ICTs and Cultural Promotion in Africa

Digital technologies have, in recent times, become key tools for cultural promotion and preservation in various parts of Africa. A number of interesting cultural projects are today created in most Black African countries to promote specific aspects of less represented cultures through digital platforms. The entities behind such projects vary from nongovernmental initiatives to government agencies and are driven by varied motives. In spite of this variety of motives, their actions indisputably aim at the same cultural vision: the promotion and restoration of various aspects of the African cultures. Hinging on empirical understandings, this chapter critically explores these digitally driven cultural projects. The chapter specifically examines the prospects and challenges of using digital technologies to promote culture in Black African countries. It addresses the following research questions: What is the state of cultural promotion in Black African countries? How are ICTs facilitating cultural activism in the continent? and What are some of the challenges faced by cultural activists in the continent?