Lagos (Nigeria): 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 Programme (PAID).
The grant is supported by EUNIC, Nigeria Cluster, with € 50,000 for its implementation.
This was disclosed in a joint statement signed by the Director-General of CBAAC, Mrs Aisha Augie, and President of EUNIC, Nigeria Cluster, Dr Nadine Siegert, on Wednesday in Lagos.
Members of the EUNIC Nigeria Cluster include the Goethe-Institut, British Council, Embassies of Spain and Ireland, the National Troupe of Nigeria, and the Institute of African and Diaspora Studies at the University of Lagos.
According to the statement, the PAID initiative is one of seven projects 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 will be domiciled and administered by CBAAC and Goethe-Institut Nigeria to implement the programme.
The programme has the theme: ‘African-Inspired Interior and Exterior Architecture’.
The initiative 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, PAID embodies 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.
It further stated that by connecting African institutions with European counterparts, the project would also demonstrate a new model of African-European cultural partnership built on collaboration and shared learning.
The one-year programme, which focuses on inclusivity, gender balance, and regional diversity, will engage Nigerians aged 25 to 35 across the 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,” it stated.
The programme, implemented through workshops, apprenticeships, and community-based projects, will help participants bridge ancestral wisdom with contemporary innovation and is expected to address pressing cultural, social, and environmental challenges.
The PAID project, which also aligns with President Bola Tinubu‘s Renewed Hope Agenda, will directly contribute to national priorities in job creation and human capital development.