at Drapers= Hall, Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan
1 Attendance
1.1 Members of Council
Oyelola, Engr. N.O., President and Chairman of Council
Ojo, Lucas O., Vice President
Van Trier, Mr. Wil, Vice President
Oyelola, Dr. (Mrs.) P., Editor
Jayeola, Dr. A.A., Business Manager
Kenny, Fr. Prof. Joseph, Secretary
1.02 Abeokuta Branch
Amira, Mr. J.O.
Dipedu, Dr. Adewale
Fatokun, J.O. (Secretary)
Lawal, Mr. A.A.
Oyatugun, Mr. M.O.O.
Owoborude, Mrs. E.
Smith, Dr. O.F.
1.03 Asaba Branch
Otiteh, Rebecca A.
1.04 Benin Branch
Basil, Dr. Maxwell
Ekunwe, Barr. Z.
Ero, Dr. I.I.
Idaewor, Chief Emoisiogbai
Ikhatua, Prof. U.J.
Ikhatua, Dr. (Mrs.)
Kalu, C.
Obazee, Mr. M.E.
Oguzie, Dr. F.A.
Okoro, Dr. S.P.A.
Okoro, Dr Mrs. F.I.
Onochie, Miss L.E.
Osoigboro, Mrs. T.U.
1.05 Ibadan Branch
Adesope, A.A.A.
Adeyinka, Adewale
Ajao, C.A.
Bankoke, C.W.
Ekpo, Dr. E.N.
Erakhrumen, Andrew A.
Esimekhuai, Donatus
Faremi, I.B.
Layiwola, Prof. O.O.
Morakinyo, Eng. John
Ojo, M.O.
Okali, Prof. D.U.U.
Olagunju, L.J.
Usman, J.M.
1.06 Ife Branch
Adeniyi, Dr. I.F. (Secretary)
Ademuleya, Dr. B.
Adeyemi, Dr. C.C.
Folaranmi, Mr. Stephen
Odu, Prof. E.A. (Chairman)
1.07 Lagos Branch
Van Trier, Paulette
Warren, Robert
2. The opening ceremony began at 12:00 A.M., under the chairmanship of Engr. N.O. Oyelola. The proposed agenda was accepted, after being moved by Dr. A.A. Jayeola and seconded by Stephen Folaranmi.
3. The President read his opening address.
4. Apologies for absence: J.R. Ojo, Mrs. Osasona and Prof. Isichei from the Benin Branch, Steve Odidi from the Ibadan Branch, and A.A. Amabode and A.M.A. Sotuyo from the Abeokuta Branch.
5. The minutes of the Benin 2004 ABM:
5.1 Adoption of the corrected minutes was accepted, after being moved by Adewale Adeyinka and seconded by A.A.A. Adesope.
5.2 Matters arising:
5.2.1 The Frank Bridges Prize. The contest was conducted and the prizes awarded.
5.2.1 The Oseni prize. Dr. Jayeola set the topic for the 2005 competition: AThe advantages and limitations of the indigenous methods of plant conservation in Nigeria.@ This has yet to be advertized. In the meantime, te prize for the 2003/04 competition is yet to be awarded to the minner, Tajudeen Amusa.
5.2.3 We are grateful for the continued financial and technical support of the Lagos Branch, and the web master, Mario Plata, for keeping the website running and updated. Material has been posted on the pages of Council, the Journal, and Abeokuta, Benin, Ibadan, Lagos and U.K. Branches. We hope for further development of the site, and encourage the Branches to send information and photos by e-mail to the web master.
5.2.4 The Society=s Handbook: Copies were made available at the A.B.M. for 100 each.
5.2.5 The 2004 ABM accepted Council=s recommendation that the Society continue with the name AThe Nigerian Field Society@, with a note Aregistered as >The Field Society of Nigeria=@. The certificate itself and other relevant documents have been retrieved from the lawyer, Akeem Agbaje. At the 2004 ABM Barrister Zena Ekunwe, of the Benin Branch, volunteered to pursue the case of changing the registered name. She has been able to ascertain that the name can be changed, but that the Commission for Corporate Affairs would charge 150,000. The matter was left for Council to pursue.
6. 2003 Annual Reports:
6.1 The Honorary Secretary=s report: The report was accepted, after being moved by Prof. J.K. Layiwola and seconded by Dupe Ladipo.
6.2 The Treasurer=s report: The report was accepted, after motion by M. Usman, seconded by Chris Bankole. At the time of the report, Benin had paid for 9 members, Asaba 1, Ibadan 10, Ife 60, Abeokuta 10.
A motion that the price annual dues to the Society for the Journal be raised from 500 to 600 was accepted, after a motion by Prof. Layiwola, seconded by Lucas Ojo.
6.3 Editor=s report: It was accepted, after being moved by Dr. O.F. Smith and Dr. B. Ademuleya.
6.4 Reports from the Abeokuta, Benin, Ibadan, Ife and Lagos Branches were accepted without reading, to save time.
7. The venue for the next A.B.M. (2006): The Abeokuta Branch accepted to host next year=s A.B.M.
8. The proposal of the President, in his opening address, for a change in the Constitution 12 (d) was moved by Engr. Morakinyo and seconded by…. The two sentences of the motion were voted on separately, the first carrying by 42 affirmative and no negative votes (with some abstentions), the second carrying by 34 affirmative and 2 negative (with some abstentions). The number now reads:
AThe Nigerian Field Society shall have a Board of not less than five (5) and not more than seven (7) Trustees elected at the ABM from among its members. They shall hold office for a period of seven (7) years.@
9. The House accepted the U.K. Branch=s nomination of Dr. Joyce Lowe as Vice President. It was clarified that she is to finish Paul Tuley=s term, at the end of which all the Vice President offices are to be filled.
10. The House selected Chief Emosioghbai Idaewor to conduct elections. The House elected Professor D.U.U. Okali as President, and returned unopposed the Secretary (Fr. Prof. Joseph Kenny, O.P.), Treasurer (Dr. Dupe Ladipo), and Business Manager (Dr. A.A. Jayeola).
8. A.O.B.
10. Adjournment: Accepted after being moved by Dr. S.P.A. Okoro and seconded by….. at 3:00 P.M.
NFS ABM 2018 hosted by Ile Ife Branch, at the Natural History Museum Seminar Room, O.A.U. Ile-Ife
Below you will find a list of past trip reports of the NFS Abuja branch in alphabetical order:
Despite the association of Nigeria with rich biological diversity and striking endemism, (“occurring only within a distinct area”) in its rainforest, the country’s terrestrial habitats are mainly savanna woodland and grassland. Montane vegetation grows on some elevations above 1 500m in the eastern margins of the country. Mambilla and Obudu hills are accessible examples. The southern forest belt is the hub of economic activity in Nigeria – oil wells, industrial establishments; large towns and villages interconnected with a network of roads, embedded in land with one of the highest population densities on the African continent. 140 million people growing at almost 3% per annum has consequences – all but 10% of the original forest estate is left in Nigeria! The resulting high ecological footprint is gradually spreading to the country’s northern borders. Progressive “sahelization of the savanna” and even stark desert encroachments are currently not rare. In southern Nigeria, the oil industry has shaved off swathes of rich mangrove forests in the Niger delta. Population drift to coastal cities, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Warri, Yenagoa, Badagry impact moist forests that protect a low-lying Atlantic shoreline from storm surges and erosion.
Biodiversity
31% of the remaining forests in Nigeria are in Cross River State, which shares a boundary with Cameroon. The gene pool is impressive because this area survived the great ice age that affected the whole of central and West Africa many millions of years ago. There are more than 400 varieties of trees, around 170 species of reptiles and amphibians, 140 fish species in Cross River State. Of the 904 bird species recorded in Nigeria, 425 occur in Cross River. Endemic to these habitats and the adjacent Cameroon forests are the “Western mountain” gorilla, drills, and the redheaded rockfowl, Picathartes. Sclater’s monkey, the red-bellied and white-throated guenons are found only in Nigeria. Ibadan malimbe, Malimbus ibadanensis, a type of weaver bird is endemic to the forests of south-western Nigeria, around Ibadan in Oyo State.
Forest uses
There are unhealthy demands on Nigerian forests for wood, food, fuels, industrial materials, medicines.
Threats
Unsustainable (largely illegal) logging, agricultural encroachment, over-harvesting of non-timber forest products, overgrazing of livestock in the savanna, infrastructure development, inadequate and ineffective legal frameworks for forest governance, poor research, insecurity of land tenure are the major threats. Will Nigerian forests in the near future be converted to production of feedstock for biofuels, i.e. into plantations to grow soybeans, cassava, sugar-cane, oil palm, nipa palm, maize, allanblackia, jatropha, etc.?
Climate change
Forests the world over are vast stores of carbon. Resulting from photosynthesis, there is more carbon stored in the trees of the world than in the atmosphere. In the process, tropical forests can absorb 10% of annual man-made greenhouse gas emissions. But destruction of these forests contributes over 17% of man-made emissions per annum, to cite a recent IPCC report.
Solutions
Destruction of rainforests is an environmental problem that needs an economic solution. In order to out-compete the drivers of deforestation, carbon credits must be generated for forested states if they reduce vegetation loss to an agreed level each year. This can be monitored by satellite technology. The monies paid could then be channeled into engaging and training forestry personnel and park rangers, drafting of new forestry laws, agricultural intensification, renewable energy, education and small businesses, and building better roads and infrastructure in order to stimulate development and create alternative livelihoods.
Ako Amadi
Abuja, 24.March, 2010
NFS ABM 2017 hosted by Benin Branch at the University of Benin
On Saturday 13 June, 27 NFS members departed from Paradise Marina, headed for Kaldi Africa, Nigeria’s premier coffee roaster. Sanne Steemers, the organiser of this event, was so organised that we departed on time, just after 10:00 as planned.
Kaldi Coffee is located in Ilupeju, and is easily accessible from Third Mainland Bridge. It is housed in a beautifully transformed building that was originally a foundry. We were greeted by the lovely founder/manager of Kaldi, Dr Nasra Ali. Her staff served us a delectable cup of coffee or tea of our choice as we viewed a video describing the production of coffee, from the planting of the plant to the cup of cappuccino in our hand.
Alfred Mwai, Chief Barista, roaster and coffee expert, gave us a demonstration on how to taste coffee. He prepared 5 cups of coffee from different freshly roasted and ground and showed us how to slurp the coffee, a bit like tasting wine, to get the maximum flavour. He told us how the different tastes varied according to the type of bean, the earth it was grown in, the process of drying the freshly plucked berries and finally the roasting.
Dr Ali and Mr Mwai, both from Kenya, passionate about the perfection of their product. As we visited the premises, including several minutes in the roastery where we could smell the coffee’s slow progress from sweet beige bean to chocolaty medium roast, we were compelled by their vision and determination to see their dream come true.
Kaldi Africa’s mission is to roast the finest, hand selected, export beans available from the premier coffee growing regions of Africa. Coffee is hand-roasted in small batches using state-of-the-art equipment for maximum quality and freshness. They import raw materials from Rwanda, Ethiopia and their native Kenya, and are helping Nigerian growers improve their technique to bring up the quality of their product to world standards.
At the end of our tour, we were able to buy fresh coffee, tea (green, black and purple!) and Nigerian cocoa from them. Did you know that once roasted, coffee beans stay fresh for only about 6 weeks? The stuff you get in those little capsules is not only not fresh, it is also affected by the plastic they are kept in. Kaldi Africa is looking into making aluminium capsules that will allow you to drink quality coffee in a convenient manner. And contrary to what everyone says, don’t put your beans in the freezer: when you thaw them, moisture creeps into the beans and changes the flavour.
Trip to: Yankari National Park Date: 1–4 May 2008
Trip leader: Phil Hall
The Yankari NP is an area of about 2,244 km2 of predominantly savannah woodland situated in Bauchi State in the mid NE of Nigeria. There has been no human habitation in the park for over a century, but it was first opened to the public as a Game Reserve on 1 December 1962. Two years ago the management of the Yankari Game Reserve was taken over from the Federal Government by the Bauchi State Government when the State Government invested significantly in the infrastructure.
Most of the 23 of us arrived at the splendid entrance gate to the park (which is in fact 3 km outside its boundary) late on the Thursday afternoon. Up until then the journey had gone pretty smoothly: we only had to wait an extra hour at the quaint old domestic terminal at Lagos, Arik Air had provided a modern plane and light refreshments for the flight, and at Jos we were whisked away in a shiny new air conditioned bus. The area around Jos had lots of interest: flame trees in full flower, cactus hedges, a serviceable looking railway line, and of course lots of people going about their business. After a while we gradually dropped down from the Jos Plateau onto the Bauchi plain; in this rural area there are more thatched roofs, rather than the corrugated zinc ones seen all around Jos, the people appeared to be more predominantly Muslim, whereas there had been a lot of churches around Jos; additional scenic interest was now provided by large granite outcrops, by Fulani looking after their herds of white cattle and by a sighting of a sign for the “Horizontal Hotel”! At a stop along the way we learned the hard way that shrivelled old dates being sold by the street vendors are more palatable than fresher looking ones.
However maybe that was all about to change: having completed some formalities at the park entrance the driver was unable to restart the bus – the general amusement that it was about time something had to go wrong (after all this is Nigeria) was tempered by the general opinion that the 40 km walk through the park to reach the camp might be a bit much. However, a quarter hour of huffing, puffing and pushing to jump start the bus gave a few of the party some welcome exercise, and gave the rest of us some welcome entertainment (allowing Susan to play peek-a-boo round a tree with some children); fortunately after a quarter of an hour or so the bus recovered from having had its engine flooded and off we went again.
The journey continued without further mishap, the tarmac road passing through parched savannah forest growing in dark red brown soil. Even from the bus, tearing through the park at 90 km/hr, John B sighted a Woodland Kingfisher (these eat insects and so are not necessarily found near water); no lions yet though! Arriving at the camp we were confronted by what looks like a sea of tarmac punctuated by grassy verges and obviously new adobe style buildings, including what we were later told were corporate villas and conference rooms, as well as a new Yankari research centre for APLORI (A P Leventis Ornithological Research Institute). However the area around the older buildings was less stark and the many families of warthogs and baboons, while not exactly forming a welcoming party, give the camp a more natural feel.
We had come to Yankari to see the wildlife, and the next morning we were up with the lark (more accurately with the swallows) and ready to go at 6am. We only had to walk a few yards from the camp to see a handful of elephants browsing in the trees in the forest area above the Wikki spring, where earlier they had been spotted bathing. These elephants appeared completely unbothered by our presence, watching them from only a few tens of yards away: one larger specimen was making a good job of destroying a good sized Baobab tree – they like the moist fibrous tissue found just beneath the bark and have no respect for the great age of such Baobabs.
After this diversion we piled into open sided game viewing trucks and set off for our first expedition round the reserve; generally we stayed in or near the vehicles, but we also had a number of opportunities to stretch our legs; at an early stop a fox kestrel obliged by repeatedly doing circuits in front of us, showing off its magnificent physique, and it was here that we saw the first of many flocks of startlingly colourful Red-throated Bee-eaters and the first of many fabulous kingfishers (over the weekend we saw numerous Woodland, Blue-throated, Grey-headed and Malachite kingfishers, but every sighting still seemed to be a special privilege). In the marshy areas around the river there were many water-loving birds to be seen, including Abdim’s and Woolly-necked Stork, Lily-trotter (aka African Jacana) and several species of heron. We also had a short woodland walk by a stream past the Marshall Caves, which reputedly were used as a refuge from slave traders; they are now a refuge for pipistrelle-like bats and their pongy guano. The caves, excavated from the sandstone, present themselves as a reasonably regular row of circular entrances, prompting much discussion regarding to what degree they were man made. An elusive Aureole Warbler was observed flitting between the aerial roots of a Sisygium guiniensis: unfortunately another tree with (Priscilla:) “an interesting bark” prompted the dodgy riposte (Dave:) “where’s the dog”, not auguring well for the tone of the rest of the weekend.
During the course of the drive we saw many tens of species of bird: hornbills (not forgetting the bizarre Abyssinian Ground Hornbill), eagles, herons, rollers, parrots, starlings etc. We had our first sightings of Waterbuck and Tantalus Monkey and we even saw a large Monitor Lizard crossing the road in front of us. According to Phil the Yankari is unusual in that animals are most easily viewed in the middle of the day rather than in the morning – the reason for this behaviour, which has evolved only over recent years, is a mystery. Another less welcome bit of wildlife was our first encounter with the dreaded Tsetse – patches of these drove everyone completely demented, with them biting us even through our clothing.
We returned to the Camp at 10am for a welcome breakfast of omelette, baked beans and chips: what a lot we had seen already. What a privilege it was to have Phil and John with us as guides, unhesitatingly spotting, identifying and talking about all the many birds and animals we encountered!
Many of us participated in two further game drives during the day, and we saw our first Bushbuck as well as several more species of bird. During the afternoon some of us went out looking for elephant at the salt lick; no elephant were to be seen but we were rewarded with the dramatic sight of a large crocodile struggling to swallow a huge catfish, looking faintly ridiculous with the fish’s whiskers sticking out of the sides of its jaws (understatement of the trip, by May: “I wouldn’t like to be caught by him!”).
Others spent the afternoon swimming in pool fed by the Wikki Warm Spring situated at the bottom of a flight of steps just behind the camp. The pool is invitingly clear and warm, maintaining itself throughout the year at a luxurious 31°C. The spring emerges from under a huge hunk of granite, forcing a fair flow of water through the pool, swimming against which was surprisingly difficult. However the water was very shallow, such that there was no real danger of being dragged unawares through the greenery at the other end and down into the crocodile infested river below! Instead many hours were spent splashing around or just lying on one’s back and enjoying the chirrupings and rustlings from the birds and other animals going about their business in the branches of the overhanging trees (and perhaps wondering if one of them, or maybe something larger, might be about to join one in the pool).
Later in the afternoon many of us were to be found relaxing on the patio area outside the bar, which has a view looking out into the distance over the reserve. Keeping us company were a number of baboons, one of which pinched a tube of Pringle crisps from under our noses and another was seen to be enjoying the contents of a can of anchovies: said can of anchovies it had actually opened itself using the ring-pull, earlier having pinched it from Robin and Hugh’s bungalow. Robin and Hugh appeared remarkably composed following the earlier rearrangement of their bungalow by baboons (the bungalows are unfortunately not designed sufficiently well to ensure that the baboons can be kept out). Rumour has it that Kay saw a baboon actually remove a suitcase from the boot of somebody’s car (though the owner had thoughtfully opened the boot).
During the evening drive, between 4:30pm and dusk, our persistence reaped its reward: we found two or three large groups of elephant, with maybe fifty or so in each group. The elephants came in all sizes from moderately big ones to pretty small babies, which looked incredibly cute trotting along with their mothers. Most of the elephant had only modest tusks, and they all appeared to be in good health, with no obvious sign of any diseases or injuries. Again they did not appear to be too disturbed by our presence, even when our vehicles crossed between two halves of a herd crossing our road.
On Saturday morning we split up into three groups. One group went for a walk – these got plenty of exercise, not only walking but also swishing leaves around to get rid of the tsetse. Another group got up indecently early to see the surprisingly elusive buffalo: fortunately their efforts were well rewarded with sightings of a male lion as well as buffalo. The third group went in search of lion, but were not so lucky, though a lion had been spotted the previous day by small group of us.
The rest of the day continued with lots of interest, with the game drives being rewarded by numerous sightings of interesting birds including numbers of species of eagle and other raptors. Vultures are notable by their almost complete absence here, though we did see a Palm-nut Vulture, which with its predominantly vegetarian diet doesn’t really count in my book. We had more encounters with large groups of elephant as well mammals such as Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Western Hartebeest, Tantalus monkey, Warthog, Baboon and the more elusive Roan Antelope and Patas monkey. Disappointingly, the odd footprint and some poo was all that was seen all weekend of hippo, local populations of which have suffered drastically due to poaching. A highlight for some of us was the sight of one elephant sitting on top of another in a pool, the second elephant almost completely submerged and snorkelling for air with its trunk – after a while the first got bored with that game and they both got up and nonchalantly sauntered off!
After dinner, the usual choice of spaghetti and/or rice and/or chicken, this evening accompanied by some wine which thoughtful souls had secreted in their suitcases, we were treated to some local entertainment: drumming, dancing, tumbling and other impressive acrobatics, atmospherically backlit by a large bonfire provided an excellent finale to celebrate the end of a wonderful trip.
Many thanks are due to Phil and Carolyn Hall and to John Barker for their hard work in organising this most enjoyable trip
Fellow trippers: Sam and Steve L; Susan and Kevin K; Leonora and Charlie L; Robin and Hugh C; May and Ockie M; Kay T; Steve C; John B; Heike H; Berwyn R; Phil and Carolyn H with niece and nephew Louise and Harry; Priscilla T; Gareth B; Mary and Dave S; Harry (visiting Jos as part of his work related to bio-fuels) joined us on the Saturday; Talato, researcher working for APLORI, helped with the guiding and lion searching (not in group photo)
Pair of Abyssinian RollersWaterbuckJohn and Susan surveying the scene Elephants at the salt lick
Tantalus Monkeys keeping an eye on us
Monitor Lizard
Elephants at play …
…and then bored with that game
Wikki Warm Spring
Bungalows (where are the baboons and warthogs?)Last night dinner
History of the Nigerian Field Society
The Society was conceived by Frank Bridges, a Government Administrative Officer in Eastern Nigeria, who, with the help of other colonial officials, launched The Nigerian Field Journal.
The evening of August 19 was breezy, overcast and more than a little rain threatening. The organizers worried, “What do we do if it rains?” But the weather held and the only real concern was having enough chairs for the participants and enough wine for tasting.
43 people showed up at 29 Ikoyi Crescent to sample palm wine from different parts of Nigeria, collected by different methods. There was fresh wine(i.e., tapped that morning) from Benin City, from Oshogbo, from Epe, from Ijebu-Ode and from Idimu. There was wine tapped from the top of the tree, tapped from the bottom, tapped from a tree that had been cut down, and wine from differetn kinds of palm trees.
Romeo Barbouropolis (sp?) shared with the group a video he had made around ten years ago, when he went into a swamp with a tapper filming how the tapper climbed and tapped the trees. He had also footage of how the palm wine is distilled into ogogoro, a native gin, and explained the presence of one child in the video, a dada child, and the special place he held in this local society. Several Nigerian members present also contributed to a deeper understanding of this unusual relationship.
A tapper had been expected who would be able to both explain and demonstrate some of the skills necessary in obtaining the palm wine. Unfortunately he did not arrive until 9pm when many of the guests had left. However, he also brought with him two more jugs of wine which extended the party by several more minutes.
It was mentioned that a day trip into the swamps to see the tappers in action might be a possible future trip and people seemed interested in the prospect.
All in all, an interesting and a fun night – what of it I can remember!
A report of the lecture and event in commemoration of the 85th anniversary of the Nigerian Field Society in honour of Father Joseph Kenny
The event withnessed a full house as the Nigerian Field Society celebrated the 85th anniversary of the Nigerian Field (The Oldest Academic Journal in Nigeria) in honour of Late Fr. Prof Joseph Kenny at the Dominican Institute, Ibadan. There were about 74 (listed) people at the attendance.
Notable among those present were the past president of the NFS, Engr Nat Oyelola, Prof. Emeritus D.U. Okali, Prof. David Okpako, and former Secretary of NFS Mrs. Chris Bankole. Others are Father’s Nwosu of the Dominican Institute, Prof Dele Olayiwola of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Mrs. Udoh, representative of the Controller of Nigerian Prison Service, Ibadan and many others.
The Lecture “Breaking the Mould: Priest Unlike Other” was delivered by Dr. Pat Oyelola, Chairperson Editorial Board of the Nigerian Field.
The Lecture traced the contributions of Father Kenny through the eyes of the Arts, drawing parallels from the contribution of Late Father Kevin Carroll and the acculturation policy of the catholic church.
The Lecture and event climaxed into an emotional session for Dr. Pat Oyelola while eulogising and stolling the virtues of Father Kenny, this received a standing ovation from attendees when the last words were spoken.
A wreath was laid at the grave of Father Kenny by Council members of the NFS at the end of the Lecture.
There was also a display of books and other materials and an art exhibition of collections by Father Kenny at the venue of the Lecture.
It was certain that participants enjoyed the entire presentation. The Nigerian Field is very grateful to the participants, the management and members of the Dominican institute and members of the NFS for making the event a resounding success.
Trip to: Osogbo and the Osun Groves Date: 15-16th March, 2014
On March 15 & 16, seventeen Nigerian Field Society members embarked on journey to Osun State. We hopped aboard our borrowed Chevron bus (Thanks, Daniel!) for the approximate 2 ½ hour trip. Before we knew it, we hit our first truly Nigerian experience when the roads were under construction, resulting in a stalemate traffic situation. Oh, the joys of the upcoming election season and road maintenance! Soon enough, we arrived at the Sacred Groves of Osogbo, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the most important religious sites for the Yoruba people. The Groves contain shrines to the Orisas, or the Gods of the Yoruba, and are surrounded by lush forests and rivers with beautiful artwork hidden (and some more the obvious) throughout. At one of the first shrines we visited, we were welcomed by a stunning woman dressed in traditional Yoruba wraps with colorful beads and strings tied in her hair. The shrine itself was a beautifully crafted bird-like structure, surrounded by statues. This mysterious woman walked into the shrine ringing a bell and bowed, showing respect to the River Goddess. After she completed her ritual, we were introduced to Doyin Faniyi, a Priestess and one of the adopted children of Susanne Wenger. Doyin continued to lead us through the forest paths, discovering more art and shrines as we hiked. In one of the larger shrines, she invited us to participate in a ritual sacrifice of Yams and kolanut. Doyin explained the works and their meanings, and also shared stories about her adopted mother, Priestess Susanne Wenger. Susanne Wenger was an Austrian artist initiated as a Yoruba Priestess in the mid-20th century. Upon moving to Nigeria with her husband, Ulli Beier, Susanne became a savior to the Groves. She immersed herself in the traditional culture, and was invited to rebuild the ancient Shrines in the Sacred Groves with magnificent works of art. Susanne inspired, trained and promoted local artists. Together they created these magnificent works of art throughout the Sacred Groves. Ulli Beier also inspired a Movement of artists. Their influences led to both the New Sacred Art Movement (creating within the Groves and shrines) and the Contemporary Art Movement of Osogbo.
After visiting the Sacred Groves, we were fortunate to experience other artists and works of art of the Sacred Arts movement and the Contemporary Artists of Osogbo. We stayed in renowned artist Nike’s guest house, and were treated to a delicious Nigerian dinner that included bushmeat, python and swallow. After dinner, we celebrated, danced and enjoyed cultural performances from Nike’s dancers and drummers. The following morning we continued to experience the diverse and striking art of Osogbo with a visit to Susanne Wenger’s home. The beautifully crafted building is more or less a tribute/shrine/museum/gallery to Susanne, along with studio, and a small shop displaying their work. The home is an overwhelmingly inspirational occurrence filled with the art of the artists with whom she worked in the Groves, the New Sacred Art Movement, which fills every open space in the 3 stories of the home. We were also welcomed to Nike’s Workshop, where she continues to teach traditional arts such as indigo dying, adire textiles. woodcarving, and metalwork. Nike and her collection helped us tie and dye our own works before bringing us to their gallery. The gallery, much like Nike’s Gallery in Lekki, is filled wall-to-wall with Nigerian art, both traditional and contemporary.
There is a Yoruba proverb that states, “Anyone who sees beauty and does not look at it will soon be poor.” In visiting Osogbo there is beauty hidden around every corner, inspired by the past and inspiring the present. As we traveled back to Lagos, reflecting on all the splendor we had seen, all we had experienced, and the people we had met, danced with and laughed with- it was impossible not to feel rich with the art, the culture and the beauty of Osogbo, a city that brought 17 strangers together and welcomed them, shared their art, history and culture.
Our Mission
The Nigerian Field Society (NFS) is a national organization founded in 1930 with branches in several cities across the country. There have been active branches in as many as 20 cities over the years but, as the NFS is entirely a voluntary organization, branches come and go depending on local interest and volunteer commitment.
The first edition of NFS’s publication, The Nigerian Field, was published in 1931. This journal still continues and is one Nigeria’s oldest continuous publications.
The Mission of the NFS is:
* To encourage interest in and knowledge of the fauna, flora, history, legends and customs, arts and crafts, sciences, sports and pastimes of West Africa in general and Nigeria in particular; * To support their conservation; * To co-operate with organizations with similar interests.
Each branch of the NFS forms a committee and operates programs which are consistent with the mission and rules of the national organization.
