Across Africa, Indigenous health systems rooted in traditional medicine, natural healing practices, community care, and spirituality have sustained generations. Today, these systems continue to offer affordable, culturally grounded, and sustainable healthcare solutions—especially in rural areas.

Yet, much of this Indigenous knowledge remains undervalued, under-documented, and disconnected from contemporary entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems. With youth unemployment hovering around 12% across the continent, the time is ripe to bridge ancestral wisdom with youth-led innovation and enterprise to build resilient, inclusive, and sustainable economies.

This engaging two-hour webinar will convene scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and young entrepreneurs to explore how Indigenous health knowledge can serve as a powerful foundation for innovation, job creation, and sustainable development in Africa.

��Objectives

• To explore the linkages between Indigenous health knowledge and youth entrepreneurship in Africa.
• To identify opportunities for innovation, enterprise, and value addition within Indigenous health systems.
• To highlight best practices, successful models, and networks supporting Indigenous health enterprises.
• To encourage partnerships between academia, policymakers, youth innovators, and Indigenous knowledge holders.

Expected Outcomes

• Increased awareness of Indigenous health entrepreneurship opportunities for African youth
• Strengthened partnerships between �Ӱ�ԭ�� University, African institutions, and Indigenous communities
• Identification of policy and research priorities for Indigenous health innovation
• Creation of a youth-focused network under AIKRN to support Indigenous entrepreneurship
• Documentation of proceedings as a policy brief or report for broader dissemination

Panelists

Dr. Betty Akwongo
Lecturer, Department of Biology, Muni University (Uganda)
PhD in Plant Science (Ethnobotany), Makerere University
Research focus: Ethnobotany, antimicrobial plant studies, pharmacognosy, biodiversity conservation, and natural product drug development.

Mr. Mpilo Shange
Lecturer, Department of Nursing, University of Zululand (South Africa)
Research focus: Midwifery nursing science, primary health care, community health, and traditional medicine in maternal health.

Dr. Adebowale Ayobade
Associate Professor, Department of Social Work, University of Lagos (Nigeria)
Research focus: Social entrepreneurship, gender and enterprise studies, informal business systems, and indigenous economic resilience.

Mr. Ojiko Folorunsho Raphael
Traditional Bone Setter, Lagos State (Nigeria)
An Indigenous entrepreneur preserving ancestral healing practices—offering bone setting, massage, arthritis, and joint care services.

Moderator:��

Dr O. Damola Adejumo-Ayibiowu
Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UNISA
Member, Africa Indigenous Knowledge Research Network (AIKRN)

Call for Proposals

The 2026 Conference of the Canadian Association of African Studies is happening on June 9-12th 2026. The theme is��Global Africa: Legacies, Change and Aspirations.

As the continent holding 30% of the world’s natural resources, 10% of the planet’s internal renewable fresh water source and home to the youngest and fastest-growing population, Africa enjoys a unique global positioning (United Nations, 2024; United Nations Environment Programme, 2024; Population Reference Bureau, 2025). For many centuries, Africa has and continues to make pivotal contributions to world civilisation in the spheres of education, arts, music, science, technology and innovation (Bob-Miller, 2021). Indeed, Africa’s mineral reserves are critical to the global shift towards renewable energy and a green economy. By 2050, Africa’s young population is projected to comprise a quarter of the global labour force. Such contributions, however, tend to be overshadowed by the plethora of predicaments the continent must contend with, including global warming, rapid technological transformations and Western-dominated economic and governance structures. These dynamics illustrate how global problems are embedded in African experiences.

‍The notion of��Global Africa��aims to capture these tensions (West, 2005), that is, the tension between promise and precarity, opportunity and constraint, while reflecting the aspirations of a continent navigating a rapidly shifting economic and political landscape. Tied to this are the growing presence of emerging powers such as Brazil, China, and India, nations that are also competing for resources and political influence across the continent (Ewalefoh, 2021).

‍In the face of these changes, several questions arise: How can Africa strategically leverage these geopolitical shifts and, in so doing, escape a new ”Scramble��for Africa”? How can the continent harness the vast potential of its greatest asset, its vibrant youth, to advance sustainable development? And how can we recover and adopt Indigenous African knowledge systems to confront global challenges (e.g., sociopolitical, environmental, etc.)?

‍Building on the thematic focus of past gatherings: “Making, Unmaking and Remaking of Africa” (2025), and Sustainability and Sustainable Development: Past, Present and Futures” (2024), this year’s CAAS conference theme,��“Global Africa: Legacies, Change, and Aspirations”,��invites a broad spectrum of papers that address these issues and beyond from historical, contemporary, and imaginative or forward-looking perspectives. We welcome Africanist academics, independent researchers, policy-makers, practitioners, and community organisations on the continent and in the Diaspora to submit analytical, theoretical, empirical and policy-oriented contributions that will spark rich intellectual conversations about the meaning, possibilities and limits of��Global Africa; however, one chooses to define it.

Theme: Rooted Resilience: Understanding the Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Youth Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Date: October 6th, 2025
Time: 11:00-1:00 PM (EST)

Background

Across Africa, a quiet revolution is underway, one led by young people who also double as the majority of Africa’s population of more than 400 million people in Africa aged between 15-35years (African Union, 2025). The young people and or youth are finding fresh ways to tackle old and emerging challenges ranging from unemployment, inequalities, poverty, education, clean energy, to mention but a few. These youth are bold, creative, and deeply connected to their communities putting them at an advantage of a deep comprehension of the challenges in their communities. However, there has been a tendency to overlook the rich, time-tested knowledge systems that have sustained African societies for generations in this contemporary fast paced world of modern innovation.
Indigenous knowledge, intuitive, place-based and passed down through generations remains one of Africa’s most underutilized resources. Indigenous knowledge defined as the skills,
understandings and philosophies developed by societies with long histories of interaction (UNESCO, 2018).

This webinar, organized by the Africa Indigenous Knowledge Research Network Youth Forum,seeks to dissect how indigenous knowledge can and does support youth innovation and
entrepreneurship. By creating a space for intergenerational dialogue, reflection, and idea-sharing,the forum will highlight the fusion of heritage and innovation that is shaping a new era of
sustainable, culturally rooted entrepreneurship.

Overall Aim

To understand how indigenous knowledge supports youth innovation and entrepreneurship,exploring both its practical applications and its potential to transform how young Africans
approach problem-solving, sustainability, and community development.

Objectives
• To explore how indigenous knowledge systems are informing youth-led innovations and enterprises.
• To showcase youth-led projects and businesses that successfully integrate traditional knowledge to support peer learning.
• To examine the relevance and adaptability of indigenous knowledge in today’s economic and environmental contexts.
• To identify barriers and opportunities in connecting indigenous knowledge with entrepreneurship.

Expected Outcomes
• A deeper understanding of how indigenous knowledge supports innovation and entrepreneurship among youth through real life scenarios and knowledge exchange.
• A platform for youth to showcase their innovative solutions to community challenges which are rooted in indigenous knowledge.
• Strengthened connections between young people.
• Documentation of case studies for future learning, research, and policy influence.

Scaling Up: Indigenous Knowledge and Entrepreneurship Growth in Micro-Enterprises for the Youth in Africa

Date: September 30, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (EST)

This webinar will explore how Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) can drive youth entrepreneurship, foster innovation, and create sustainable livelihoods across Africa. Dr. Lauri Eliot and Dr. Nwakego Eyisi will share insights, success stories, and strategies for scaling youth-led micro-enterprises rooted in African knowledge and traditions. The discussion will be chaired by Professor Samuel Ojo Oloruntoba.

Background and Rationale:

Across Africa, indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) have long served as the foundation for resilience, innovation, and socio-economic survival. From traditional medicine and craft industries to food systems and local environmental management, indigenous knowledge is deeply rooted in the wisdom, culture and norms of the people. It is rooted in community life and offers tremendous untapped potential for entrepreneurship and inclusive economic growth.
Africa’s youth—who make up over 60% of the continent’s population face the perennial ��urgent challenges around unemployment, underemployment, and limited access to dignified economic opportunities. In this webinar, speakers will explore how the ��intersection of indigenous knowledge and entrepreneurship offers a promising pathway for business development, youth empowerment, and sustainable livelihoods, especially when scaled and supported with enabling policies, finance, and innovation ecosystems.
This webinar aims to foster dialogue, share insights, and showcase success stories and innovations that demonstrate how youth in Africa are transforming indigenous knowledge into scalable business ventures. It also seeks to examine how academic institutions, policymakers, private sector actors, and development organizations can collaborate to amplify these efforts and create an ecosystem for sustainable indigenous entrepreneurship.

Objectives:

• To explore how indigenous knowledge can be leveraged as a driver for youth entrepreneurship and business growth in Africa.
• To show how a shift in mindset can help to scale up micro-enterprises by applying indigenous knowledge in Africa
• To showcase scalable business models rooted in indigenous knowledge systems.
• To identify challenges and opportunities in scaling youth-led indigenous businesses.
• To build networks and foster collaboration among researchers, entrepreneurs, development partners, and institutions.
• To contribute to the discourse on decolonizing entrepreneurship and promoting African-centered innovation strategies.

Expected Outcomes:

• Enhanced understanding of the value of indigenous knowledge in entrepreneurship and youth-led business growth.
• Identification of strategies for scaling up indigenous knowledge-based enterprises.
• Recommendations for policy, funding, and academic support mechanisms to promote indigenous entrepreneurship.Speakers Bio

  Dr. Lauri Elliott has over 35 years of experience in strategy, innovation, organizational development, change management, human performance technology, business process reengineering, instructional design, large-scale system change, and technology. In addition, Lauri has over 22 years of in-depth business and strategy experience in developing markets, particularly Africa. As Chief Enterprising Officer of Globalstratos, Lauri assists small/start-up to large ����companies to develop strategies and new projects/new ventures, focusing on early-stage development and pre-transaction activities in frontier and emerging markets. Lauri leads a team that develops methodologies for managing�� and developing partnerships, designing and deploying early-stage projects/ventures, project preparation, and structuring organizations and systems to minimize risk and maximize opportunities while building sustainable enterprises. Lauri has developed, coordinated, and facilitated bi-lateral partnerships between the US and African institutions. She is the author of six books, including Redefining Business in the New Africa (2011) and Grow Rich in the New Africa (2012). She is also a frequent commentator on ETV South Africa and has been interviewed or quoted by other media outlets like SABC and Fox News.

  Dr. Nwakego Eyisi is a development economist. She obtained her doctorate from the University of Nigeria. Nwakego’s research spotlights the association between early-stage venture development and economic growth in emerging markets. Her study straddles the fields of strategic management and development economics. She has experience in new venture creation, small firm finance, and stakeholder (entrepreneurial) ecosystem development in Africa, where she spent several years researching and supporting historically excluded, colonized, and marginalized entrepreneurs. Nwakego has presented at international trade and development finance conferences. She is currently researching formal and alternative (indigenous ecosystems) models for developing entrepreneurship in emerging markets – Telfer School of Management. She has published papers in the Journal of the Knowledge Economy. She is an associate editor with Springer Nature. Nwakego has a master’s degree in applied economics from Eastern Michigan University. She is a member of the International Development Economic Associates (IDEAs) as well as the Africa Indigenous Knowledge Research Network (AIKRN). Her aim is that her research influences entrepreneurship policy.

Conference Theme:

Important Dates:

• Abstract Submission Deadline: September 30, 2025
• Notification of Acceptance: October 30, 2025
• Full Paper Submission Deadline: ��EXTENDED TO MARCH 20 2026

For in-person participants, please kindly contact the hotel for accommodation��

For More Information and Inquiries: Email us at: conference@africaindigenousresearch.com��

Theme: Non-Governmental Organizations and promotion of Indigenous Knowledge in Africa

Date: Monday, June 30, 2025, Time: 10:00 AM EST

Indigenous knowledge refers to the long-standing�� customs, norms, traditions and practices of local communities, that have been�� developed through centuries of interaction with their natural and social environments. In Africa, these knowledge systems have shaped agriculture, medicine, environmental conservation, conflict resolution, and governance. However, the various encounters that Africa had with other regions of the world, especially, the West have led to the marginalization of these knowledge systems. Due to what scholars have referred to as coloniality, the postcolonial state has to significant extent neglected the utility of indigenous knowledge. Many African countries lack robust frameworks for incorporating indigenous knowledge into mainstream development efforts.

The NGOs have stepped into the gap created by state neglect by working with Indigenous communities to preserve, protect, and promote indigenous knowledge as part of sustainable development, cultural identity and environmental resilience. In this Webinar, two leaders in the NGO sector will be discussing their experiences in promoting indigenous knowledge in Uganda and Kenya. The objectives of the Webinar include the following:

1. To assess the current role of NGOs in the documentation and dissemination of indigenous knowledge in Africa.
2. To promote partnerships between NGOs, local communities, and academic institutions to safeguard traditional knowledge.
3. To advocate for policies that integrate indigenous knowledge into national development strategies.
4. To strengthen community-based initiatives that preserve indigenous languages, practices, and ecological knowledge.

��Speakers:

Expected Outcomes

• Increased awareness and respect for indigenous knowledge systems across Africa.
• Strengthened capacity of NGOs and local communities to document and promote traditional knowledge.
• Greater inclusion of indigenous knowledge in national policies and development frameworks.
• Enhanced cultural identity and community resilience through revived traditional practices.

This year’s celebration, under the inspiring theme “Voices of the African Diaspora and the Africa We Want,” will spotlight the Diaspora’s contributions to sustainable growth, innovation, and self-reliance, in alignment with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Join us to engage with:

• Officials from the Canadian Government, African Union, and diplomatic corps
• Interactive tech innovators�� and vibrant discussions with religious, academic, and industry professional
• Dynamic youth�� and community and faith leaders

This is a powerful opportunity to reaffirm our shared commitment to Africa’s advancement and to uplift and empower people of African descent—especially within our vibrant Black community here in Ottawa.

Reserve your seat now for this high-impact event in Canada’s capital!
Dress Code:��A touch of African print – let’s celebrate our vibrant heritage with style!

Join us for an enlightening lecture with Fulbright Scholar Prof. Michele K. Lewis. Prof. Lewis will revisit her and her colleague’s historic *mbongi presented at the 53rd International Association of Black Psychologists Conference in 2022. Delve into the relevance of Black LGBTQ+ persons’ cultural and historical existence within the African human family and within the Associations of Black Psychologists (ABPsi). Prof. Lewis and her colleagues referenced sources of Black wisdom; they integrated these sources with their respective work as clinicians, academics, researchers and artists. Learn about their work incorporating contemplative practices to decolonize inner life, challenging Eurocentric thought and disrupting dynamics of oppression.

Don’t miss this insightful lecture featuring excerpts from an upcoming paper led by Prof. Lewis as well as a conversation with Prof. Adrian Harewood.

Mark your calendars for an evening of empowerment and knowledge!

*Mbongi (pronounced Bone-gee) is a word in the Kikongo language which means “learning place” (Association of Black Psychologists, 2018). The term is used to refer to a coming together of the people to address a community concern, or with the aim to problem-solve in a meeting.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� the speaker: Dr. Sarah Kinyanjui is an academic, consultant, advocate of the High Court of Kenya, an accredited assistant counsel at the International Criminal Court, and a certified professional mediator. She teaches law at the University of Nairobi, Mombasa Campus, and currently serves as the Associate Dean of the Mombasa Campus. She holds a PhD in Law from the University of Leicester, UK and a Master of Laws – Law in Development from the University of Warwick, UK, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Kinyanjui has research interests in criminal justice, restorative justice, international criminal law, child justice, gender and the law, mediation, and technology as a facilitator of justice. She is currently exploring gender and intergenerational dimensions of environmental governance.

Registration required. Space is limited for in-person attendance. A Zoom link will be sent to participants upon registration