Artist, photographer and writer Victor Ehikhamenor; editor and publisher Anwuli Ojogwu; architect, designer and curator Tosin Oshinowo; and political scientist Sa’eed Husaini have each been awarded a coveted $100,000 grant from the Open Society Foundations. They are part of a distinguished group of 22 fellows from seven global cities selected for the 2025-2026 Open Society Fellowship, a programme designed to support thinkers and cultural producers engaged in high-level critical debate.
These significant grants will empower these Nigerian visionaries to pursue impactful projects that delve into critical aspects of culture, society, and urbanism, with a focus on their home continent.
Ehikhamenor, a celebrated figure in the global art scene, will utilise his fellowship to explore the aesthetics of Edo State, Nigeria’s commemorative sites. His project aims to unveil the profound significance of traditional inscriptions and illuminate the intricate link between culture and nature within African Indigenous systems.
Ojogwu, a leading voice in the publishing world and co-founder of Narrative Landscape Press, will dedicate her fellowship to a comprehensive exploration of the current state of African literature. Her research will critically examine the impact of rising intellectual apathy, migration and democratic erosion on the future narratives emerging from across the continent.
Oshinowo, an architect whose work champions sustainable and culturally relevant design, will leverage the grant to investigate how Indigenous markets in Lagos function as self-organising systems within African urbanism. Her project seeks to highlight these markets as sustainable alternatives for urban development, particularly in the face of climate change and inequality.
Husaini, a political scientist, researcher, and educator currently at the Center for Democracy and Development in Abuja, will use his fellowship to compare right-wing social movements in Nigeria and the US Midwest. His project will specifically focus on the effect of local political participation on national politics, offering a nuanced perspective on contemporary political trends.
The Open Society Fellowship, an initiative of the Open Society Foundations’ Grants and Fellowships programme, provides vital support to public intellectuals whose work fosters critical discourse and contributes to a deeper understanding of complex global challenges.
•Images courtesy https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org
