The Secretary General, Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Dr. Wale Okediran, has called for strategic investment and sustained advocacy in Africa’s culture, describing it as a crucial driver of economic transformation, social cohesion, and intellectual development.
Delivering one of the lead papers at the 14th Toyin Falola International Conference on Africa and the African Diaspora (TOFAC 2025) at Osun State University, Osogbo, Okediran presented comprehensive roadmap for revitalizing Africa’s cultural landscape.
His paper, titled: “Empowering the African civilisation landscape through advocacy, culture and liiterature,” emphasised that Africa’s cultural resources must be positioned as central pillars of development.
He proposed series of interventions, including establishment of artist and writer residencies, structured translation projects, dynamic film and theatre adaptations of African narratives, and the formation of active advocacy networks to interface with government structures and funding bodies.
He said: “Culture must not be seen as a leisure activity. It is a space of economic potential, community healing, and knowledge production.”
Okediran lamented widespread marginalisation of the cultural sector, citing budgetary allocations in Nigeria’s 2025 national budget as an example of the chronic underfunding of the ministry responsible for arts and creative industries.
“While major ministries like Defence, Education, and Health received trillions of naira, the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy was allocated a paltry N6.92 billion.
“Even the Ministry of Women Affairs, with a relatively narrower mandate, received N82.36 billion. This disparity reflects a deep misunderstanding of the culture sector’s capacity to generate wealth and shape society.”
Despite this neglect, he expressed optimism, pointing to growing recognition of the sector’s potential.
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He referenced recent statements by Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, who projected that the creative industries could contribute up to $100 billion to national economic growth by 2030.
According to Okediran, this vision is attainable if supported by enabling legislation, infrastructural development, and collaborative partnerships with the private sector and international institutions.
“The cultural sector is often described as the ‘Cinderella’ of development,” he added, “because it is undervalued and overlooked, even though it contributes significantly to employment, national identity, and innovation. What we need now are visionary leaders, cultural advocates, pressure groups, and budgetary reforms to bring this sector to the center of national planning.”
The session was part of the opening ceremony of TOFAC 2025, a week-long gathering organized by the UNESCO-IFCD-UNIOSUN Cultural Project, the Board of TOFAC, Osun State University’s College of Humanities and Culture, and the Department of History, University of Texas at Austin, with the theme African Cultural Creativity and Innovations.
The chief host, Prof. Odunayo Clement Adebooye, Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University emphasised the role of universities in shaping new frontiers for African creativity.
Prof. Mikail Folorunsho, Provost of the College of Humanities and Culture, thanked delegates for honoring Africa’s intellectual and artistic traditions.
The Convener and honouree, Prof. Toyin Falola, celebrated African culture as both a memory and a method, dynamic resource that enables people to reimagine the present and build sustainable futures.
He said:“Culture matters. It is not just about food, fabric, or folklore. It is the foundation of our identity, our values, and our vision.”