The Nsibidi Foundation was registered on the 5th of February, 2014 as an Incorporated Trusteeship entity, and the Institute started operations on the same day, as the research and programmes vehicle of the foundation.
The five founding trustees were Chuka Mordi, the Chairman of the board of trustees: late Giles Omezi, Chijioke Dozie, Tariye Gbadegeshin and Nnenna Onyewuchi.
The Institute’s pioneer director – Ore Disu, spearheaded a dynamic set of programmes such as the interactive crowd-sourced Social History project ‘between Memory and Modernity’ in collaboration with the White Space Creative Agency; ‘The City That Prays’, a creative project which explored the impact of religious practices on the city.
Also – the critically acclaimed ‘It’s a Woman’s World’: The Shared City’ an innovative pop-up panel, which featured strong contributions from a selection of specialist panelists. The last two programmes being in partnership with the Goethe Institut, Lagos.
In the wake of the global pandemic, the Nsibidi Institute was compelled to suspend its operations, a status that remained until 2nd June 2025 when it restarted its work, with the resumption of a new director – Nze Ed Emeka Keazor.
An intense month-long programme of events was to follow the resumption of its operations. These included the unveiling of its mobile museum and library at Soto Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos. An evening of music performances and group discussions on West Africa’s Highlife legacy at Quintessence, Ikoyi Lagos on the 6 th of July 2025. The final event being the hosting of a documentary screening and concert at the iconic Africa Centre, London on July 18, 2025, celebrating the life and legacy of the legendary Afrobeat musician and bandleader Dele Sosimi.
The Institute plans a series of programmes spanning into the 3rd quarter of 2026, underlining its long-term commitment to the fulfilment of its objectives of the promotion and preservation of our indigenous cultural and intellectual heritage.