Sankofa Innovations

• In Event: STS Africa: Infrastructures

Abstract

Sankofa—one of the most well-known adinkra symbols of the Akan people in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire—translates from the Twi language as “return and get it”. This means that for a person, community or society to be successful in the future, they must draw on the past: Master existing ways of doing and learn from the wisdom of ancestors. Understood as an indigenous approach to innovation, Sankofa represents a paradigm for progress that integrates multiple ways of knowing—interpersonally and experientially—to induce personal and collective growth, in concert. The authors have proposed the term “Sankofa innovation” to describe a process emergent within the Agbogbloshie Makerspace Platform (AMP) project initiated since 2014 in the informal sector scrapyard and so-called “e-waste dump” located at Agbogbloshie in Accra, Ghana (Osseo-Asare and Abbas, 2016). Working with over 1500 young people—750+ grassroots makers from the informal sector and 750+ students and recent graduates in STEAM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics)—the authors observed that while the former gained practical know-how heuristically via apprenticeship training, the latter learned technical knowledge through theoretical presentations, texts and examinations. Linking co-creation between the two sets of youth enabled synergistic outcomes, suggesting opportunity for bridging socioeconomic and cultural schisms widespread in African today by enabling environmental redevelopment rooted in local knowledge systems and capabilities. Parallel to “frugal innovation” in the global context, Sankofa innovation has much relevance to current discussion around knowledge commons, open-source, open innovation and sharing economy while recognizing potential bias toward African traditions of shared technology culture.

Author

• DK Osseo-Asare, The Pennsylvania State University