In 2017, during the formative stages of the IPTSA project, Professor Paul Lovejoy organized a presentation panel at the Canadian Association of African Studies 2017 Conference with key project participants.

The panel was very well received, and attended by Professors William Hansen and Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob of the American University of Nigeria, François Wassouni of the Université de Maroua who presented their various research projects. Following the panels, participants met to establish development of the SSHRC grant application and plan the first steps of the project.