My experience at the University of Ibadan and in Nigeria, has been life-changing. Upon my arrival, the University guaranteed safe transportation and accomdations for my entire visit. Within 48 hours, I was introduced to my advisor(s) here on Campus, the Faculty and the Administration. Prof Daslyva made certain that i was able to get around the campus with ease. Begining early in my visit, I attended "ENG 326 : African oral literature " with Dr. Mrs. Toyin Jegede. The lectures proved to be extremely necessary and valuable to provide foundational information about topics such as myths, legends, epics, proverbs and praise poetry.
The first class assignment was to perform field work related to a given topic. My group was required to discuss " The Historo-Occupational aspect of Orkikis". We travelled to Abeokuta to visit the Alakes palace of Egba land. Here, we met with Chiefs and the Kings administrative assistant to gain assistance on our topic. From this information, we wrote a paper and made a presentation to the class. In addition to learning about my own topic, I was able to see the field work of other groups and gain knowledge about co-wives tales, Igbo myths, and traditonal African Religion.
Outside of the classroom, my stay was also very enjoyable. With my housmates ( and the University Driver), I travelled to Badagry and Lagos. We visited a Badagry Slave Museum, the slave Port, the slave market, and the point of No Return. Also, we went to the first storey Building in Nigeria and saw the first Bible brought to Nigeria, the first translated Bible into Yoruba, and the first Well ( which still provides the community with water today). On this same trip, we visited churches and book stores on Lagos Island to discuss the ramfications colonization had on Nigeria.
The first class assignment was to perform field work related to a given topic. My group was required to discuss " The Historo-Occupational aspect of Orkikis". We travelled to Abeokuta to visit the Alakes palace of Egba land. Here, we met with Chiefs and the Kings administrative assistant to gain assistance on our topic. From this information, we wrote a paper and made a presentation to the class. In addition to learning about my own topic, I was able to see the field work of other groups and gain knowledge about co-wives tales, Igbo myths, and traditonal African Religion.
Outside of the classroom, my stay was also very enjoyable. With my housmates ( and the University Driver), I travelled to Badagry and Lagos. We visited a Badagry Slave Museum, the slave Port, the slave market, and the point of No Return. Also, we went to the first storey Building in Nigeria and saw the first Bible brought to Nigeria, the first translated Bible into Yoruba, and the first Well ( which still provides the community with water today). On this same trip, we visited churches and book stores on Lagos Island to discuss the ramfications colonization had on Nigeria.
In Osogbo, I was introduced to Ifa, traditional Nigerian religion. With the help of our friend, a Babalawo, we viewed a tradtional temple, Osun grove, and Nike` s Art Gallery. He was able to share a Plethora of knowledge about the Traditional gods, how worhsip is practiced, and the relevance of the religion around the world. We watched a portion of the Osun Festival from 2008 and I was able to find the correlation between Oral Literature and Nigerian Religion. Overall, I would recommend any student travel to Nigeria and study at the University of Ibadan. Their warm spirits, knowledge about the subject areas, and generousity have made this academic Institution that I plan to return to again and again.
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