Africa not poor, needs to harness cultural wealth for development —Pekun Olaleye …urges investment in indigenous knowledge, enterprise, Olatunbosun advocates cultural competitions in schools

The founder of Ori Africa, Chief Pekun Olaleye, has called on governments and stakeholders across the continent to harness Africa’s cultural heritage, indigenous knowledge and natural resources for economic development, job creation and innovation.

Olaleye, who made the call at the second edition of Ori Africa Hangout in Ibadan, Oyo State, said Africa’s abundant resources and rich cultural heritage should be transformed into opportunities for sustainable development.

He declared, “Africa has never been poor,” arguing that the continent’s negative perception of poverty had obscured its immense mineral wealth, historical achievements and indigenous technological capabilities.

According to him, Africa possesses significant mineral resources and a rich history of innovation, but has yet to fully translate these advantages into economic prosperity.

Speaking at the event held on Saturday, September 12, Olaleye said the ingenuity of African ancestors, particularly in metalwork, agriculture and technology, demonstrated that the continent had long possessed the capacity to develop solutions to its challenges.

He cited the Yoruba deity of iron and technology, Ogun, as an example of the ingenuity and technological knowledge embedded in African traditions.

“Our ancestors were not merely consumers of the world around them. They were innovators, technologists, producers and problem solvers,” he said.

The Ori Africa founder said the initiative was established to reconnect Africans with the value of their history, culture, knowledge and resources through conversations, research, documentation and enterprise development.

He said the organisation intended to build platforms for cultural conversations across Africa’s 54 countries, adding that its activities would explore the economic and developmental possibilities of indigenous knowledge systems.

Olaleye explained that the choice of African traditional dress, particularly from the Yoruba perspective of modesty, as the focus of the Ibadan gathering was part of a broader effort to examine the continent’s cultural heritage.

He said future engagements could explore traditional medicine, architecture, food, art, music, technology and indigenous industries in different African countries.

“For us, the conversation is only the beginning. Our responsibility is to emphasise the value of these subjects, advocate for them, document them, gather useful data around them and, importantly, identify the possibilities for enterprise,” he said.

Having spent almost three decades in business, Olaleye said he had come to appreciate the importance of connecting ideas with practical economic opportunities.

“We don’t want Ori Africa’s conversations to end when the microphone is switched off. We want the conversation to become knowledge, opportunities, enterprise and invariably contribute to Africa’s development,” he said.

Also speaking, the Oyo State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Wasiu Olatunbosun, advised the organisers to establish a stronger presence in Nigeria before expanding their activities to other African countries.

Olatunbosun, who commended the initiative, said its future editions should prioritise local communities and educational institutions, particularly schools, as a way of ensuring that younger generations embrace African culture and traditions.

He said cultural education should begin early, noting that schoolchildren were more receptive to learning and preserving indigenous values.

“What I am upholding right now is that we should use culture and traditions. We should gradually introduce it to those children right from the beginning,” he said.

The commissioner advocated the introduction of inter-school cultural competitions to encourage students to learn traditional dances and other cultural practices.

He said such competitions would provide opportunities for young people to acquire cultural knowledge while developing their talents.

Olatunbosun, who disclosed that he would no longer serve as commissioner in the same capacity the following year, urged Ori Africa to sustain its activities beyond the tenure of its present leadership.

He also drew from his experience organising the World Egungun Festival, saying the event had been sustained through private efforts without government funding.

The commissioner encouraged the Ori Africa team to document its activities and use available recordings to promote the initiative to wider audiences.

He, however, stressed that expanding internationally should not come at the expense of building a strong foundation at home.

“I feel that you should first establish a firm footing at home before going outside,” he said.

A lecturer at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Dr Oladapo Ajayi, also called for greater investment in indigenous knowledge and the development of local industries.

Ajayi said African countries needed to move beyond discussions about cultural preservation and develop practical policies that would enable local knowledge and resources to generate economic value.

He noted that foreign manufacturers had studied African patterns and incorporated them into their products, while local industries continued to face challenges in developing their own capacity.

According to him, knowledge production, research and appropriate educational curricula are essential to transforming Africa’s cultural resources into sustainable businesses.

He questioned why African students often travelled abroad to study fashion when local universities could develop programmes that reflected the continent’s cultural heritage and economic needs.

“Which university today, which of our curriculum is also coming up with this kind of curriculum that will address African needs?” he asked.

Ajayi said the fashion and textile industries could create employment opportunities for young people if governments, universities and entrepreneurs worked together to strengthen local production.

He cited the challenges facing traditional Adire production, including dependence on imported chemicals and the insufficient cultivation of indigenous materials, as examples of the need to develop local supply chains.

The university don also urged government to take greater responsibility for promoting indigenous industries, rather than placing the burden solely on musicians, actors and other creative professionals.

He said cultural industries should be treated as a national development priority, particularly in view of the need to create jobs for Nigeria’s growing population.

“We have a crisis at hand. It is not only the matter of time, that is job, real job industry, that is being taken away quietly from us,” he said.

Ajayi called on academics and other stakeholders to use their knowledge and influence to advocate policies that would support local industries and protect the country’s collective economic interests.

Earlier, another lecturer at the Institute of African Studies, Mr Akeem Ashiyanbi, described traditional dressing as a form of visual communication that reflects identity, social status, cultural values and personal character.

Ashiyanbi said African traditional attire should not be viewed merely as clothing, but as a means of communicating cultural identity and heritage.

He explained that traditional dressing had evolved over time, with colonialism and the association of Western clothing with education and administrative positions contributing to the decline in its everyday use.

He, however, said African fashion remained dynamic and could adapt to modern influences without losing its cultural significance.

“Dressing itself is a form of visual language that communicates and talks to us,” he said.

Also speaking, a textile entrepreneur, Mrs Aderinsola Ogunleye of April Fabrics, said demand for African fabrics had continued to cut across different categories of consumers, including those who wore them to work and those who purchased them for social events.

Ogunleye said some customers preferred traditional designs, while others embraced modern adaptations of African fabrics.

She warned against the growing imitation of indigenous textile designs by foreign manufacturers, particularly the production of fabrics that resemble traditional Adire.

According to her, authentic Adire production requires considerable time and effort, making it more expensive than mass-produced imitations.

She urged Nigerians to appreciate the value of locally produced fabrics and support indigenous textile practitioners.

The event featured discussions on African traditional dressing, modesty, cultural identity, indigenous textile production and the economic opportunities within Africa’s cultural industries.

Olaleye expressed appreciation to the Ori Africa team and the museum that hosted the gathering, urging participants to continue supporting the initiative’s efforts to promote African culture and knowledge.