Local Strategies For Indigenous Knowledge Preservation In Displaced Nigerian Communities

The preservation of indigenous knowledge in Nigeria is increasingly threatened particularly in communities where displacement and environmental change pose increasing challenges to the preservation of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) in Nigeria. This challenge is notably prominent in the Northeast's conflict-affected areas. This study looks at the long-standing issues that indigenous communities and the official preservation sector face while working together, such as mistrust, the perception of Western dominance, and the psychological gap that exists between indigenous communities and urban preservation agents. The study highlights particular challenges like underfunded preservation policies, cultural disruptions brought on by migration, and the decline of oral traditions through critical analysis and field-based reflections. The authors suggest three locally grounded strategies for preserving Indigenous Knowledge- the resuscitation of storytelling culture for digitization, the establishment of secure spaces for recording lived experiences, and the development of local communities of practice (CoPs) as a long-term model for knowledge sharing.