Decolonial research in African studies and sociolinguistics faces significant institutional and epistemic barriers in Western academia. While universities increasingly promote diversity and interdisciplinary inquiry, scholars conducting research on indigenous governance and linguistic traditions often encounter constraints that limit the scope and impact of their work. Institutional pressures shape research agendas, with funding bodies, ethics review boards, and academic disciplines subtly directing scholars toward methodologies and theoretical frameworks that align with dominant Global North paradigms. These constraints contribute to chilling effects, where researchers experience self-censorship, lack of institutional support, and difficulty securing collaborations with local research partners in the Global South. This research analyses discussions from SIDINL Newsletters of two African young researchers finding their work redirected toward Western discourses and focusing on expectations to prioritize structural analysis over socio-linguistic meaning. These limitations reinforce knowledge hierarchies that marginalize African epistemologies and maintain the dominance of Western academic traditions. While some institutional support exists through research networks, such “warming effects” often come with restrictions that dilute the transformative potential of decolonial inquiry. Addressing these challenges requires systemic reforms in funding policies, research ethics, and interdisciplinary collaboration to create a genuinely inclusive academic environment that legitimizes diverse ways of knowing.