Harnessing the Potential of Indigenous Knowledge in the Development of Cultural Industries in Esanland, Nigeria

Abstract

The Esan is a unique ethnic group in the Edo Central Senatorial district of Edo State of Nigeria. This work gives a detailed account on the nature of the people’s indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) which is eclectic and transdisciplinary.  Within this transdisciplinary framework, is the (w)holistic conception of knowledge that pays no heed to the decompartmentalization of knowledge as conceived in the Western sense.   Today, this age-old tradition is threatened not just by Western forces of acculturation, but by the same indigenous people who now feel that anything indigenous is fetish, heathenistic and retrogressive. In this study, review of relevant literature, interviews, observational techniques and group discussions were used in eliciting data. Although there are specific Esan practices worth propagating, commodifying the arts and crafts of the Esan race will require censorship lest we run the risks of commodifying our arts and crafts and dehumanizing humanities.