Empowering Women and Youth Entrepreneurship through Yoruba Oral Arts in Southwest Nigeria

The Osun State University proposes to promote women and young Yoruba oral artists' entrepreneurship in southwestern Nigeria by: 1) strengthening their capacities; 2) promoting Yoruba art forms through new formats and digital channels; 3) advocating for the inclusion of Yoruba artists in cultural policies; 4) promoting international mobility of Yoruba oral artists.

• Widens the participation of previously excluded regions and social groups in the creation, production and distribution of cultural goods and services. The project will enable young men and women in the Yoruba oral art industry to produce their artistic works in a professional and innovative manner. This will be achieved by strengthening the capacities of Yoruba oral artists through training and exposing them to the digital technologies necessary for the production and distribution of their artistic works.

• Assesses and addresses the capacity development needs related to creation, production and distribution. The project will assess and respond to critical capacity development needs related to creation, production, and distribution via training and certification of 300 Yoruba oral artists.

• Train 300 young and female Yoruba oral artists in entrepreneurial skills and digital competences. 
• Record and digitize Yoruba dance, music, poetry and other oral arts with a view to its promotion. 
• Establish a cultural policy think tank for Yoruba arts and draft a cultural policy for their enhancement.  
• Organize an international exhibition of Yoruba oral art to promote its dissemination at the international level.