Dikan Centre, Ghana’s premier educational and cultural non-profit institution, has announced the establishment of two groundbreaking initiatives: the Awo Institute and Ahenfie.
These institutions mark a significant advancement in safeguarding, digitising, preserving, conserving and celebrating Ghana and Africa’s cultural heritage and history through innovative technology and vibrant storytelling.
The Awo Institute, inspired by the profound wisdom symbolised by the African grandmother, serves as Ghana’s largest digitisation hub, capable of digitising up to 5,000 archival items daily.
Equipped with a state-of-the-art digitisation lab, audiovisual lab, digital AI labs, conservation labs and a training facility, the institute ensures invaluable historical documents, manuscripts, photographs, negatives and audiovisual records remain accessible to researchers, educators and future generations.
The institute excels in heritage management, policy development, collections management and provenance research, housing the Bokoor department for popular African and traditional music, led by Prof. John Collins.
In the past four months, following completion of a three-story facility that houses an apartment, Ahenfie, Awo Institute offices and a café, the institute has significantly expanded its capacity.
With a dedicated staff of 42, the institute has supported numerous projects and collaborated with various government agencies. Its extensive collections include, but are not limited to, the archives of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, documentation of Ghana’s tribes and an extensive collection of Highlife music.
Complementing the digital preservation efforts of Awo, Ahenfie – meaning ‘palace’ in Akan – redefines Africa’s cultural museum by transforming heritage preservation into a dynamic, community-centred experience. Unlike conventional museums, Ahenfie breathes life into history; making it relatable, accessible and culturally resonant through interactive exhibits, storytelling, and immersive programming.
Paul Ninson, founder and Executive Director of Dikan Centre, noted the importance of both initiatives:
“Our vision is not just about digitising and preserving archives. It’s about reclaiming our narrative, preserving our history, telling stories on our terms, building capacity and nurturing a vibrant, African-centred identity.
Every digitised archive and conserved artifact brings us closer to fully embracing and celebrating our history. We are here as an ecosystem to support and build the backbone of our history and heritage.”
HRM Notse Nii Nortey Owuo IV, President of Osu Traditional Council, articulated the cultural significance of these projects:
“Our ancestors teach that understanding our origins is essential to forging our future. Awo and Ahenfie are not just preserving archives, they’re maintaining the threads of our identity – the very fabric of our nation, Ghana.”
Samuel Nartey George, Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, highlighted government’s strong support:
“We need to work closely with traditional authorities and institutions like Awo to preserve our local languages and heritage. Imagine a farmer using their local Dagbani or Bono language to enhance precision farming through technology. This is our vision and the exceptional work being done here by Paul Ninson and the Dikan Centre deserves our full support.”
Funded by the Mellon Foundation and supported by esteemed institutions including the University of Pennsylvania Museum, Getty Research Institute, Philadelphia Museum of Art and Google Arts & Culture, Dikan Centre warmly invites government agencies, cultural institutions, scholars, palaces, individuals and community groups to collaborate in amplifying efforts to protect and celebrate Africa’s heritage and history.
This latest investment highlights the Mellon Foundation’s commitment to preserving and revitalising cultural heritage globally. The grant positions Dikan Centre to greatly enhance its archival digitisation efforts, historical preservation and community-oriented educational programmes.
