The Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), in partnership with the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC), Nigeria Cluster, has inaugurated the ‘Roots and Roofs: Pan-African Indigenous Skills Development’ (PAID) programme aimed at promoting indigenous creativity and sustainable innovation across Africa.
The initiative, supported with a grant of €50,000 by EUNIC, Nigeria Cluster, was announced in a joint statement signed by the Director-General of CBAAC, Mrs Aisha Augie, and the President of EUNIC, Nigeria Cluster, Dr Nadine Siegert, on Wednesday in Lagos.
Information obtained by Nigeriastartupact.ng shows that members of the EUNIC Nigeria Cluster include the Goethe-Institut, British Council, Embassies of Spain and Ireland, National Troupe of Nigeria, and the Institute of African and Diaspora Studies, University of Lagos.
The statement explained that the PAID project is one of seven selected out of 36 applications across Africa to benefit from the 2025 Grant for Africa-Europe Partnership under the Spaces of Culture Programme of the European Union. The €50,000 fund will be domiciled and managed by CBAAC and Goethe-Institut Nigeria to ensure smooth implementation.
The theme for the programme is ‘African-Inspired Interior and Exterior Architecture’. It is designed to safeguard and revitalise Africa’s indigenous architectural and artistic traditions while empowering a new generation of creative innovators through equitable Africa-Europe cultural partnerships.
According to the project’s steering committee, the PAID initiative reflects Africa’s vision of development rooted in its cultural identity. “It repositions indigenous learning as a driver of innovation, sustainability, and youth empowerment. These are core to Nigeria’s Cultural Policy, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” the statement said.
The committee also noted that by connecting African institutions with European counterparts, the project aims to demonstrate a new model of cultural partnership built on collaboration and shared learning.
The one-year programme will focus on inclusivity, gender balance, and regional diversity, engaging young Nigerians between the ages of 25 and 35 from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“Roots and Roofs, under the PAID initiative of CBAAC, aims to equip young Africans with hands-on training in indigenous architectural design thinking, sustainable practices, and cultural documentation while exploring the dynamic relationship between built environments, performance, and storytelling,” the statement added.
The programme will feature workshops, apprenticeships, and community-based projects to bridge ancestral wisdom with contemporary innovation. It is also expected to address cultural, social, and environmental challenges while supporting President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on job creation and human capital development.