By Seli Baisie
The Founder and CEO of Dikan Center, Paul A. Ninson, has launched Awo Institute and Ahenfie, an initiative aimed at preserving Africa’s rich cultural heritage, digitizing archives, and nurturing the next generation of African storytellers.
The Dikan Center, a pioneering non-profit organization for media and visual arts education, nurtures the youth through storytelling, artistic expression, critical thinking, and innovation.
The event took place at Osu in Accra on March 22, 2025, featuring keynote speakers such as H.E. Virginia Evelyn Palmer (US Ambassador), Samia Nkrumah (Founder, Kwame Nkrumah Foundation), Paul A. Ninson (Founder & CEO of Dikan Center), Hon. Samuel Nartey George (Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations), HRM Notse Nii Nortey Owuo IV (President of Osu Stool Council), and Mr. Kofi Kwakwa (Board Chair).
Awo Institute and Ahenfie: A New Approach to Heritage Preservation
Awo Institute is inspired by the figure of the African grandmother—a custodian of wisdom, culture, and storytelling. The institute focuses on research, conservation, and heritage, hosting facilities such as a digitization lab, audio-visual lab, conservation lab, library and research center, the Awo Lab for Digital Humanities, and the Borkoor initiative dedicated to music and oral history.
Ahenfie, meaning “palace” in Akan, introduces a fresh approach to the African museum, bringing heritage back into everyday community life. Unlike traditional museums, Ahenfie is designed as a vibrant communal space where culture and history are practiced, shared, and celebrated through storytelling, exhibitions, and interactive events.
Paul A. Ninson’s Vision for Heritage Reclamation
Speaking at the launch, the Founder and CEO of Dikan Center, Paul A. Ninson, highlighted the imbalance in African collections being held abroad while remaining unavailable on the continent.
This, he noted, inspired his mission “to reclaim, preserve our story, reshape our education, and nurture the next generation of African storytellers and creative believers.”
He also admitted that despite facing “technical challenges and limited resources,” it had strengthened his resolve.
“Every digitized document, recorded oral history, and conserved artifact brings us closer to our goal,” he said.
The cultural practitioner also threw light on some key initiatives undertaken by the center.
These include the digitization of archives, including millions of military records, cultural heritage documents, and historical materials such as those of Professor John Collins and Dr. Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah.
“We do not hold archives; we train people to be able to preserve them,” he explained, noting that the center’s collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces was the first civil-military heritage partnership of its kind in Africa.
Hon. Samuel Nartey George on Africa’s Role in AI Development
Meanwhile, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, Minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, speaking at the launch, questioned the feasibility of building AI data centers in Africa.
“Many of these African countries are struggling to keep the lights on. A mini AI data center needs dedicated power in the hundreds of megawatts. Where are we going to find it? We don’t have that,” he said.
He argued that instead of pursuing large-scale compute infrastructure, African nations should “leave the leading countries in the world who have the infrastructure to build those data centers.”
However, the Minister highlighted Africa’s crucial role in AI development, particularly in improving data sets. He cited the disparity in AI-based identification tools, noting that “for Caucasian males, they’re 99% accurate, but for Black males like me, it drops to 48% because they don’t have the data sets to train the AI tools.”
He also stressed the importance of Africa positioning itself in AI by providing diverse data to make global AI models more inclusive.
The MP for Ningo Prampram also pledged government support for private sector and non-profit organizations like Dikan, stating, “It’s easier and more fruitful when you work with private sector players and non-governmental organizations, and we as government can partner with them to create the enabling environment.”
Conclusion
The launch of Awo Institute and Ahenfie marks a significant step in preserving African heritage, digitizing archives, and supporting creative talent. Despite challenges, the initiative reflects a strong commitment to reclaiming Africa’s cultural legacy and making it accessible for future generations. Through collaboration with government institutions and private organizations, efforts like these will help ensure Africa tells its own stories and plays a greater role in shaping global narratives.
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