Dr Gerard Chouin Director Institute for French Research in Africa (IFRA).

The Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) hosted Dr Gerard Chouin, the Director Institute for French Research in Africa (IFRA), Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, at corporate headquarters in Lagos last week.

An archeologist by training, Dr Gerard Chouin’s visit to the Centre was meant to strengthen the existing collaboration between CBAAC and IFRA in leveraging their common mandate and frame of reference.

Speaking at the occasion, Dr. Chouin reiterated that, IFRA-Nigeria is a non profit Institute established to promoting research in the social sciences and the humanities, as well as to enhancing collaborative work among scholars in France and West Africa. The institute, he further revealed was established in 1990 and financed by the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs. He noted that the Institute also operates from the Institute for Development Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (since 2006).

At the visit, Prof Tunde Babawale, Director General, CBAAC and Dr. Gerard Chouin, Director IFRA expressed their readiness to strengthen the working relationship between the two institutions through projects and activities within their respective mandates including projects on comparative study of heritage sites in Nigeria; an ongoing project on patrimony and identity in Nigeria as well as in co-sponsoring students on Post-Graduate programmes.

Both institutions also resolved to pay scholarly attention to repatriation of art and culture objects. The meeting also featured exchange of publications between CBAAC and IFRA with promises of more exchanges in other areas.