Adamawa govt consults emirs, chiefs for planned mega cultural festival

The Adamawa State Government is presently consulting with paramount rulers to garner their full support for the state’s inaugural Mega Cultural Festival, scheduled to hold later this month.

The State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has fixed the festival for 25th to 29th April, with the aim of showcasing and celebrating Adamawa’s rich cultural diversity, promoting unity, and preserving its enduring cultural heritage.

In the past few days, officials of the ministry have paid courtesy visits to the palaces of five eminent royal fathers to brief them on the forthcoming Adamawa State Mega Art and Cultural Festival 2025.

At the palace of the Lamido Adamawa, Dr Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa, the paramount ruler of the Adamawa Emirate, as well as at the palace of the Emir of the newly created Fufore Emirate, Alhaji Sani Ribadu, the Honourable Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Aloysius Babadoki, noted that the ministry is seeking the royal blessings and endorsement of traditional rulers to ensure the successful organisation of the festival.

Emphasising Adamawa’s abundant cultural wealth, drawn from its 68 distinct ethnic groups, the Commissioner stated that the festival would serve as a grand platform to display the state’s vibrant and diverse traditions.

In response, both the Lamido of Adamawa and the Emir of Fufore pledged their unreserved support for the event and promised to do all within their power to contribute to its success.

In separate visits, the ministry’s delegation also sought the blessings of the Kwandi Nunguraya (king of the Lunguda people), Dr Kuruhaye Dishon Dansanda II; the Hama Bachama, Dr Daniel Shaga Ismaila; and the Hama Bata, His Royal Highness Alhamdu Gladstone Teneke. The royal fathers lauded Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri’s initiative to advance cultural pride and foster unity among the people of Adamawa.

They pledged their wholehearted support for the festival, describing it as a vital avenue for safeguarding the cultural identity of their people.

Dr Kuruhaye Dansanda II remarked poignantly, “A people without culture are as though they never existed.”;
In his own remarks, Dr Daniel Shaga revealed that he had already inaugurated a local committee to support the event, while Homun Alhamdu Gladstone Teneke urged the state government to institutionalise the festival as an annual cultural tradition.

The Adamawa State Mega Art and Cultural Festival 2025 is expected to feature a wide array of cultural performances, traditional displays, and exhibitions, honouring the enduring spirit and legacy of Adamawa’s people.