By Olawunmi Ashafa
Mr Anil Padia, Programme Director, ORUN X Designers, an initiative of Africa Currency Network, says the platform is empowering African artisans to drive production, innovation and global market access.
Padia disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the Heirs of Greatness Day in Casablanca, Morocco, on Thursday.
The event marked the formal launch of ORUN X Designers, which focuses on strengthening Africa’s cultural and creative industries.
Padia said the initiative, drawn from Africa’s cultural origins, aims to build sustainable creative ecosystems, restore the dignity of artisans and connect heritage-driven craftsmanship to international demand through people-focused, long-term value creation.
He said the platform derived its name from “ORUN”, a concept rooted in Yoruba mythology, which means “origin”.
The development director added that the concept is fundamental to the initiative’s philosophy.
“It is important for us to look at our roots, to understand what we have and how we can innovate from there.
“Everything we need is already on this continent,” Padia said.
According to him, the initiative is designed to correct long-standing imbalances in creative supply chains by elevating artisans from the margins to the foundation of value creation.
“Artisans should not remain at the bottom of the supply chain. They must be the foundations of everything we are doing,” he added.
Heirs of Greatness Day, he added, was conceived as a celebration of Africa’s diversity of craft, knowledge systems and the people behind them, with human dignity placed at the core of the programme.
Padia said ORUN X Designers also seeks to restore the social and economic value historically attached to artists and artisans before the rise of mass industrialisation.
“Creation with the hands carries memory, not just individual memory, but generational memory,” he said, noting that artisanal techniques transmit knowledge embedded in lived human experience.
According to him, modern supply chains often disconnect the maker from the product, a gap the initiative aims to close by recognising the artisan, the process and the final creation as a single ecosystem.
On concerns about the creative sector’s limited contribution to Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Padia said global consumer trends favour authenticity over mass-produced goods, creating opportunities for African craftsmanship.
“International and niche clients are tired of standardised products.
“They are seeking authenticity,” the director said.
He, however, cautioned against viewing GDP as the sole measure of success.
“GDP does not fully capture human value or quality of life.
“The real question is whether economic growth benefits the people creating the products,” Padia said.
He said ORUN X Designers adopts people-focused impact metrics rather than numerical targets.
Looking ahead, Padia said the initiative plans to onboard at least 50 designers and artisans by 2030, through multiple engagement models.
These include supporting independent creative enterprises, forming production partnerships and developing products within the ORUN ecosystem for its marketplace.
The selection, he said, would be based on the designers’ economic, historical and environmental impact within their communities.
“Our approach is holistic. We look at how creators affect their surroundings and how their work sustains value over time,” Padia said.
Padia said ORUN X Designers represents a long-term effort to build a sustainable creative economy that connects African heritage to international markets without compromising dignity or identity.
“This is about building value that lasts; culturally, economically and humanly,” he said.
Edited by Buhari Bolaji
