Nigeria60: Then and Now

This year on 1 October it will be 60 years since Nigeria gained independence from Britain, opening up a new future.

The Horniman is working with prominent Nigerian thinkers and creatives to respond to this anniversary of independence, and talk about the way in which it is imprinted in the present.

Traditionally, Nigerians travelled to Britain for education and business purposes. Post-independence, the migration of Nigerians to Britain broadened with the wider interests and the development potential which Britain offered.

These resulting footprints can be found in the voices, family albums and institutions across Britain and Nigeria. Though partially hidden until recently, their collective history has managed to influence new generations both home and abroad.

Photography was – and remains – a vital form of social expression amongst Nigerian communities, both at home and abroad.

Join in the conversation

The Horniman will be hosting an hour of conversation, led and moderated by Oluseyi Awolesi on Instagram each Wednesday at 6pm, in the run-up to Independence Day in October, starting from 2 September. Oluseyi will be joined by historians Amanda Kirby Okoye and Emeka Keazor, poet Yomi Sode, and ASIRI Magazine.

This will include a response to the Horniman’s archive of photographs taken by Nancy Stanfield in Nigeria in the 1960s.

Join us to share memories, photographs and thoughts from this time, and how Nigerian independence is felt today, using #60sAt60.

Part of Nigeria60

Find out what else is planned for Nigeria60, which focuses on collections, memories, words, music and images to both celebrate the global impact of Nigerian creativity and offer a time to pause, reflect and plan for change.

with Art Fund support