By George Ozalla
The calm elegance of the Soto Art Gallery in Ikoyi, Lagos, transformed into a vibrant centre of dialogue, culture, and vision as leading African scholars, cultural administrators, and diplomats gathered for the Pan-African Indigenous Skills Development Programme Press Conference Tuesday 7th. 0ctober, 2025 — a timely initiative dedicated to safeguarding and promoting Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems.
In attendance were Dr. Akin Akinmayo Akin-Otiko of the Institute of African and Diaspora Studies, University of Lagos; Dr. Nadine Siegert, Director of the Goethe-Institut and President of the EUNIC Nigeria Cluster; Hon. Aisha Adamu Augie, Director-General of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC); and Mrs. Aduke Gomez, representing the Embassy of Ireland. Together, these thought leaders articulated a shared mission to reposition Africa’s indigenous skills as powerful tools for cultural preservation, social cohesion, and sustainable economic development.
The air in the gallery brimmed with creativity and conviction as the speakers took turns to spotlight the urgent need for collaboration across Africa’s cultural and educational institutions to keep traditional knowledge alive.
Dr. Nadine Siegert, in her address, underscored the Goethe-Institut’s ongoing commitment to cultural cooperation and capacity building. She emphasized that indigenous skills represent not just art or tradition but a living continuum of African identity and resilience. She described Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems as living repositories of wisdom that offer not only cultural pride but also pathways to innovation, sustainability, and empowerment, insisting that they must be treated as global assets.
Adding a governmental perspective during the press conference, Hon. Aisha Adamu Augie reaffirmed CBAAC’s dedication to ensuring that African heritage remains an integral part of contemporary progress. She spoke passionately about the significance of mentorship and intergenerational transfer of knowledge, noting that young Africans must be encouraged to see value and dignity in traditional craftsmanship. She described African artisans, drummers, weavers, and sculptors as historians in their own right whose crafts tell stories in ways words cannot, adding that preserving their work is preserving the continent’s collective soul.
From an academic standpoint, Dr. Akin Akinmayo Akin-Otiko called for stronger research efforts and documentation of indigenous technologies, art forms, and philosophies. He noted that the University of Lagos, through the Institute of African and Diaspora Studies, remains at the forefront of promoting academic engagement with African heritage. He explained that if Africa is to carve out a distinctly homegrown model of development, it must spring from its own intellectual and cultural foundations. He further emphasized that traditional knowledge holds practical, scientific, and economic relevance that must be rediscovered and refined.
Representing the diplomatic community, Mrs. Aduke Gomez of the Embassy of Ireland praised the collaborative spirit behind the Pan-African Indigenous Skills Development Programme, noting that such initiatives foster mutual understanding and cultural exchange. She pointed out that partnerships of this nature form the heartbeat of cultural diplomacy, allowing nations to connect not only through trade or politics but also through shared humanity and creativity.
The Pan-African Indigenous Skills Development Programme (PAID) is an initiative designed to foster cross-cultural collaboration and strengthen the transmission of traditional knowledge across the African continent. It brings together cultural institutions, government agencies, academia, and creative industries to document, preserve, and promote indigenous skills that are at risk of extinction. Through exhibitions, workshops, mentorship programmes, and policy dialogues, the programme seeks to elevate indigenous crafts such as weaving, pottery, storytelling, blacksmithing, herbal medicine, and traditional design into the mainstream of African innovation and entrepreneurship. It also targets to bridge generational gaps by creating mentorship networks between master craftsmen and emerging creatives.
With Lagos serving as one of the continental hubs, the initiative will extend to other African cities, hosting regional skill fairs and collaborative projects that spotlight the shared heritage of African peoples and their diasporas.
