Design of a Digital Repository System for Traditional Knowledge Documentation in Taraba State

Traditional knowledge systems encompassing medicinal plant use, agricultural practices, and cultural heritage in Taraba State, North East Nigeria, are at risk of loss due to the declining transmission of oral knowledge across generations. This study presents the design of a digital repository system for the documentation and preservation of traditional knowledge in Taraba State, with particular focus on communities in the Mambilla Plateau. A preliminary ethnographic survey involving interviews with 40 community elders and traditional healers across four ethnic communities documented over 120 traditional knowledge items considered at risk. The proposed repository was designed using a multilingual content management architecture supporting English, Fulfulde, and Mumuye, with metadata schemas adapted from the World Intellectual Property Organization's Traditional Knowledge Documentation Toolkit. The system design incorporates access tiering, allowing full public access to general cultural content while restricting sensitive medicinal formulations to registered community custodians. Wireframe prototypes were developed and reviewed by six community stakeholders, who confirmed cultural appropriateness of the interface design. The study recommends partnership between Taraba State University and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments to develop a funding model for system implementation. Keywords: digital repository, traditional knowledge, Taraba State, cultural heritage, knowledge preservation.