Minister advocates hybridisation of African architecture for regional development

Minister advocates hybridisation of African architecture for regional development
NAN-H-53
Culture
By Mohammed Lawal
Zaria (Kaduna State), Feb. 15, 2018 (NAN) The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has advocated for hybridisation of indigenous African architectural traditions, technologies and local materials with conventional ones to facilitate Africa’s development.
He stated this at a “CBAAC Annual Public Lecture” held at the main campus of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the lecture is “Deploring Indigenous African Architecture for Environmental Sustainability”.
NAN also reports that the lecture was organised by the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) in collaboration with ABU Zaria.
The minister, who was represented by a director in the ministry, Ms Lizzy Iheziwe, stressed the need for Africans to look inward and gradually return to traditional technologies while combining with conventional.
He said: “With a very strong voice, I wish to advocate for a gradual return to traditional technologies and local materials within the conventional practices in Africa.
“This is more so because of the overwhelming call for proactive steps in managing the earth’s resources. It still behoves on architects of the continent to explore all the options available to be creative.
“It must be noted that the re-invention is not so much in the material itself, but the methods in which the materials and its products are utilised for creating architectural splendour in structure,” he noted.
The minister observed that the innovations were important because it would have evolved a methodology of architecture that was supported on the traditions of African building custom.
Mohammed said it was necessary for African architects and experts to stick to such approach and adopt attitude and expertise on how to use materials and technologies that were indigenous.
The CBAAC Director-General, Dr Ferdinand Anikwe, lamented that the perception about African architectural culture and traditions was primitive.
“For example, it was reported some years ago that a leading American journal sent a team of photographers to Africa to document a feature article on the epochs of African history with monumental architectural illustration.
“Upon returning, their first comment was, ‘All we could find were a bunch of muds’.
“This reaction no doubt gives a vivid reflection of the overall perception and mental image some western and indeed Eurocentric scholars on African Architecture.
“In fact, they more often see African architecture as primitive as well as devoid of sacrality, meriting only the description of a technology and technique thereby denying the reality that Africans also produced monumental architecture during ancient times,” he said.
The director-general said the assertions were not only erroneous but also fallacious, recalling that there were many pointers to the sophistication of indigenous African Architecture right from ancient times.
Anikwe cited example of Egypt dynasties and their monumental architecture such as temples and the pyramid traditions and great walls of Timbuktu and many ancient buildings of Ethiopia.
He said there was every need for Africans to rediscover their culture and traditions mend such with others to be able to come up with something unique.
The ABU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibrahim Garba, appreciated CBAAC for the programme and promised to sustain the collaboration for the good of the nation.
Garba, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics, Prof. Ezra Bako-Amans, urged the theme of the conference was not just timely but also apt. (NAN)
KLM/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola