Protecting intangible cultural heritage in the era of rapid technological advancement

ABSTRACT Globalisation and social transformation have impinged upon Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) which is the foundation on which a nation’s identity and knowledge is built. Safeguarding and protecting it, therefore, is beneficial to understanding the present and charting the way forward for the future identities and development. Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCE) have over time suffered from misappropriation by the actions of people outside a traditional community. The development of technology has greatly enhanced this misappropriation on a world-wide scale with no benefits accruing to the traditional communities that originally own the expressions. With COVID 19 lockdown and social distancing, several sectors of the society have moved on to the use of technology to ensure that they remain relevant as technological advancement through scientific progress is a way of expressing the right to cultural life. This article appraised ICH, the problems of protection and focussed on Nigeria using traditional craftmanship as a case study. The article proffered modalities for safeguarding, most especially in this era of technological advancement amidst COVID-19 pandemic.