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The Nigerian-Brazilian History Project has appointed Oludamola Adebowale as its Senior Curator. Oludamola, founder of ASIRI Magazine and The Guardian Life arts and culture contributor will work closely with the project coordinator and senior editors to further the depth, breadth and impact of the Nigerian -Brazilian Public History Project overall aims and objectives.
Oludamola O. Adebowale is the creative director and founder of ASIRI Magazine, Nigeria’s foremost vanguard when it comes to history, great archival content and well-researched contents. His research works with ASIRI Magazine have been featured in Top Colleges, Universities and Academic Institutions all over the world. His groundbreaking articles on topics like Women Arise in the face of Misogyny: A Cultural and Historical Perspective; Jaja of Opobo: Rivers of Oil and Blood; Re-Discovering the Benin Art: A Universal Vessel for Cultural Importance; ÀBÍKÚ: A Thin Line that cuts between Tradition and Science, have been cited by Academic scholars within and outside Nigeria.
Oludamola was one of the few Nigerians selected for the Horniman Museums and Gardens (UK) for the #ThenandNow Nigeria at 60 Interrogative Project. As a Heritage Specialist, Oludamola has worked on the importance of language was cited in France info Africa, a major news website based in France on why Genevieve Nnaji’s Lion Heart Movie was disqualified from the 2020 Oscars Selection.
As a curator, Oludamola has curated and produced high profiled Exhibition for the Ogun State Government, (African Drum Festival 2019), Timeless Memories Project for Prof. Wole Soyinka(2018,2019,2020), Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi, Terra Kulture Lagos, The British Council, Lagos Book and Art Festivals and lastly his latest project Vintage Nigeria Digital Campaign (A Nigeria at 60 Archival Celebration of the Past Times) Collaboration with The Rockefeller Archive Center and Ford Foundation.
While speaking to journalists, Adebowale thanked the project coordinator for confirming his appointment assuring that a well-structured plan is already in place to help bring to fore the immense contributions of the Afro-Brazilian descendants in Nigeria and West Africa in general.
“For me, the appointment is a welcomed development”. Adebowale began. “As a culture activist, historian and curator, I have dealt with numerous narratives about the Nigerian-Brazilian community; history in pre-colonial times and also created projects/ body of works on the subject matter. More also, I have always wanted to do something on a larger scale that would impact more people across the border. This right here is that opportunity I have been waiting for”.
Adebowale further said he would be delighted to bring the organization aims and objectives to fruition within the stipulated time and that besides the focus on the roles of Brazilian descendants in Nigeria and in West Africa, a bilateral project such as this is essential for bringing peoples of the two countries together in order to explore their areas of commonality and synergy.
“History is that vessel that carries the essence of humanity and moves it forward for generations to come. This bilateral project is needed to connect both worlds: Nigeria and Brazil. In a global village that we live right now, it’s important we bridge the gap and connect these two worlds together on relative points that connect us such as history, arts and culture. And as the senior curator of the organization, it is my primary duty to bring this to fulfilment. I have a few numbers of projects already on ground, projects I would like to fine-tune and develop more than their current state. One thing I can assure you is that it’s going to be a very busy year, next year and a lot would be done with the Nigeria-Brazilian community at home and abroad. Also, let me state it that I am starting work as soon as possible”.
The Nigerian-Brazilian Public History Project is an initiative that seeks to recover the extensive contributions of Afro-Brazilians and their descendants to Nigerian society since their arrival in West African communities from the early nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. The project will curate, archive and disseminate various aspects of social, cultural, religious, economic and political life of Nigerians of Afro-Brazilian descent to the transformation of the Nigerian society in pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial contexts.
The project through its website is aimed towards providing useful materials that underscore the enormous role of Afro-Brazilians in West African public and private life, serve as important teaching tools from elementary to tertiary levels, provide resources for research and scholarship, and for useable knowledge for lay learners. The appointment of Adebowale is to help achieve these goals!
