Queen's University Belfast Africa Lecture 2026

The Africa Lecture 2026 is a public academic lecture hosted by Queen's University Belfast’s School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics. It features Professor Asonzeh Ukah of the University of Cape Town speaking on religion, infrastructure, and the making of African futures.

The lecture explores how so-called Miracle Cities function as religiously shaped urban enclaves, using ethnographic research from Lagos and Kampala to examine the relationship between sacred spaces, urban development, political authority, and social inequality. It considers how religious organisations can reshape city life through real estate, infrastructure, ritual practice, and networks of power.

Attendees will hear an interdisciplinary discussion that connects African religious imaginaries with decolonial urban theory. The event is free to attend and offers insight into how religion, material infrastructure, and urban governance intersect in contemporary African city-making.