The mission of our organization is to provide a viable alternative to conventional African art authentication. Our membership is composed of native born Africans who have gained extensive knowledge of their respective country's artifacts through generational passage, actual personal and tribal ceremonial use. Their accreditations are not of formal institutions, European or other, rather they have been garnered from an inherited and first hand perspective one gains from being an active participant in tribal matters. Each person has either crafted or procured and authenticated African art, special to their country and have agreed to certify selections obtained by the Authentic Africa Company.

1) Person must be a native born African.

2) Person must have spent 3/4 of his or her life in Africa.

3) Person must have at least two generations of relatives residing in country of expertise.

4) Person must have either 5 years of experience as a tribal craftsman or 10 years as an active procurer of African art.

Njoya Arouna - Njoyas' family has a long artistic tradition. His ancestors include both the royalty of the Bamun people and a long line of craftsmen who worked in metal for the king. His father, Alassa, came to the United States in the early sixties and established himself as a consultant to collectors and source of fine, authentic African art to galleries throughout the eastern states. Upon the retirement of his father, Njoya keeping with tradition now serves as an African art authenticator.

Dramani Baja - born in Gambia, Mr. Baja has resided in Nigeria for the last seventeen years with close relatives. Deciding to carry on and extend the family practice he became a procurer of fine Nigerian art. Coupled with his extensive knowledge of the Yoruba and Nupe people he quickly became very successful in the United States as a dealer and consultant.

Kaye Diakite - Due to civil unrest, twenty years into his life Kaye and his family moved from native Guinea into Liberia with relatives. When offered a choice between farming, his previous career in Guinea and working with tribal art, Kaye eagerly chose the latter as his new profession. Now after almost thirty years, Mr. Diakite has become an authority for traditional art involving the Bete, Dan and Gere people.

Chantal Madio - One of twenty three children, Ms. Madio discovered at an early age that she had a special affinity for the art of her country, Cameroon. Being a member of the famed Bamoun tribe she gained her primal functional knowledge of the arts through intense prescribed ritualistic practice as dictated by her village. Chantals' close relationship with the Bamoun king and elders enabled her to gain a privileged and intimate understanding of Bamoun royal art. Feeding a natural curiosity she went on to broaden her field of expertise to the Bamileke and Punu tribes. Ms. Madio is a well known and respected fine arts dealer in Cameroon and throughout the United States.

Amadou Njoya - Born in the country of Cameroon, his grandfather was a exclusive royal court artisan. This position is held by the most gifted artist who must also have extensive religious/political/historical knowledge of royal lines and related art work. Such understanding is usually passed from generation to generation within the same families. As expected Mr. Njoya acquired the training and expertise befitting his family tradition but chose the career of art historian and dealer. Within the last 22 years he has become a viable source for the arts of Cameroon and Nigeria.

Mossa Ruganda - from Tanzania, a noted art consultant/dealer specializing in the classification and acqusition of African art pertaining to the Zigua, Gogo, MaKonde, Zaramu, Nyamezi and Sukuma people.

Dieudonne Sawadogo - Born into a long line of highly acclaimed fine African art consultants and dealers, whose surname Sawadogo is known in the African art circles of London, parts of Europe and Canada. Dieudonne, which translates into "God give", born in Burkina Faso, expanded this legacy to the United States. Due to his unparalleled collective of multi- generational
family resources and a life long practice, Mr. Sawadogo has achieved an in-depth knowledge of all major African tribes.

Abdramane Tandia - "The Fabric Man" collectors and dealers alike will tell you that they naturally gravitate toward certain African objects. Some fancy bronze, masks and pottery while others lean toward statues, jewelry or bead work. For Mr. Tandia his calling was within the intricate world of African fabrics. He is the first in his family to branch out into this area. Born in Mali, of the Soninke people, Tandia has become highly regarded in this field. The fabrics of the Bambara and Dogon tribes are of particular interest to him though he is well versed in the knowledge of various other fabric producing people.

The Alliance of African Authenticators shall provide the service of authentication for and limited to the Authentic Africa Company.