LUCAS Appoints Six African Scholars as Virtual Fellows

LUCAS is pleased to introduce the six new Virtual Fellows selected for the 2025–2026 LUCAS-LAHRI Fellowship Programme for Africa-based academics. Running from August 2025 to May 2026, this initiative supports collaborative research between the Fellows and their mentors at the University of Leeds. Each Fellow will pursue an independent project while engaging in scholarly exchange across disciplines. Meet the Fellows and discover the exciting work they’ll be undertaking below. 

Dr. Ibukunolu Olodude -- Is Queerness Truly Un-African?”: Disentangling the Complexities of Gender Binaries and Sexuality in Yoruba

Dr. Ibukunolu Olodude teaches Sociolinguistics, Applied Linguistics and Yoruba Studies in the Department of Linguistics and African Languages, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He holds a B.A. degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, as well as M.A. and PhD degrees in Linguistics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.  

Understandings of, and contestations about, gender and sexuality in contemporary Africa are entangled in the web of globalisation. Both in Africa and the West, queerness is often depicted as “un-African” and is understood in Eurocentric forms. This project therefore explores African queer epistemologies through a sociological, ethnographic and linguistic lens by focusing on Yoruba proverbs because of their prominent roles in conveying the religious, philosophical and cultural experiences of the Yoruba people. In particular, the project seeks to examine how Yoruba gendered proverbial expressions articulate, or silence, non-normative gender and sexual categories. It also interrogates how queer individuals in the Yoruba society interpret the gendered proverbs in the expression of their gender orientations and sexualities. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is carried out on the selected gendered proverbs to unpack their semantic and contextual import about the realities of gender/sexual orientations in the Yoruba society.

Dr. Rosalind Nyawira Macharia -- New pan-Africanist and anti-imperialism wave in Africa: The role of digital media

Dr. Rosalind Nyawira Macharia is a seasoned academic and security expert, currently a Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the National Intelligence and Research University, Kenya. She formerly held the position of Director, National Counter Terrorism Centre and brings over 23 years of experience in counterterrorism theory and practice. She has actively contributed to national, regional, and international dialogues on terrorism and security. Her areas of specialisation include the intersection of emerging technologies and terrorism, violent extremism, disinformation, and public law. 

Africa’s entanglement in the global world has long been shaped by histories of colonialism and imperialism, which in turn have influenced its cultural, media and political landscapes. A renewed wave of anti-imperialist and Pan-African thought, fueled by digitalisation and youth activism.  These digital campaigns are not entirely organic; they are seemingly highly coordinated, capitalising on legitimate grievances among economically disenfranchised and politically disillusioned African youth, while advancing opaque geopolitical interests. This research examines how digital platforms are fostering new forms of Pan-Africanism, anti-imperialism discourse, analyses how African digital creators and activists are reshaping global perceptions and challenging power structures and investigates potential new forms of imperialism, identifying foreign influence in the creation or coordination of the digital content.  The study is qualitative, using content analysis, digital ethnography and semi-structured interviews.

Dr Kingsley Ikechukwu Uwaegbute  -- Roots Reimagined: The Digital Revival of Igbo Traditions in Southeast Nigeria 

Dr Kingsley Ikechukwu Uwaegbute holds a PhD in Religion and Cultural Studies (New Testament) from the Department of Religion and Cultural Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka where he also teaches as a Senior Lecturer. His research interests broadly cover African Biblical Studies, Social Scientific Criticism, the interaction of Christianity with Igbo culture, and religion and society.  

The project posits that the youth in Southeast Nigeria are using social media to drive their narrative of "going back to their roots." This phenomenon, termed the "invention of tradition," in the project aligns with sociological and anthropological literature. The revivalist agenda is not merely about recovering authentic Igbo cultural practices but is also about creating new practices that are presented as age-old traditions. This study, analysing some social media posts and utilising oral interviews as data gathering tools, aims to fill the knowledge gap on how social media aids this invention of tradition among the youth. The research seeks to answer questions of how the Igbo youth in Southeastern Nigeria are utilising social media to (re)invent and propagate traditional cultural practices as part of their revivalist agenda, including ways the revival of Igbo traditions via social media challenges and transforms contemporary cultural identities and social structures in Southeastern Nigeria.

Dr. Ayele Tariku Meshesha -- From Colonial Legacies to Contemporary Realities: Leprosy in Ethiopia since 1941

Dr. Ayele Tariku Meshesha, an Assistant Professor of History at Bahir Dar University, specialises in Ethiopian history from the late medieval period to the present. His research interests include conflict, court, legal, and disease history, alongside broader societal dynamics. He was a visiting researcher at the University of Edinburgh in 2024, studying Ethiopian music and traditions.

This project, entitled From Colonial Legacies to Contemporary Realities: Leprosy in Ethiopia since 1941, undertaken at the University of Leeds under the mentorship of Professor Shane Doyle, offers a historical analysis of leprosy in Ethiopia since 1941, following the Italian occupation. Ethiopia, with its diverse ethnic groups and agrarian economy, has historically grappled with diseases like leprosy, known by names such as Sega Däwe. Traditional beliefs often associated leprosy with divine punishment, fostering stigma and self-isolation. The project will investigate how colonial health policies and pre-existing societal perceptions influenced Ethiopian public health strategies and societal responses to the disease. It will examine medical interventions, the evolution of leprosaria, and individual experiences, including the interplay between traditional Ethiopian healing and modern biomedical approaches. By tracing leprosy's history from the late medieval period to the present, this study aims to illuminate colonialism's enduring impact on  public health and enrich the understanding of disease history in an African context. 

Dr Zoly Rakotoniera -- From insular to transnational: The entanglement of Malagasy Literature in World Literature

Dr Zoly Rakotoniera is a leading academic in Madagascar, serving as Director of the National Centre for the Teaching of English and lecturer at the University of Antananarivo. She earned her PhD in Comparative Literature in 2009 and completed her Professorship at Sorbonne Paris Nord in 2025. Her research focuses on cultural circulation, gender, and social issues in Anglophone and Malagasy literature and film. She has received international grants and published widely. Fluent in English, French, and Malagasy, she is active in several global research networks and is editor-in-chief of Randrana, an international journal of Anglophone Studies. 

This research explores the complex entanglement of Malagasy literature within world literature by examining the literary trajectories of Jean-Luc Raharimanana and Johary Ravaloson. It investigates how their works connect to and diverge from the Francophone literary world, focusing on three key areas: the nature of these entanglements, contributing factors, and their impacts. The study analyses reviews, press commentary, and scholarly work on the international circulation of the authors' writings, with particular attention to digital globalization’s role. It also examines how both writers contribute to the Francophone literary canon and how evolving publishing structures affect dissemination and readership. Issues of translation, language use in a postcolonial context, and global literary inequalities are addressed. The research aims to offer insights into the dynamics of canon formation and international recognition, while also enhancing the visibility of Malagasy literature. The intended outcome is a journal article submitted to a reputable academic outlet.

Dr Abdul Gafar Olawale Fahm -- Digital Islamicate Knowledge and Ethical Futures: Mapping Africa’s Islamic Intellectual Entanglements in the Global Knowledge Economy

Dr Abdul Gafar Olawale Fahm is a Reader in Islamic Studies at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. His research and teaching focus on Islamic ethics, digital technologies and Muslim societies, religious epistemology, and the history of Islamic thought, with particular emphasis on Africa and decolonial perspectives. 

This project explores how Islamic knowledge in Africa, especially Nigeria, is being transformed by digital technologies. It examines the influence of platforms that facilitate the production, circulation, and validation of religious content, highlighting how local actors engage with global infrastructures shaped by Western norms. Drawing on Islamic ethical frameworks, notably Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah, and decolonial theory, the study analyses challenges related to authenticity, representation, and epistemic control. Through detailed case studies, it traces how Nigerian Muslim communities negotiate algorithmic bias and platform dependency while striving to sustain indigenous authority and ethical practices. The project aims to advance conversations on digital sovereignty and post-Western futures for Islamic intellectual culture.