International Scientific Conference
AFRICA – HISTORY – CHALLENGES OF THE 21st CENTURY

The International Scientific Conference “Africa – History – Challenges of the 21st Century” (Afryka – Historia – Wyzwania XXI Wieku) was held on May 11–12, 2026 at the Faculty of Humanities, Uniwersytet Warmińsko-Mazurski w Olsztynie (UWM), Room 107A, ul. Kurta Obitza 1, Olsztyn, Poland. The conference was held in hybrid format, accessible both in-person and via Zoom. The event was organised by the Institute of History and the Institute of Literary Studies of UWM, under the patronage of His Excellency Diamane Diome, Ambassador of Senegal to Poland, Ukraine and the Czech Republic, in collaboration with the Polish African Studies Society (Polskie Towarzystwo Afrykanistyczne) and the Lech Wałęsa Institute Foundation.
The conference brought together scholars, diplomats, researchers, and civil society representatives from across Africa, Europe and the diaspora to examine Africa’s history, its geopolitical and economic realities, and the pressing challenges it faces in the twenty-first century. Sessions were delivered in Polish, English, and French across six academic panels, a diplomatic panel, and a cultural evening programme.

The overarching theme — “Africa – History – Challenges of the 21st Century” — provided a broad intellectual framework encompassing African epistemology and decolonisation, political sovereignty, economic and financial systems, digital inclusion, cultural memory, literary representation, geopolitical positioning, educational challenges, and Africa’s place in international institutions.
The conference reflected a growing recognition within Polish and European academic circles of Africa’s centrality to global conversations — not merely as a subject of study but as a generator of ideas, frameworks and solutions. Panels ranged from the philosophical (Afrocentrism as an epistemological project) to the practical (blockchain and financial inclusion in Africa; biotechnology and agricultural sovereignty), making for a genuinely interdisciplinary programme.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Poland (NIDOP) was formally recognised as an official partner of the conference, having contributed financial support to the event. The NIDOP logo appeared prominently in the official conference programme alongside institutional partners including the Polish African Studies Society, Fundacja Afryka Inaczej, Fundacja Borussia Olsztyn, Centrum Polsko-Francuskie, and the Lech Wałęsa Institute Foundation. This recognition reflects NIDOP’s growing standing as a credible institutional voice for the Nigerian community in Poland and as a contributor to academic and cultural life in this country.

Dr. Emanuel Kalejaiye, Chairman of NIDOP, was invited to participate in the high-level
“Ambassador Panel” on May 11, 2026 (11:30–12:45), titled:
“Africa in the Face of the Challenges of Political, Economic, Monetary, Diplomatic and Security Sovereignty.”
This panel was moderated by Dr. Bara Ndiaye and brought together a distinguished group of speakers including:
• H.E. Diamane Diome – Ambassador of Senegal to Poland, Ukraine and the Czech Republic
• Krzysztof Buząlski – Former Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Tanzania; Counsellor-Minister, Department of Africa and the Middle East, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Dr. Emanuel Kalejaiye – Nigerians in Diaspora Organization Poland (NIDOP)
• Maciej Pawłowski – Polish Investment and Trade Agency
• Krystyna świdzińska – Lech Wałęsa Institute
Dr. Kalejaiye’s inclusion in this panel alongside an Ambassador and senior Polish government officials marks a significant milestone for NIDOP, affirming its position as a recognised stakeholder in the discourse on Africa’s sovereignty and its relationship with Poland and Europe.

NIDOP was further represented in Panel V on May 12, 2026 (11:30–13:15), through a paper presentation delivered by Olorunfemi Joshua, a Master’s degree student in Business Management and representative of NIDOP. The presentation was titled: “African Fabric, Cultural Memory and the Global Language of Fashion.” The presentation explored:
• The origins, cultural significance and social grammar of three iconic Nigerian textile traditions: adire, ankara and aso-oke
• How these fabrics function as living archives of identity, community memory and spiritual belief within Yoruba and wider Nigerian culture
• The evolution of African fashion from its colonial-era suppression through the independence movements of the 1950s–60s to its emergence on the global runway today
• The specific challenges facing African textiles in the 21st century — including the speed of global trend cycles, cultural appropriation, invisible makers, and the fragile transmission of craft knowledge across generations
• The role of the diaspora in preserving and recontextualising African textile heritage for a global audience, illustrated through the work of BINTAfashion, a Nigerian ready-to-wear brand built on the philosophy of ‘modest modernity’

The presentation was delivered to an audience of professors, researchers and students drawn from Poland and multiple African countries, making it one of the few sessions at the conference to address culture and fashion as a serious site of 21st century political and economic challenge. The session generated discussion around questions of cultural ownership, the economics of African craft, and the responsibilities of the diaspora as cultural custodians.

Book Donation to UWM Library
A particularly significant moment on May 11, 2026 was the official opening of an exhibition of an Africanist book collection donated to the University Library of UWM by Dr. Paweł Śrzdziński. The ceremony was held at the Biblioteka Uniwersytecka UWM, ul. Oczapowskiego 12B, Olsztyn, and was attended by Dr. hab. Andrzej Korytko, Prof. UWM (Director of the Institute of History), and Dr. Katarzyna Bikowska (Director of the University Library). This donation enriches the academic resources available to Polish researchers and students of African Studies, and represents a lasting contribution to the field.

Select Conference Participants
Among the distinguished participants across the two-day conference were:
• Prof. dr hab. Renata Díaz-Szmidt (Jagiellonian University) – Plenary: Afrocentrism as an epistemological and decolonising project
• Prof. dr hab. Bogdan Wziątek (UWM Olsztyn) – Plenary: German war crimes against Africans serving in French colonial forces
• H.E. Diamane Diome – Ambassador of Senegal to Poland, Ukraine and the Czech Republic
• Prof. dr hab. Iwona Anna Ndiaye (UWM Olsztyn) – Cultural hybridity in Cheikh Hamidou Kane’s L’Aventure ambigue
• Dr. Jakub Jankowski (University of Warsaw) – The potential of comics from PALOP countries
• Dr. Bara Ndiaye (UWM Olsztyn) – African countries in BRICS: geopolitical objectives versus economic expectations
• Dr. Klara „Zorya” Wojtkowska – Cultural performance: „Voices of the Bush – Songs and Myths of Africa”
• Maurice Badji (Institut Supérieur de Management de Dakar) – Islamic financial systems in Mauritania
• Hajar Moulay-Taj (UMCS Lublin) – Blockchain and financial inclusion in Africa
• Annabel Bonney (Africa & Diaspora Integration Commission) – Africa and international tourism
• Tsion Bekele (Poznań University of Life Sciences) – Undernourishment in East Africa
• Cletus Ekwosi (KUL Lublin) – Biotechnology, sovereignty and Nigeria’s GMO trajectory
The event also featured a cultural evening programme, including an Afrorytmy dance and music performance by Aisha Ngouille Ndiaye, and a ceremonial exhibition opening — reflecting the conference’s commitment to engaging African culture, not only as academic object but as living expression.

NIDOP’s participation in this conference at multiple levels — as financial partner, as contributor to a high-level diplomatic panel, and as presenter of original academic and cultural research — marks an important step in the organisation’s public profile and institutional credibility in Poland. The conference demonstrated that NIDOP is not simply a welfare or social organisation for Nigerians in Poland, but a body capable of contributing substantively to national and international conversations about Africa’s place in the world. The presence of NIDOP alongside embassies, universities, and government agencies signals a maturing of the organisation’s role in Polish civic and academic life.
It is recommended that NIDOP continue to build on this participation — through sustained engagement with UWM’s Africa Days programme, through developing further presentations and research contributions, and through deepening its partnership with the Polish African Studies Society and other academic institutions. The platform that this conference represents is an opportunity that NIDOP should continue to invest in.

On behalf of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Poland (NIDOP), we wish to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to the organising team of the Africa Days in Olsztyn („Dni Afryki w Olsztynie”) conference for yet another exceptionally well-coordinated and intellectually enriching edition of this important annual event.
In particular, we extend our warmest appreciation to Prof. dr hab. Iwona Anna Ndiaye and Dr. hab. Bara Ndiaye, the founders and principal organisers of the Dni Afryki conference, whose vision, commitment and tireless dedication have made this gathering one of the most significant platforms for African scholarship and dialogue in Central and Eastern Europe. Year after year, they have built something that goes far beyond a typical academic conference — a genuine meeting point of ideas, cultures, and people who care deeply about Africa and its future. We are equally grateful to the Faculty of Humanities of UWM, to the Scientific Committee, and to the Organising Committee — including Dr. Olga Letka-Spyčała and Aisha Ngouille Ndiaye — for ensuring that every dimension of the event, from the academic panels to the cultural programme, was executed with professionalism, warmth and care.
To His Excellency Diamane Diome, Ambassador of Senegal, whose distinguished patronage gives this conference its diplomatic weight and whose participation enriches its conversations: thank you for the honour of your presence and your continued championing of Africa’s voice in Europe. NIDOP is proud to have been part of this year’s conference — as partner, as participant, and as presenter. We look forward with great anticipation to continued collaboration in the years ahead, and to the many conversations, connections, and contributions that the Dni Afryki w Olsztynie platform will continue to inspire.