk songs by Chief Ladipo Solanke, under the Zonophone label in 1925, ( three years after pioneer choral recordings of Rev J. J Ransome-Kuti) the modern Nigerian popular music industry emerged.
Through music, imagery, film, and archival reflections, we explore how Nigerian sound has shaped identity, influenced movements, and contributed to global culture over the last century.
Expect a full-day immersive experience featuring:
Museum Installations — tracing the evolution of rhythm, instruments, performance, visual and sonic memory.
Photo Exhibition — historic and contemporary visual narratives of Nigerian music culture.
Panel Discussion — scholars, artists, and cultural workers unpacking 100 years of sound, influence, and innovation.
Film Screenings — four remarkable films illuminating our musical and cultural journey:
Film Lineup:
‘Ije Enu’ by Chikezie Ifedobi, the critically acclaimed Celestine Ukwu biopic
‘Fatai Rolling Dollar Unplugged’ by Femi Odugbemi. A detailed and sensitive tribute to the legendary musical sage.
‘Bamidele: The Dele Sosimi Story’ by Muni King-Keazor and Ed Keazor, tracing the iconic story of the Afrobeat superstar, mentored by the legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
‘My Father’s Book’ by Kagho Idhebor. An endearing chronicle of the Nigerian disco scene of the 1970s - 1980s.
Join us as we celebrate a century of rhythm, memory, and vision — and honor the artists, communities, and cultural forces that made Nigerian music a global heartbeat.
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Politics In Film: Are Black Stories Going Extinct In America?
The Harlem-based national nonprofit Black Public Media, from which Congress recalled $1.8 million of allocated federal funding last July, is making a pressing plea to the public for support this holiday season.
By Africa-Related, New York
Over the decades, Black Public Media has invested over $17 million in films and other stories and helped nurture the careers of many acclaimed documentary directors and other creatives.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA MAKES URGENT GIVING TUESDAY PLEA
After losing $1.8 million in funding, national nonprofit asks the public to donate to ensure Black stories are never again subject to political whims
NEW YORK (November 18, 2025) — The Harlem-based national nonprofit Black Public Media, from which Congress snatched back $1.8 million of allocated federal funding last July, is making a pressing plea to the public for support this holiday season. The appeal is part of its grassroots plan to raise $9 million over the next two years from individual donors, as well as large contributions from foundations and corporations. BPM, which has funded popular documentary films and immersive media projects about the Black experience to the tune of $17 million since its founding in 1979, is asking people who care about the future of Black stories to make a donation by GivingTuesday (December 2).
The proceeds raised will fuel BPM’s Black Stories Production Fund, launched in response to the federal government’s recent defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. CPB, which was the largest supporter of BPM, is now winding down its operations.
“Public media is for every American, and every American should be reflected in its programs and documentaries,” said BPM Executive Director Leslie Fields-Cruz. “For nearly 50 years, Black Public Media has worked to ensure that fact. This year, the public needs to take a stand to ensure that Black stories are never again subject to the whims of politics.”
BPM is asking the public to donate as little as $5 or as significant a contribution as they wish at: https://secure.everyaction.com/IkFxVSdjX0qpQkceW1r27g2. It also invites foundations and other funders to support the Black Stories Production Fund. The Fund will ensure that films like The Inquisitor, the Barbara Jordan documentary scheduled to premiere in January 2026;Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed, Ailey; Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters, Daughters of the Dust, I Am Not Your Negro, Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes, Mr. Soul, When Claude Got Shot and hundreds more are able to come to public media and beyond.
The group has nurtured the careers of generations of filmmakers and creatives who have unearthed and brought Black stories to television screens, movie theaters and personal devices across the U.S.
BPM also supports the next generation of creative technologists in emerging media (e.g., virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and other new technologies), and works to connect them to opportunities and equipment to shape impactful immersive projects.
To find out more about BPM, visit blackpublicmedia.org or follow it on social media at: @blackpublicmedia (IG, FB, TikTok and LinkedIn).
“Public media is for every American, and every American should be reflected in its programs and documentaries. ”
ABOUT BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA:
Leslie Fields-Cruz BPM Executive Director. Photo credit Yekaterina Gyadu
Black Public Media supports the development of visionary content creators and distributes stories about the global Black experience to inspire a more equitable and inclusive future. For 45+ years, BPM has addressed the needs of unserved and underserved audiences. BPM-supported programs have won five Emmys, 10 Peabodys, five Anthem Awards, 14 Emmy nominations and an Oscar nomination. BPM continues to address historical, contemporary and systemic challenges that traditionally impede the development and distribution of Black stories.
###
For media inquiry, contact:
Cheryl L. Duncan
Cheryl Duncan & Company, Inc.
cheryl@cdcprnews.com
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Salamander Café: Abuja's Hidden Oasis
Salamander Café, home to some of the best food, wine, art, books and music in Abuja is located at 15b Parakou St, Wuse, FCT Abuja, Nigeria.
By Africa-Related Abuja, Nigeria
Outdoor Bar at Salamander Cafe, Abuja. (Photo Africa-Related)
Salamander Café is home to some of the best food, wine, art, books and music in Abuja located at 15b Parakou St, Wuse, FCT Abuja, Nigeria. The space features the an Open-Concept Space, Gourmet Kitchen, Luxurious Deco, Book Store, Exhibition Gallery and a Beautifully Landscaped Outdoors
This video captures the spirit of Salamander Cafe, its artistic aesthetics, solemn space and quality-driven services.
“It’s a third space that means different things to different people...”
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FOBALLY ARTWORLD AFRICA, LAGOS
9 Printmaking Grand Masters In Nigeria
EXHIBITION!
FOBALLY ARTWORLD AFRICA, LAGOS
presents
9 Printmaking Grand Masters In Nigeria
August 16- 31, 2025
10AM to 6PM Daily
Highlights Winneba Screening
The staff and students of the University of Education Winneba (UEW) turned out for hosting the screening of DELA: The Making of El Anatsui on August 1, 2025.
The staff and students of the University of Education Winneba (UEW) turned out for hosting the screening of DELA: The Making of El Anatsui on August 1, 2025.
UEW was a teacher's training institute, where Prof. El Anatsui first taught and practiced from 1969 to 1975, before leaving for Nigeria. Winneba was where he honed his craft to become the globally acclaimed Master Sculptor.
Special thanks to Ms. Selasi Sosu and the HOD Dr. Cyril Kpodo for their exceptional input.
elanatsuifilm.com
@elanatsuifilm
Homage to Prof El Anatsui & Anyako
Calling On Future Farmers!
Certified short courses for farm managers, agricultural students, field supervisors, extension agents and field staff looking to gain industry needed skills and competencies.
FAQ - Climate Smart Tomato Farming – Blended Training
Certified short courses for farm managers, agricultural students, field supervisors, extension agents and field staff looking to gain industry needed skills and competencies.
Private Screening of DELA: The Making of El Anatsui for the Tom Adaba Grandchildren.
Abuja, Nigeria July 28, 2025. Private Screening of DELA: The Making of El Anatsui for the Tom Adaba Grandchildren. It was a great session full of intriguing and well thought-out questions from the young inquiring minds. Thank you for attending. Learn more elanatsuifilm.com. Follow @elanatsuifilm
Abuja, Nigeria July 28, 2025. Private Screening of DELA: The Making of El Anatsui for the Tom Adaba Grandchildren. It was a great session full of intriguing and well thought-out questions from the young inquiring minds. Thank you for attending. Learn more elanatsuifilm.com. Follow @elanatsuifilm
T.A.L Board Visits Tom Adaba Legacy Center, Okene
Site Visit to Tom Adaba Legacy Center, Okene
By Glory Ize Isaiah
OKENE, KOGI STATE
Group Photo of Tom Adaba Legacy Team and Ita’i Weavers during the site visit on July 25, 2025. (Photo by DrQuest/Africa-Related)
Project/Facility Name: Tom Adaba Legacy Center, Okene, Home of Itai’ Our Cloth
Date of Visit: Friday, July 25, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: T.A.L Center G.R.A Okene, Kogi State
Board Members of the Tom Adaba Legacy Foundation conducted a site visit to Okene, Kogi State. The purpose of the visit was to carry out an inspection and engagement tour of the Tom Adaba Legacy Center, evaluate the operations of Itai’ Our Cloth, interact with the weavers and apprentices, identify challenges and opportunities for scale, and strengthen stakeholder relations with the Tom Adaba Legacy board, including its Executive director and accompanying executives.
Attendees
Mrs. Oyiza Adaba-Okereke - Board President/ED Tom Adaba Legacy and CEO - Itai Our Cloth
Mr. Maurice Okereke - Tom Adaba Legacy (Community Initiatives) /Founder, Words By MOE
Mrs. Rosemary Onubaiye - Country Director Ita’i Our Cloth
Members of the Tom Adaba Legacy Foundation
Weavers’ Coordinators
Community Weavers & Apprentices
Media Personnels
And other Staff
Visit Narrative & Key Highlights
The official site visitation commenced at 10:00 AM on Friday, July 25, 2025. The Board President and Executive Director of Tom Adaba Legacy Foundation arrived in the company of her husband and board members. The atmosphere at the facility was electrifying as the women weavers, visibly overjoyed, welcomed the team with songs and dances in their local dialect, a heartfelt expression of gratitude and excitement.
The Executive Director responded warmly, asking after each woman's welfare and inquiring about their families. Led by the Country Director and the Weavers’ Coordinators, the women took the E.D and her team on a guided tour of the center, showing the facility and ongoing work.
The weavers, excited by the presence of the leadership team, quickly resumed their craft while the Executive Director observed them at work. Demonstrating deep interest and solidarity, she sat beside them, learned the basics of weaving, and participated in the process, showing humility and respect for their skill.
Mrs. Adaba-Okereke later engaged in deep, sincere conversations with the young apprentices who are currently undergoing training in weaving. They expressed how learning this trade has shifted their perspectives on life, offering them not just a skill, but a path toward independence and self-determination. However, they also raised concerns: the tradition of weaving is slowly fading, with fewer young people interested in carrying it on. They voiced hope that more efforts would be made to preserve and promote the craft, particularly among youth.
In response to questions about their future aspirations, several young women expressed their desire to pursue higher education and use weaving as a means to support themselves and their families financially while in school.
A particularly emotional moment came during a conversation with an older woman who demonstrated the rare and laborious art of spinning cotton into yarn by hand, a nearly extinct skill in today’s world. The woman explained the intricate process and how the younger generation often lacks interest in learning it. Acknowledging this, the Executive Director stressed the need for machinery to support scaling operations, noting that such investment could provide technical jobs, increase production, and bring long-term sustainability. She emphasized that cotton processed locally, such as from the Tom Adaba Legacy Foundation Farms in Gwagwalada and Osara, can contribute significantly to national and continental development.
Mrs Oyiza Adaba-Okereke maintained that the Center remains committed to training more youths, particularly young girls, equipping them with both cultural knowledge and economic empowerment through weaving.
She was visibly moved by the work being done and expressed deep admiration for the weavers’ dedication. She commended the women for leveraging their skills, even in the absence of formal education, to support their families, educate their children, and preserve a vital part of the Ebira cultural identity.
The visit culminated in a display of beautifully woven cloths, showcasing the weavers’ incredible craftsmanship. The team was deeply impressed by the quality and intricacy of the works presented.
Finally, an open forum was held, giving the women a platform to share their struggles, celebrate their wins, and brainstorm collaboratively on how to take the organisation’s vision to the next level, strategies for market value, and how to make sure that in telling our unique African story, the culture is not lost in sharing.
Vision for Global Scale & Market Impact
The ED made it clear: This is not just about the cloth. This is about telling a generational story, celebrating the resilience and brilliance of Ebira women, and positioning their work on the global cultural and commercial map.
She emphasized that the goal is to scale the Itai Cloth brand globally, not just for decorative or tourist appeal, but as a luxury heritage product that commands attention, respect, and value in international markets. These woven pieces are wearable history, textile testimonies, and economic vehicles. She spoke about attracting new markets, partnering with international brands and diaspora communities, and using the craft as a tool to reclaim and project indigenous identity with pride.
“We are not just weaving. We are building a cultural economy. We want the world to wear our story. We want our women’s legacy to be seen on runways, in boardrooms, and on global stages. This culture has been ours for decades. It’s time the world saw it, valued it, and paid for it.”
This vision goes beyond production. It encompasses:
Exporting products under a globally recognized Ita’i Our Cloth label
Building brand collaborations that center African textile heritage
Creating digital storytelling platforms for each weaver's narrative
Generating revenue that flows directly into the hands of the creators
Facility Condition & Need for Support
The current facility structure is makeshift and temporary, lacking the solid infrastructure needed for a center of this scale and vision. Despite this, the women have continued to produce excellent work, an inspiring testament to their commitment and resilience.
However, the need for a permanent, well-equipped weaving hub was evident throughout the visit.
Support and partnerships are urgently needed, to provide machinery for cotton processing and weaving, improve infrastructure, fund training programs, enhance market access, and scale production sustainably. Strategic collaborations with private sector partners, government agencies, cultural institutions, and global allies will be critical in turning this bold vision into a living, thriving reality.
Key Observations
The weaving center is a powerful model for economic and cultural empowerment.
There’s an urgent need to introduce technology to certain aspects of cloth production (especially yarn spinning) to meet growing demand and ensure sustainability.
A gap remains in attracting young people into the weaving trade, this presents a risk to cultural continuity.
The community has strong emotional and cultural ties to the craft, and preserving it will require intentional efforts across education, policy, and entrepreneurship.
PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS : DRQuest/Africa-Related
6th Chinua Achebe International Conference and Exhibition!
As Director of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, I am delighted to welcome scholars, artists, students, and guests from around the world to our newly upgraded home—a space now brimming with art, ideas, and the enduring legacy of Chinua Achebe.
Welcome to the 6th Chinua Achebe International Conference and Exhibition!
As Director of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, I am delighted to welcome scholars, artists, students, and guests from around the world to our newly upgraded home—a space now brimming with art, ideas, and the enduring legacy of Chinua Achebe.
This year’s theme, Africa’s Democratisation Journey: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives, comes at a time when Africa’s democratic experiment faces profound challenges. Together, through conversations and a vibrant art exhibition, we honour Achebe’s legacy of critical thought and creative resistance.
Join us at the opening ceremony on Wednesday, 23rd July 2024.
Venue: Seminar Room 1, Institute of African Studies [New site, off UBA Gate on Greenhouse Road], University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Google Meet joining info: meet.google.com/nfn-viyg-nyh
Join by phone (US) +1 210-951-8557 PIN: 874 061 744#
Time: 10:00 am WAT
Keynote speakers: Rufai Oseni [ Arise TV, Lagos, Nigeria; Title: "African Democratic Journey: Pitfalls and Possibilities"] & Professor Ifeanyi C. Ezeonu [ Department of Sociology, Brock University, Canada; Title: "The Nigerian Economic Cul de Sac: Critical Reflections on Liberal Democracy and Its Challenges for the Next Generation"]
Special thanks to our Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oguejiofo Ujam, for his unwavering support; my co-convener, Prof. Raphael Njoku [Department of History, Idaho State University, Pocatello, USA.]; the Local Organising Committee led by Prof. Chima Korieh; our dedicated volunteers; and the staff and students of the Institute who made this vision a reality.
Please join us. Let’s make this gathering a spark for new ideas and a beacon of hope for Africa’s democratic future.
Professor Ozioma Onuzulike
Director, IAS-UNN
IG: @ozioma.onuzulike
#AchebeConference2025 #UNN #InstituteOfAfricanStudies #AfricaDemocracy #ChinuaAchebe #Nsukka
Oyiza Adaba Inducted into the Directors' Guild of Nigeria (DGN)
Lagos, Nigeria. Oyiza Adaba (Director: The Making of El Anatsui), Inducted into the Directors' Guild of Nigeria (DGN) on July 17, 2025
Africa-Related Lagos, Nigeria
Oyiza Adaba (Director: The Making of El Anatsui), Inducted into the Directors' Guild of Nigeria (DGN) on July 17, 2025.
New DGN inductee, Oyiza Adaba on the red carpet
PHOTOS By Africa-Related
Echoes of the Landfill: Turning Ghana’s Plastic Waste into Art
Echoes of the Landfill is not another art exhibition. It is a radical reclamation where plastic waste is reimagined as both medium and living testimony to our callous disregard for the environment.
ECHOES OF THE LANDFILL
Art from the Margins of Environment and Economy
Curatorial Statement by Beatrice Bee Arthur
Echoes of the Landfill is not another art exhibition. It is a radical reclamation where plastic waste is reimagined as both medium and living testimony to our callous disregard for the environment. A collaborative effort by the Museum of Science and Technology (MST) and ArtfullyYours, Bee Arthur Creative Productions for World Environment Day 2025, this exhibition convenes six Ghanaian eco-conscious artists—Obed Addo, Beatrice Bee Arthur, Essilfie Banton, Andrea Ghia, and Salim—who excavate the hidden politics within discarded plastic: narratives of colonial residues, neoliberal excess, and quiet acts of African resilience.
Landfills are the unmarked graves of globalisation. Here, Accra’s streets and shorelines become archives of abandonment—water sachets like shed skin, flip-flops as fossilised footprints, toy limbs tangled with fishing nets. These are not inert objects but silent accusers, materialising the violence of an economy that treats both people and land as disposable.
The artists in this exhibition do not recycle—they resurrect trash. Through sculpture, installation, painting, poetry, and photography, they force plastic to confess: as a relic of extractivism, a marker of climate injustice, and paradoxically, a medium for African futurity. Indigenous philosophies of circularity collide with the toxic immortality of synthetic materials, asking: What does it mean to "dispose" when there is no "away?"
Without institutional funding, this project embodies its own thesis: resourcefulness as resistance. The artists’ grassroots mobilisation mirrors the informal economies that already transform waste into worth across Africa. Echoes of the Landfill is thus both mirror and megaphone—refusing the neoliberal spectacle of sustainability to center community-led epistemologies.
This is NOT an exhibition about waste. It is an intervention in time. A demand to rewrite the lexicon of value: that a bag is not "single-use" but a generational artifact; that those who scavenge are archivists of the Anthropocene.
ARTISTS
Obed Addo
"My work is about dignity—finding it in discarded things, and in ourselves."
Beatrice Bee Arthur
"This exhibition is the toxic truth where plastics and capitalists lie."
Salim
"When I sculpt from trash, I think of ancestors. Would they forgive us?"
Andrea Ghia
"In painting about plastic pollution, I am confronting the ability of permanence to outlive memory."
Essilfie Banton
"Each artwork I make is a conversation with discarded materials. I want the viewer to see the soul of what we discard."
Nii Noi Candos
---“We are not just picking up plastic—we are picking up the pieces of a broken system. Every salvaged fragment is a challenge to the world that discarded it.”
Data Point: Ghana generates 1.1 million tons of plastic waste annually—less than 2% is recycled.
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NEW EXHIBITION ALERT
🌍 World Environment Day launch
♻️ Ghana’s 2% recycling rate exposed
✊ Grassroots resistance celebrated
Plastic waste. Radical art. African futures.
#EchoesOfTheLandfill
📍 Museum of Science & Tech, Accra
🗓 June 5 – July 5, 2025
🎟 Free Entry
🛞 5 artists. 1 million tons of plastic. 0 excuses.
🔥 Obed Addo
🔥 Beatrice “Bee” Arthur
🔥 Essilfie Banton
🔥 Andrea Ghia
🔥 Salim
💬 “This isn’t an art show — it’s a plastic protest.”
— Curator, Bee Arthur
🌍 World Environment Day launch
♻️ Ghana’s 2% recycling rate exposed
✊ Grassroots resistance celebrated
📸 Share your plastic shame stories:
#EchoesOfTheLandfill
Supported by
@CreativeArtsAgencyGH | @MSTAccra | @ArtfullyYoursBeeArthur
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A Group Exhibition of Art and Poetry on Wate
The official documentary of the Mmiri bụ Ndụ (Water Is Life) art and poetry exhibition is now available!
Now Live! The Mmiri bụ Ndụ (Water is Life) Exhibition Documentary 🌍💧
IAS-UNN announces that the official documentary of the Mmiri bụ Ndụ art and poetry exhibition is now available. The exhibition, curated by the Institute of African Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in collaboration with Our Water and Health Network Africa, formed part of the 4th International Conference on Water in Africa. Through powerful visual art and poetry, Mmiri Bu Ndu examines the presence, absence, social history, and state of water in Africa and in African life.
DELA Screening At UNN: More Photos
The DELA Campus Tour officially premieres at the esteemed University of Nigeria Nsukka. The screening and exhibition event was hosted by the Institute of African Studies (IAS) in their modern new venue, which was packed with an enthusiastic audience eager to engage with the content, highlighting both interest and meaningful impact.
Photos by IAS-UNN: DELA SCREENING & UNN CAMPUS
More images of the DELA Campus Tour at the esteemed University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN). The screening and exhibition event was hosted by the Institute of African Studies (IAS) in their modern new venue, which was packed with an enthusiastic audience.
Special Guest: The paramount traditional ruler H.R.H Igwe George ASADU, The Okpe Udo of Ihe Nsukka, who in 2015 conferred the title "Ikedire of Nsukka" (“power which is effective”) on Prof. EI Anatsui.
DELA: The Making of El Anatsui is a biographical documentary about one of the world's greatest sculptors. The Campus Tour aims to bring art and film students closer to the film's subject. It has so far, screened at Pan-Atlantic University Lagos, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN). In Ghana, the tour will continue at the artist’s five alma mater institutions.
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DELA Campus Tour: University Of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)
The DELA Campus Tour officially premieres at the esteemed University of Nigeria Nsukka. The screening and exhibition event was hosted by the Institute of African Studies (IAS) in their modern new venue, which was packed with an enthusiastic audience eager to engage with the content, highlighting both interest and meaningful impact.
oyiza adaba
maurice E. Okereke
The DELA Campus Tour officially premiered at the esteemed University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN). The screening and exhibition event was hosted by the Institute of African Studies (IAS) in their modern new venue, which was packed with an enthusiastic audience eager to engage with the content, highlighting both interest and meaningful impact.
Main Gate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka reading the institution’s motto “To Restore The Dignity Of Man”. Photo: Africa-Related.
To kick off the screening on April 29, 2025, Prof. Chijioke Onuora, a professor of drawing and sculpture in the Fine and Industrial Arts Department conducted an enlightening tour of the captivating photo exhibition that beautifully encapsulates the rich history and vibrant culture of the University of Nigeria.
The ground floor of the Institute of African Studies serves as a walk-in gallery of various artworks by both current and past students and teachers. Our guide was Prof. Chijoke Onuora, a former student of El Anatsui, and also the son of Mr. Joshua Chukwuemeka Onuorah, a pioneer student of Physical Health Education and the UNN unofficial photographer in the 60s and 70s. He showed us beautiful photos taken in the very early days of the university's existence, capturing various occasions such as the first graduation ceremony, and first set of female graduates etc.
Shortly afterwards, the screening began, the atmosphere was quite pleasant. A lot of students streamed in, as the special guest the paramount traditional ruler H.R.H Igwe George ASADU, The Okpe Udo of Ihe Nsukka occupied the front row seat. He, in 2015, conferred the title "Ikedire of Nsukka" (power which is effective) on Prof. EI Anatsui.
Also seated in the packed room were Prof. Krydz Ikwuemesi, Prof. Chidi Ugwu, Assoc. Prof. Greg Mbajiorgu and Assoc. Prof. Vincent Okpara H.O.D, Department of Fine and Industrial Arts. The audience was very receptive and attentive during the viewing, one could tell on account of their humorous and enthused responses. The event concluded with a short Q and A which yielded a few comments with much praise and plenty of thanks to the production team. The organizers were quite gracious, extremely polite and very courteous.
This happened to be the very first event since the inauguration of the new building of the Institute of African Studies, situated close to the UBA gate on campus. It also happened to be the first screening I am attending in person in Nigeria. DELA’s journey to Nsukka was extra special as it was a homecoming of sorts, not just for the film, but also for my ever-supportive husband Maurice Okereke (Words By MOE), a 1995 UNN alumnus, who worked on the film as an assistant music director - contributing original music scores from his poetic pieces, to the film’s soundtrack.
Oyiza Adaba with Nsukka DoP Michael ‘Lenix’ Onah, who filmed some of the Nsukka shots.
DELA: Soundtrack Poster with featured artists.
Other contributing artists include UNN Graduate, the late Bright Andrew Igho a.k.a B-Elect, a musician/author who contributed his track 'WAT THE OLD MAN SAID (B.I.B.L.E.)' to the film. Uchenna Ohagwu (Minista Busta), an IMT Enugu graduate is the visual/graphic artist/musician who designed the DELA icon head logo that depicts El Anatsui’s young and older face. Amarachi Attamah, a griot/chant performer composed a beautiful chant piece entitled 'EGARA EL', used in the opening sequence. Lemi Ghariokwu is the graphic artist who designed several of Fela Kuti's album covers and also designed the DELA 'walking man' logo. Two indigenous musicians DJ Robintonzz added the track 'AFRICA' Ft. New Prince, while Lake Spy composed the film's end credit track 'ASIGI II' in honour of El Anatsui.
The Institute of African Studies, UNN
Ozioma Onuzulike’s piece ‘Seed Yams of Our Land’ series drape the front entrance Institute of African Studies (IAS), University of Nigeria Nsukka. Photo: Africa-Related
New Address: Front entrance Institute of African Studies (IAS), University of Nigeria, Nsukka UNN..
Nsukka town is about eighty kilometers north of Enugu in South Eastern Nigeria, where the University campus sits on 871 hectares of hilly savannah with lush vegetation. The Institute of African Studies was established in 1963, initially as the Hansberry College of African Studies. It was named after Professor William Leo Hansberry, an eminent Afro-American Historian and Africanist, who served as its Director, and taught two African presidents - Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe of Nigeria and Ghana’s Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
According to A.E. Afigbo, the idea for a graduate Institute of African Studies in the University of Nigeria was channeled towards research and was designed as a rallying point for “all men of colour who can trace their descent to the African continent no matter in what part of the world they now find their habitation”. The institute’s current Director Prof. Ozioma Onuzulike has ably stepped into the big shoes left by past directors, such as Prof. Edward Wilmot Blyden III, Prof. Donatus I. Nwoga, Prof. Uche Okeke, Prof. Chike Aniakor and many others that followed.
El Anatusi’s sculptures on UNN campus
Prof. El Anatsui was a resident of Nsukka for forty-four years (1975-2020), and retired from teaching sculpture at the Department of Fine and Applied Arts in 2012. Two free-standing sculptures made of concrete with terrazzo finish titled For the Upliftment of Man (1983) and Ambivalent Hold (1983) were selected by the University, and can be found on the grounds of the Physical Sciences building. They were jointly sculpted by members of an art collective called SKEP.
Photos: DELA SCREENING & UNN CAMPUS
DELA: The Making of El Anatsui is a biographical documentary about one of the world's greatest sculptors. The Campus Tour aims to bring art and film students closer to the film's subject. It has so far, screened at Pan-Atlantic University Lagos, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN). In Ghana, the tour will continue at the artist’s five alma mater institutions.
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