Reading, for education, entertainment, information — and even for leisure — is an important part of modern society. At OlongoAfrica, we pride ourselves as a custodian of literary and cultural expression, evolution, and production.
As an institution based in Nigeria, our most immediate environment does not enable a sustainable cultural ecosystem that drives literary production and circulation. New books are hard to come across affordably, old ones are harder to find in public libraries, often hidden away in private libraries or in institutions across the ocean.
We will continue to find library partners on the ground across Nigeria who will grant access to users as appropriate and help manage the materials for many years to come.
We will also continue to host fellowships, readings, and other engagements with the archives as necessary. As readers of OlongoAfrica, or just anyone interested in literature, you'll have access to these materials on the ground.
Read about visiting Nigerian libraries →
Equitable Access
Not just rare literature, but published works that deserve more general open access — made available to African readers, students, and researchers.
Preservation
In 2025 we digitized Black Orpheus in full. That project continues — physical and digital preservation running in parallel.
Ground-Level Partners
We work with institutions in Lagos, Benin City, and Ìbàdàn to ensure materials reach users on the ground, not just in the cloud.
Fellowships
We fund fellows to research, write, and publish work drawn from the archives. Their output appears on OlongoAfrica.com.
