Miran Okpe, Abuja, Nigeria.
The Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) has announced plans to commemorate its golden jubilee in 2027, with official details of the program expected to be unveiled in July.
Speaking on the upcoming milestone, the Director-General of CBAAC revealed that the agency is implementing various programs to celebrate its 50 years of preserving and promoting African heritage. A major highlight of the celebration will be AgloFest, a global festival designed to showcase Africa’s cultural wealth through cultural exchange, trade, and entertainment.
“AgloFest is a festival that will promote cultural exchange, trade, and entertainment, and is open to global participation,” the DG said, underscoring the event’s international dimension.
The announcement was made during a virtual panel that brought together cultural experts and members of the African diaspora to discuss the theme of intercultural unity and the future of African heritage.
Monica Cheru, one of the panelists, praised the African diaspora for their pivotal role in sustaining cultural identity across borders. “The African diaspora is a bridge between cultures, histories, and the future. They play a significant role as translators of values and languages,” she noted.
“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,” the panelists emphasized.
In an interview with Procyon News, former Controller General of Customs, Joseph Attah (Rtd), stressed the importance of cultural diplomacy. “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 said.
He further stated that Africa’s cultural richness is best expressed in its shared passion and resilience, qualities that continue to earn global admiration. “It can be seen in our shared passion, in such a way that the whole world respects us for who we are,” he added.
Also contributing to the conversation, Lennox, a UK-based CEO of Team H.E.L.P – Healing Every Living Person, issued a heartfelt appeal to African youth. “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 the countdown to CBAAC’s golden jubilee begins, stakeholders across the continent and in the diaspora are being called upon to take ownership of Africa’s cultural renaissance and contribute to building a future that honors its rich past.
