ACF launches CultureFest to boost Northern Nigeria’s economy, promote peace, and showcase cultural heritage through tourism and enterprise
ACF launches CultureFest in a bold move to redefine its role and use culture as a catalyst for Northern Nigeria’s development. The Arewa Consultative Forum announced the initiative to promote heritage, boost tourism, create jobs, and foster unity in the region.
The event, driven by TruNorth under the leadership of media and tourism advocate Aisha Garba, will begin with a “Tourism for Security Summit” in Abuja on October 9.
The summit will bring together policymakers, investors, cultural leaders, and security experts to explore how cultural platforms can serve as non-kinetic tools for peacebuilding.
Garba described CultureFest as more than a festival. “It is economic, social, and security-related. It will attract visitors, create jobs, build tolerance, and strengthen pride in our identity,” she said.
The initiative enjoys strong federal backing, with the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy serving as co-host. According to Garba, this partnership underscores CultureFest as a national priority, not just an ACF project.
Beyond the Abuja summit, a calendar of events will unfold across multiple states, featuring exhibitions, food and fashion showcases, music and arts festivals, and adventure tourism.
The aim is to position Northern Nigeria as a premier cultural and tourism destination, similar to global festivals like Coachella or the Marrakech Festival.
Garba noted that the ripple effect on the economy would be significant—hotels filled, artisans and vendors making sales, jobs for stagehands, security staff, ushers, and performers—all while promoting integration among Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Tiv, Nupe, Jukun, and other groups.
“CultureFest is not just an event; it’s a movement,” she stressed. “In five years, I see a North that is confident, creative, and connected, where culture drives enterprise and strengthens security.”
TruNorth, she explained, is building ecosystems that link tourism, agriculture, technology, and creative industries. Its broader mission is to transform culture into commerce, identity into opportunity, and community into collective progress.
Garba, whose passion for culture stems from firsthand experiences of Durbar in Jigawa and desert tourism in Yobe, emphasized that Northern Nigeria’s heritage is an untapped resource. She sees CultureFest as the launchpad to amplify authentic voices, celebrate diversity, and inspire development.
Under the leadership of Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, the ACF now hopes to be remembered not only as a political forum but as a cultural catalyst for transformation.
Culture4 years ago
