Blockchain and African storytelling: Reclaiming Narratives

The Dance of Trust: A Nigerian Folktale for the Digital Age

Men sitting at the village plaza under the shade of a big tree

Onye nwe eziokwu served as truth keeper in our Nigerian village, according to a family story told to me by my grandmother. The villagers used the ukwa tree as their meeting place for disputes because each participant left their mark with a stick while the ground served as an authentication system for everyone to see. Blockchain technology has evolved beyond its initial form into an open-source ukwa tree which inscribes facts through lines of code accessible to everyone while belonging to no one.

The blockchain technology presented in Silicon Valley promotional materials is different from what you are reading here. The Nollywood film industry of Lagos fights against piracy alongside Igbo podcasters seeking to defend their ad revenue through the emerging blockchain technology revolution. Seeking a Morden techological ways to integrate Blockchain and African storytelling narratives . According to J.P. Morgan employee Christine Moy, blockchain functions as a “technology of trust”, although in African society people have traditionally relied on shared mutual trust instead of individual contractual transactions.

When the Middleman Eats the Yam: A Creator’s Dilemma

During our meeting in 2021, I learnt that Adaora from Benin City had her spoken-word #EndSARS piece replicate itself on seventeen different platforms while receiving no recognition for her work. Her words faced a treatment similar to cassava since others peeled them and sold them as their product, according to her. Her anger matches the assessment by Tatiana Koffman about traditional media relationships that lead to creator neglect, similar to how colonial middlemen controlled palm oil revenue.

Blockchain disrupts this cycle. Adaora could transform her poetry into an NFT which would maintain an unbroken trail of ownership like traditional Uli artwork decorating our ancestral walls. Each share and remix creates tracks that follow the pattern of a talking drum while recording their journey. Also, during the #EndSARS protests in Nigeria, reports indicate that government authorities froze the bank account of a feminist-led movement that had been providing crucial support to the protests. In response, activists turned to blockchain wallet technology as an alternative channel to receive and distribute funds, effectively bypassing the conventional banking freeze. This innovative approach not only enabled the movement to continue its operations despite financial restrictions but also highlighted the broader potential of decentralised financial tools to support civil society initiatives under restrictive conditions marking the beginning of many reclaiming Blockchain and African storytelling narratives. 

Crypto Art and Cultural Preservation

Nigerian crypto artist Osinachi—widely recognised as one of Africa’s foremost crypto artists—has recently made headlines by integrating distinct Igbo cultural motifs into his blockchain art. He transformed his signature “mmadu” avatar—a term meaning “human” in Igbo—by infusing it with traditional elements such as the ceremonial cap and the ofor (a sacred Igbo staff symbolising authority). He exemplifies ways Tech is reclaiming Blockchain and African storytelling through narratives. He embedded these motifs directly into Ethereum smart contracts, ensuring that each artwork is not only a digital collectible but also a self-executing piece of cultural preservation. By marrying traditional Igbo aesthetics with cutting-edge blockchain technology, Osinachi has set a new benchmark in the NFT space, celebrating cultural heritage while pioneering innovative revenue models.

Code meets culture: The Oxford Connection 

My observation at the Commons Stack revealed a conflict between GDPR’s “right to be forgotten” principle and traditional African cultural practices regarding eternal memory. How do we reconcile this? The combination of MIT’s tamper-free blockchain technology through its ledgers with the Yoruba tradition Ìtàn concept, respectively, stands as frameworks to protect unadulterated records.

During the 2021 #EndSARS protests, activists employed decentralised networks to save police brutality evidence, which maintained its integrity after governmental content removal attempts.

Conclusion: Writing Our Future in Code

Chimamanda warns that “the single story creates stereotypes” in her declaration. Africa has long faced an inaccurate depiction through technology since the current story focuses on what it lacks concerning “readiness” and infrastructure. The new story for Lagos hackathons and Accra blockchain hubs continues to be written through script programming. A system exists where Onye nwe eziokwu functions as programming code which maintains memories while ensuring safety features and generates payments.

Sources:

• Koffman, T. (2020). Forbes: How Blockchain Will Transform Media.
• Moy, C. (2020). J.P. Morgan’s Blockchain Centre of Excellence.
• Oral interviews with Osinachi (2023) and Adaora (2021).