West African Spiritual Traditions on the Continent

Felicia Dujon

Chair

St. Lucian/Barbadian Lecturer in Philosophy, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill

Ikaivla Awudi Kamberi

Presenter

Barbadian Doctor of Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine · Founder, Meridian Natural Health · Dagara, Korku, Vudoun Priest & Kontomble Diviner

Ikaivla Awudi Kamberi, also known by his Eurocentric name Michael Springer, is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, with more than 25 years of clinical experience. He is the Founder and Clinical Director of Meridian Natural Health, where his work brings together clinical practice, traditional healing knowledge and a holistic understanding of health and well-being. Ikaivla is a Dagara Bagri Initiate and Priest (Mwenuo Shrine, Burkina Faso), Korku Initiate and Priest (TradoAfrikan Faith Centre, Afife Yakadome, Ketu North, Volta Region, Ghana), Vudoun Dan Initiate and Priest within the Mami and Papi traditions (Torgbe Shrine, Volta Region, Ghana), and a Kontomble Diviner (Recluse – Erou, Diebougou, Burkina Faso).

Mechell Marshall

Presenter

Barbadian Registered Nurse, Midwife, Public Health Sister & Iyanifa (Yoruba Ifá / Òrìṣà Tradition)

Mechell Marshall (RN, RM, PHS) is a Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife, and Public Health Sister, as well as a community advocate, educator, and lifelong student of Ifá and Òrìṣà traditions. Within the Yoruba spiritual tradition she is Iyanifa Abeni Osunyemi Ogunfumi Awoinfa Falokun, Agba Iya Iwa Pele Ile — dedicated to upholding the wisdom of Ifá, cultivating Ìwà Pẹ̀lẹ́ (good character), honouring the ancestors, and preserving the sacred traditions of the Òrìṣà. Her work bridges healthcare, community service, and Indigenous African knowledge systems, recognising that true healing embraces body, mind, spirit, community, and our relationship with the Earth.

Nana Yaw Wi Asamoah Boadi

Presenter

Ghanaian Traditionalist Scholar, Research Associate, Institute for Indigenous Intelligence & Member, National Association of Traditionalists and Ancestral Venerators (NATAV)

Nana Yaw Wi Asamoah Boadi is a Ghanaian traditionalist scholar and Research Associate at the Institute for Indigenous Intelligence, based at the Nile Valley Multiversity in the Bono East Region of Ghana. A member of the National Association of Traditionalists and Ancestral Venerators (NATAV), his work centres on African indigenous spirituality, the philosophy and cosmology of the Abosom and Suman traditions, and the interface between African metaphysics and modern systems of knowledge. He has written extensively on the epistemic value of African traditional shrines and spiritual mediums, advocating for legal and cultural recognition of indigenous religious practices in Ghana.

Omar Jammeh

Presenter

Gambian Member of Parliament, Janjanbureh Constituency · Community-Based Tourism Advocate & Youth Leader

Omar Jammeh is a Gambian community leader, sustainable tourism advocate, and elected Member of Parliament for the Janjanbureh Constituency since 2022. A champion of community-based tourism and youth empowerment, he serves as Director of Janjanbureh Uniting Sustainable Tourism and Community Training (JustAct Gambia) and Coordinator of International Friends of Nature. He has held leadership roles including Regional Youth Chairperson of the Central River Region and Board Member of the National Youth Council and the Gambia Youth Chamber of Commerce.