Adamawa Cultural Festival promotes native identity as Nigerians are urged to adopt native names to preserve culture and celebrate unity in diversity

Adamawa Cultural Festival has once again brought Nigeria’s cultural richness to the fore, as calls for citizens to adopt native names to preserve their heritage echoed powerfully across Yola on Saturday during the 2025 World Tourism Day celebration.

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The event, themed ‘Tourism for Sustainable Transformation’, gathered various ethnic groups including Fulani, Bachama, Igbo, Tiv, Margi, and Laka, who paraded the streets of Yola in colourful traditional attire from the Total Flyover to the Unity Flyover and Underpass near the Government House.

President General of the Igbo Cultural Union in Adamawa State, Chief Emmanuel Nwabueze Aneke, told journalists that the revival of native naming traditions was essential to preserving Nigeria’s cultural roots.

“On this World Tourism Day, I am advocating that we use our native names,” Aneke said. “That’s why I add Nwabueze to my name. Everyone needs to go back to their roots. We must embrace our heritage.”

The state’s Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Aloysius Babadoke, also spoke during the celebration, emphasising that the Adamawa Cultural Festival symbolises unity in diversity and supports Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s transformation agenda.

Babadoke said the event not only showcased the harmony among the state’s ethnic groups but also underscored tourism’s growing role as a catalyst for economic growth and social transformation.

He noted that Adamawa’s rich traditions and evolving tourism landscape continue to attract attention across Nigeria, reflecting the power of culture to unite people and strengthen identity.

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As the sounds of drums and dances echoed through Yola, the Adamawa Cultural Festival stood as a vivid reminder that embracing cultural heritage beginning with native names remains a vital path toward preserving Nigeria’s collective identity.