Okunbo Calls For Policies To Protect Africa’s Creative Wealth

Dr Osahon Okunbo, founder of The Osahon Okunbo Foundation (TOOF), has urged African governments to establish policies and institutions that will protect the continent’s cultural heritage and ensure its creative industries leave lasting benefits for future generations.

Speaking at the third Elevate Africa Convening in Accra, Ghana, on Thursday, Okunbo said the international success of African artists and the commercial growth of the creative sector must be backed by measures to preserve cultural knowledge, protect ownership rights and give emerging talents access to opportunities.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan and other participants at the opening of the Elevate Africa Convening 2026, hosted by His Majesty Ògíamẹ̀ Atúwàtse III, the Olu of Warri, in Accra, Ghana.

Represented by a TOOF board member, Nicole Asinugo, Okunbo delivered the message at the two-day event held from October 28 to 29 at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel under the theme “Africa: Defining Her Future.”

He urged African leaders and other stakeholders to look beyond the commercial success of the continent’s creative industries and invest in structures that would preserve their gains.

According to him, “success and legacy are not the same thing,” arguing that Africa’s achievements in the creative sector would have limited lasting value without structures to sustain them.

“What institutions have we built? What policies have we put in place? Who owns the work? Who has access to the opportunities? And what will the next generation inherit from what we are creating today?” he asked.

Okunbo recalled his childhood experience growing up around Benin artworks owned by his late father. He said he came to appreciate their significance more after his father’s death.

The businessman noted that the Benin bronzes carried historical and cultural knowledge beyond their artistic value.

According to him, they preserve the history, beliefs and traditions of the Benin Kingdom, and demonstrate how cultural objects could transmit knowledge across generations.

He warned that African societies risk losing parts of their history when cultural traditions remain undocumented, and knowledge is left unprotected.

He also expressed concern that many Africans remained disconnected from aspects of their heritage.

“We believe heritage is not simply about the past. It’s about what that knowledge makes possible,” he said, calling for collective efforts to preserve cultural heritage beyond the capacity of individual organisations.

Okunbo said TOOF’s work covers education, cultural exchange, public discourse and heritage preservation.

He disclosed that the foundation had announced a fellowship in London earlier in 2026 to support artists and cultural practitioners working to document African cultural heritage, safeguard it and widen public access to it.

Okunbo also commended Elevate Africa for convening political leaders, traditional rulers, investors and young creatives to discuss the continent’s development, saying cooperation across sectors was necessary to advance Africa’s interests.

He reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to the event as a headline sponsor, and urged participants to consider the long-term cultural and social benefits of Africa’s creative industries alongside their financial returns.

“The true measure of our progress cannot simply be what our generation achieves. It must also be what we make possible for those who come after us,” he said.

The Elevate Africa Convening 2026 was hosted by Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri, and Olori Atuwatse III, with Ghana’s Vice President, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, serving as co-host.

The gathering brought together political leaders, traditional authorities, business executives, investors, development institutions, creatives, youth leaders and members of the African diaspora to discuss Africa’s economic and social development.

They include Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, former Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor, former Malawian President Joyce Banda, former Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and former Mauritian President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim.

Its programme covered trade governance and economic integration; governance, policy and advocacy; youth; the creative economy; and the diaspora.

Discussions on the first day focused on governance, trade and continental leadership, including sessions on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and doing business in Africa.

The second day focused on the creative economy, youth and the diaspora, with sessions on converting cultural influence into economic returns, investment opportunities for businesses and policy issues involving digital sovereignty and artificial intelligence governance.