Empowering Native Communities of Nigeria Through Media-Focused Programs
In a world where cultural preservation and empowerment of Indigenous communities are of utmost importance, the Cultural Survival Indigenous Community Fund is making significant strides. This international organisation provides grants and targeted support to Indigenous communities, enabling them to take charge of their development and cultural continuity.
The Fund's model emphasises local leadership, technical skill-building, and the amplification of Indigenous voices. This ensures that communities are not just beneficiaries but active agents in their own development.
One of the key contributions of the Fund is the direct empowerment of communities through skills and media. In Nigeria, organisations like CIKDAS have received grants that enable them to train community members, including young women and men, in essential skills such as community radio operation, production, script writing, social media, and cultural advocacy. This provides tangible opportunities for employment, leadership, and community engagement.
The Fund also supports the strengthening of Indigenous radio stations' infrastructure, which is vital for disseminating information, stories, and cultural content within and beyond the community. Projects like the "Wisdom Keepers" initiative empower Elders to use traditional songs, drumming, and folklore to address social issues, ensuring that Indigenous knowledge and cultural expressions remain vibrant and relevant.
In terms of cultural preservation and transmission, the Fund helps preserve languages, oral traditions, music, and storytelling by integrating them into modern media and educational programs. Projects like IPNEWS (Indigenous Peoples News) enable communities to share their histories and current realities through visual storytelling, radio, and social media, fostering pride and intergenerational continuity.
The Fund's approach aligns with academic insights that effective community resilience and adaptation are not just technical or infrastructural, but are deeply relational and rooted in local cultural logics. This means interventions are more likely to be sustainable and meaningful because they build on—rather than replace—Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
The Cultural Survival Indigenous Community Fund operates internationally, having provided $480,000 in grants to 57 Indigenous communication projects across 25 countries in 2024. This global reach allows for knowledge sharing and solidarity among Indigenous communities from the Americas to Africa and Asia, amplifying local innovations and supporting a network of culturally grounded, resilient communities.
In Nigeria, participants like Mojisola Ereloja, Orepitan Hakeem, and Temilola Ajani have found a new sense of confidence and a platform to advocate for their communities' rights. Workshops held by CIKDAS in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State and Ijede, Lagos State, have empowered community members, especially youth and Elders, to use media platforms for cultural preservation and advocacy.
In conclusion, the Cultural Survival Indigenous Community Fund is making a significant impact by prioritising Indigenous leadership, supporting community media, and funding culturally resonant projects. This holistic approach ensures that Indigenous peoples are both preservers of heritage and active participants in shaping their futures.
- In addition to the focus on cultural preservation and community development, the Fund extends its support to various aspects of daily life, including fashion and beauty, food and drink, home and garden, relationships, pets, travel, cars, and shopping.
- By empowering Indigenous communities with skills in fashion design, cosmetology, culinary arts, interior decorating, digital marketing, pet care, travel planning, automotive maintenance, and retail management, the Fund fosters economic growth and self-sufficiency.
- In Nigeria, organizations like CIKDAS have expanded their focus to incorporate fashion shows highlighting traditional fabrics and designs, cooking classes featuring Indigenous recipes, home improvement workshops, relationship counseling sessions, pet adoption drives, travel guides showcasing Indigenous tourism spots, auto maintenance workshops, and shopping events featuring locally made goods.
- Through these initiatives, the Fund aims to create a sustainable and holistic lifestyle for Indigenous communities, celebrating and strengthening their unique cultures while fostering connections with the wider world.
