Aisha Augie Champions Africa’s Cultural Heritage at Yale

As Nigeria prepares to commemorate the 50th anniversary of FESTAC ’77, the Director-General of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), Aisha Adamu Augie, is taking the country’s cultural preservation agenda to an international platform through her selection for the second cohort of the Yale Directors Forum.

Augie is one of 12 cultural heritage leaders from nine countries across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean selected for the 12-month fellowship organised by Yale University’s Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage.

She is also one of two Nigerians selected for the prestigious programme, alongside digital archivist and founder of Archivi.ng, Fu’ad Lawal.

Her selection comes at a significant period for CBAAC, an institution whose history is closely linked to FESTAC ’77, the landmark Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture hosted by Nigeria in 1977.

For Augie, however, the Yale fellowship goes beyond personal recognition. It represents an opportunity to strengthen CBAAC’s institutional capacity, develop international partnerships and explore innovative approaches to preserving Africa’s cultural heritage for generations yet unborn.

“Every artefact, photograph and recording in CBAAC’s care tells the story of who we are as Nigerians and as Africans,” Augie said.

She added that her participation in the Yale Directors Forum would help strengthen the institution’s capacity for innovation, conservation and cultural exchange.

“Our goal is to ensure that the torch lit by Nigeria through FESTAC ’77, a Pan-African festival of global significance, continues to burn brightly as we carry its legacy forward into the next fifty years,” she said.

Augie’s emergence as a leading voice in cultural heritage has been shaped by a career spanning photography, filmmaking, communications, public service and advocacy.

As a visual storyteller, she has used photography and film to explore identity, gender and the diverse realities of Nigerian society. Her transition into cultural leadership has further placed her at the centre of efforts to preserve and promote Africa’s artistic and historical legacy.

At CBAAC, she oversees an institution entrusted with safeguarding valuable cultural materials and promoting the artistic and cultural contributions of Africa and its diaspora.

The significance of her Yale fellowship is heightened by CBAAC’s connection to FESTAC ’77. The centre emerged from the festival and holds cultural materials entrusted to Nigeria by participating Black and African countries and communities.

With the golden jubilee of FESTAC ’77 approaching in 2027, the fellowship provides an opportunity to reflect on the festival’s historic legacy while considering how its ideals can remain relevant in a rapidly changing cultural and technological environment.

The Yale Directors Forum brings together leaders working across museums, archives, libraries, community heritage sites, cuisine, photography and textile design.

Through workshops, convenings and engagements with Yale faculty and fellow participants, the programme is designed to deepen participants’ expertise in cultural heritage leadership while strengthening professional networks and institutional collaboration.

The 2026 cohort includes practitioners from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Togo, Jamaica, Brazil and Panama.

According to Charlotte Ashamu, Director of International Programs at Yale’s Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, the diversity of the cohort reflects the broad range of leadership currently shaping the cultural heritage sector.

The programme also seeks to strengthen connections between Africa and its diaspora, creating opportunities for sustained cooperation and knowledge-sharing among cultural institutions and practitioners.

Since its establishment, the Yale Directors Forum has engaged 16 fellows, trained more than 80 professionals and supported the development of eight conservation centres across Africa.

For CBAAC, Augie’s participation therefore comes at a strategic moment. Beyond celebrating the achievements of FESTAC ’77, the challenge is now to ensure that the festival’s cultural vision survives through stronger institutions, modern conservation methods and greater international collaboration.

As Nigeria approaches the 50th anniversary of one of Africa’s most significant cultural gatherings, Augie’s journey from visual storytelling to the leadership of CBAAC and now to Yale signals a renewed effort to connect the country’s cultural past with the possibilities of its future.