Peter Jatau, Abuja, Nigeria.
As preparations gain momentum for AgloFest 2027, organizers have announced that official details of the festival’s golden jubilee edition will be unveiled in July. The much-anticipated event, billed as a global celebration of African culture, trade, and entertainment, aims to foster intercultural unity and global participation.
“AgloFest is a festival that will promote cultural exchange, trade, and entertainment, and is open to global participation,” said one of the coordinators during a virtual panel discussion, signaling an ambitious scope for the event.
The virtual event also featured prominent voices from the African diaspora, who underscored the community’s crucial role in bridging cultural divides and shaping global narratives around Africa. Panelist Monica Cheru, along with others, emphasized that the diaspora serves as a living link between Africa’s past, present, and future.
“The African diaspora is a bridge between cultures, histories, and the future. They play a significant role as translators of values and languages,” they stated. “We are agents of knowledge circulation, builders of transnational solidarity, and drivers of economic progress. We challenge not only stereotypes but also structural racism. The diaspora is an innovator of hybrid cultures, as demonstrated in many instances of artistic expression.”
In a response to Standard-Times Nigeria, retired Controller General of Customs, Joseph Attah, also highlighted the power of cultural diplomacy in promoting African identity and global respect.
“The whole idea of cultural diplomacy, as I said during the panel, is about cultural communication — our ability to share our culture through words, music, art, and shared expression,” he explained. “It can be seen in our shared passion, in such a way that the whole world respects us for who we are.”
Lennox, a UK-based CEO of Team H.E.L.P – Healing Every Living Person, offered a poignant message to young Africans, urging them to reconnect with their roots.
“I want to advise all African youths to respect their cultures and their elders. Listen more to the elders of the tradition, evaluate, and learn more from them. Because if they don’t learn about the tradition, it will be forgotten. And when it’s forgotten, a country is lost,” he said.
As AgloFest prepares to mark 50 years of cultural celebration in 2027, the call to embrace heritage and foster global African unity rings louder than ever — reminding the world that Africa’s strength lies not only in its traditions but also in its ability to connect across continents and generations.
