Between August 14 and September 6, 2025, Rémi Dewière, lecturer at DISSGEA, Padua University, carried out a fieldwork in Nigeria as part of his Rita Levi Montalcini research project on the diplomatic letters produced in Africa before colonial period. Over the course of twenty-five days, he travelled through the northern and north-eastern regions of the country, visiting the cities of Kano, Damaturu, Maiduguri, Abuja, and Kaduna.
The main objectives of the mission were to present his research on the medieval and early modern history of the central Sahel, to engage in institutional activities, and to conduct archival work at the Centre for Trans-Saharan Studies in Maiduguri, Arewa House, and the National Archives in Kaduna.
One of the most significant moments was the meeting with the Shehu of the Damaturu Emirate, His Highness Hashimi II El-Kanemi. This encounter provided an opportunity to present the ruler with historical documents concerning his great-grandfather, Shehu Hashimi (1885–1893), the last sovereign of independent Borno.
Other highlights of the fieldwork included academic activities at the University of Maiduguri and Bayero University in Kano, focusing on the social history of pilgrimage to Mecca, the history of Borno, and diplomacy in the precolonial Sahel. Dewière was also interviewed by Kanem FM 97.7 radio in Maiduguri, where he spoke about his relationship with Nigeria and his research.
Finally, the mission opened up prospects for future collaboration with universities in northern Nigeria, thanks to numerous meetings with academic and institutional partners, including the Secretary of State of Yobe, and the Heads of Department (HoDs) of Yobe State University, Maiduguri University, and Bayero University.