Rescuing Zik’s Library: Preserving the Nnamdi Azikiwe Papers

From his role as a student studying in America to becoming the first president of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe created a vast collection of documentation including personal works, debate records, and government reports. These materials capture the life of a Nigerian figure as well as the ongoing political state.

In this project, a collaboration of a team from Vanderbilt University and the University of Nigeria library work to digitize the personal papers of Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first president of Nigeria. The papers are currently held in Azikiwe's personal library in his family's home in Nsukka, Nigeria and include his draft memoirs, state papers from his presidency (1960-1966), and political papers related to the Republic of Biafra and Azikiwe's two presidential campaigns in 1979 and 1983. The library also contains rare books and newspapers, which the project also plans to digitize. In collaboration with Azikiwe’s family, this project works to preserve the legacy of a key figure in Nigerian history.

Project Details


Location: Nigeria, Western Africa, Africa Organiser(s): Modern Endangered Archives Programme (MEAP) Project partner(s): Vanderbilt University Funder(s): Arcadia Funding received: $50,000.00 Commencement Date: 01/2022 Project Status: Active
Project owner? Update this project



Related Projects

EAP1402 Pub003

19th-century documents from the Peruvian asylum el Manicomio del Cercado

The Victor Larco Herrera Hospital in the centre of Lima, Peru, was closed in 1917. Its archives, dating back to 1859, consist of medical documentation as well as administrativ…

Explore project
EAP1306 Silk Museum

The Caucasian Silk Circle: Digitising Photo Collection of the State Silk Museum in Georgia

The State Silk Museum of Georgia holds the only documentary evidence of the practice of sericulture in the 19th century. Taken during expeditions of the Caucasian Sericulture …

Explore project
EAP1294 team

Safeguarding for Posterity Two Private Collections of Palm-Leaf Manuscripts from the Tamil Country

The Kalliṭaikuṟicci and Villiyampākkam collections are palm-leaf collections held privately in India. The collections are essential to study the prevalent reading practices in…

Explore project