African designers have been urged to document their creative processes and promote indigenous materials to preserve the continent’s cultural heritage and drive innovation.
Titi Ogufere, Founder of Design Week Lagos, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the pre-launch of Design Museum Africa (DMA) on Saturday.
The museum is an initiative aimed at documenting, preserving and showcasing African design across various creative fields.
Ogufere said the museum would showcase works by African designers in architecture, furniture, film and other creative disciplines, while preserving knowledge of the techniques and processes behind their creations.
She said inadequate documentation had contributed to the loss of traditional crafts and hindered the development of indigenous materials and techniques.
“When I moved back to Nigeria, it was very difficult finding information about things. The reason why we are not developing our raw materials is that there is no information,” she said.
Ogufere cited traditional innovations, including clay pots used to cool water, as examples of indigenous knowledge that could inspire modern technological solutions if properly documented.
She said Nigeria’s abundant natural resources presented opportunities for designers to develop innovative products using locally available materials, potentially boosting economic growth and enhancing the country’s competitiveness in the global market.
According to her, the initiative is also collaborating with established designers whose work is featured in international museums, while creating platforms for emerging talent to showcase their creativity and gain wider recognition.
Victor Ekpuk, a multimedia artist whose works have been collected by museums in the United States and the Middle East, said African design was not lacking in quality or creativity but needed greater international exposure.
“We are not lacking. We just need to tell the world what we have,” Ekpuk told NAN, commending Design Week Lagos for promoting African creativity and encouraging young designers to explore their cultural heritage.
He identified design exhibitions, formal education and parental involvement as important avenues for inspiring younger generations to appreciate African culture and develop confidence in their identities.
Ekpuk also stressed the need to preserve indigenous languages, noting that greater cultural awareness could help young Africans understand their heritage and draw inspiration from it.
Charles Job, a designer and architect who operates a furniture design studio in Zurich, Switzerland, described the initiative as an important foundation for raising public, political and business awareness of design.
Job said exposing young designers to wider audiences could help them improve their skills, build professional networks and establish themselves in the industry.
“For young designers, the first instinct should not be about making money. You have to learn the job, get good at what you do, and then eventually make money from it,” he told NAN.
He urged emerging designers to prioritise mastering their craft before focusing on financial returns, adding that professional competence could create opportunities for sustainable careers.
The pre-launch featured selected works by established designers, including pieces presented for auction, highlighting the value of African creativity and its potential in the global design market.
The initiative seeks to strengthen the documentation, preservation and promotion of African design while fostering innovation through indigenous knowledge and locally available materials.
