The Value of Freedom Is Indigenous to Africa – Dr. Feyisade Adeyemi
He made the statement in an interview with The Peoples' Mouthpiece shortly after his organization, Chale Institute’s fellows-in-training hangout.
Dr. Feyisade Adeyemi, founder of Chale Institute, has emphasized the African roots of freedom and self-determination. He said, “the value of freedom is indigenous to Africa,” emphasising that the concept of freedom is deeply rooted in African culture, history, and philosophy even before the influence of external cultures or colonial powers.
He made the statement in an interview with The Peoples’ Mouthpiece shortly after his organization’s fellows-in-training hangout.
Dr Adeyemi’s organization, Chale Institute, is one of the organizations at the forefront of promoting libertarian ideas in Africa, and it recently hosted its first physical gathering for its Fellows-in-Training at the Business Hub of Adebola House in Opebi, Lagos. The event was held on Saturday, February 15, 2025.
While responding to the motive of the Institute’s fellows-in-training hangout, Dr. Adeyemi described the initiative as a blend of intellectual engagement and social interaction. “The background is intellectual, libertarian ideology,” he explained. “This started back in September 2024 with a series of webinars as part of the Advocates of Liberty Fellowship—a year-long program for young liberty-oriented Nigerian and African youths.”
The hangout provided an opportunity for fellows who had previously interacted online to meet in person, review their learnings, play games, bag awards and strategize for the rest of the program. He noted that unlike the webinars, which were heavily focused on training in op-ed writing, policy analysis, and African perspectives on liberty, the gathering incorporated networking, games, and even dance sessions.
According to Dr. Adeyemi, the Chale Institute stands out among other organizations due to its unique ideological focus. “We are particular about African perspectives. We promote the fact that libertarianism is not an exclusive preserve of the West—it is also indigenous to Africa,” he emphasized. “We use African proverbs, folk tales, and oral traditions to illustrate that the ideas of liberty are universal.
“We use that to show how the ideas of liberty are actually also indigenous to Africa, because the ideas are universal. So in as much as the West, the Europeans, have their own classical liberal tradition. We also have our classical liberal tradition in Africa. So that’s what we try to bring. And then from that basis, we try to analyze contemporary issues and make policy recommendations to contemporary challenges. So what distinguishes us is our ideological focus”. He revealed.
The event was graced by notable guests, including Dr. Famoriyo Oladotun, founder of Cheetahs Institute; Mr Eric Mobu, Director of Programs at the Liberalist Centre; Mr Fesobi Bayonle; and Dimeji Olaiya, alongside others.
Encouraging aspiring fellows and the general public, Dr. Adeyemi emphasised the importance of a robust reading culture. “Our emphasis is on promoting the reading culture. I mean, we have a very deep and strong cultural focus generally, and that’s a big conversation, but one of the, you know, exemplars of culture that we are putting forward is what we call breeding culture, which we encourage people to read widely.”
When you read widely around economic, political, and philosophical issues, you easily recognize the value of freedom, the role of liberty in prosperity, and the pathways to escaping poverty,” he said.
He also revealed that with a strong emphasis on intellectual discourse and African-centric libertarian ideas, Chale Institute will continue to shape a new generation of liberty advocates across the continent.
Fellows-in-training had also expressed enthusiasm about the chance to engage in deeper conversations about liberty while building a strong community of like-minded individuals.
For the fellows-in-training, the experience was both enlightening and enjoyable. Kaosara Oladipupo described her excitement, stating, “Saying I had a good day is an understatement. I had a really, really splendid, awesome, and amazing day. I not only learnt, I participated in meaningful discussions, I networked, and I had fun. The dance session was a banger. Thank you so much, Chale Institute, thank you, Dr. Feyisade, thank you, Mr. Bayonle, thank you, Fellows-in-Training, members of the committee, and everyone. I look forward to doing more of this with you all.”
Miracle Nwaog also shared her appreciation for the event, saying, “It was a pleasure getting to meet every one of you. Thanks for being the highlight of my day, and I can’t wait to see all the awesome things we’ll do together.”
SOME PHOTO SESSIONS OF THE HANGOUT BELOW:
