Nigerian Academy of Letters

Nigerian Academy of Letters
Name	Nigerian Academy of Letters
Abbreviation	NAL
Formation	1974
Headquarters	Ibadan, Oyo State
Fields	Humanities, Letters
Leader title	President

Nigerian Academy of Letters is a learned society established to promote scholarship in the humanities and letters, drawing members from universities, museums, and cultural institutions across Nigeria. The Academy engages with universities such as University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ahmadu Bello University and University of Nigeria, Nsukka and interacts with national bodies like National Universities Commission and state institutions such as the Oyo State Government and Lagos State Government.

History

The Academy was founded in 1974 amid interactions involving scholars from University of Ife, University of Maiduguri, University of Benin (Nigeria), University of Ilorin and members who had links to international bodies like the British Academy, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Royal Society of Literature and Academia Europaea. Early activities connected with figures associated with Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello, Bauchi Emirate elders and scholars active in events at venues such as National Museum, Lagos, Union Hall, University of Ibadan and conferences paralleling those organized by UNESCO, Commonwealth of Nations and West African Students' Union.

Objectives and Functions

The Academy aims to advance scholarship by organizing symposia modeled after meetings of Modern Language Association, Royal Historical Society, American Philosophical Society and by advising institutions including Federal Ministry of Education (Nigeria), National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria Prize for Literature administrators and editorial boards of periodicals like Transition (magazine). It functions to foster collaboration among researchers affiliated with centers such as Institute of African Studies, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and libraries like National Library of Nigeria and Bodleian Library.

Membership and Fellowship

Fellows have included academics connected to departments at King's College London, Harvard University, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Yale University and research institutes such as Le Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Max Planck Society. Election to fellowship follows procedures similar to those used by Royal Society, British Academy and American Academy of Arts and Sciences and draws nominations referencing publications in journals like Research in African Literatures, Journal of West African History, African Studies Review and presses such as Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press (OUP) and Indiana University Press.

Governance and Leadership

Leadership is provided by a President elected by fellows in a manner comparable to governance at Royal Society of Edinburgh, Académie Française, Swedish Academy and German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Past officeholders engaged with policy makers in collaborations that involved Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Nigeria), Nigerian National Merit Award committees and interlocutors from institutions like United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and African Union.

Activities and Programs

The Academy convenes lectures, conferences and workshops featuring guest speakers who have affiliations with University of Pretoria, University of Cape Town, Makerere University, University of Ghana and think tanks such as Chatham House, Council on Foreign Relations and Brookings Institution. Programs span themes addressed at events like Dakar Biennale, Abuja Literary Festival, Lagos Book and Art Festival and collaborative projects with museums including National Museum, Onikan and archives like National Archives of Nigeria.

Publications and Research

The Academy publishes proceedings, monographs and occasional papers comparable to outputs from Royal Historical Society Bibliography, Oxford University Press monograph series and journals akin to African Humanities and Journal of African Cultural Studies. Research disseminated by the Academy often cites work by scholars associated with Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Cyprian Ekwensi, Flora Nwapa, Ben Okri, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Ama Ata Aidoo, Buchi Emecheta, John Pepper Clark and institutions like Nigerian Academy of Science.

Awards and Recognitions

The Academy confers honors and medals in the spirit of prizes such as the Nigeria Prize for Literature, Nigerian National Order of Merit, Prince Claus Awards and collaborates with foundations like Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to recognize achievements by recipients drawn from universities including Covenant University, Redeemer's University, Bayero University Kano and cultural organizations such as Society of Nigerian Archivists.

Category:Learned societies of Nigeria Category:Organizations established in 1974