Cultural Oneness Festival: Nigeria’s Country Director, Amb. Kazeem Balogun Briefs Media Ahead of 2024 Edition
Abuja, Nigeria
Ambassador Kazeem Balogun, the Cultural Oneness Festival Country Director for Nigeria recently held a media briefing to discuss the upcoming 2024 edition of the festival, scheduled to take place from 13th- 16th November, 2024 in Tamale, Northern Ghana. During the briefing, he outlined the key activities planned for the four-day event, which will center around the theme: “Leveraging on Our Strength for Shared Growth and Prosperity as One People.”
The festival will feature a diverse range of activities aimed at celebrating African culture and promoting unity across the continent. These activities include a Cultural Exhibition, Cultural Roots Tours, Cultural Fusion Durbar/Street Carnival, Business Forum, Fashion Show, and Musical Concert. Ambassador Balogun emphasized the significance of Nigeria’s participation in the event, highlighting the benefits the country stands to gain by engaging with other African nations through cultural exchange and collaboration.
Joining the press briefing was Ambassador Peace Onuiri, the Assistant Country Director for the Cultural Oneness Festival who also extended an invitation to Nigerians in the creative sector to actively participate in the event, underscoring the festival’s potential to open new opportunities for cultural and economic exchange.
The press briefing also featured contributions from the co-founders of The Taste Of Afrika, the organizers of the Cultural Oneness Festival. Speaking via Zoom, Mr. Tengol Kplemani from Ghana and Chief Martin Chris Glin from the USA both emphasized the need for African unity and the role the festival plays in fostering this unity. Kplemani highlighted the opportunities available for Nigeria through participation in the festival, particularly in terms of benefiting from the progressive diasporan influx to Nigeria. Chief Glin, who has personally retraced his roots back to Africa, reiterated the importance of Africa’s integration and encouraged African diasporans to reconnect with their heritage.
Amb. Kazeem Balogun, Cultural Oneness Festival Country Director for Nigeria briefing the media about 2024 edition in Abuja, Nigeria
One of the key events during the festival will be the Nigeria-Ghana Tourism Roundtable. This forum will provide an opportunity for tourism stakeholders from both countries to engage in discussions and explore new avenues for bilateral tourism initiatives. Ambassador Balogun stressed the importance of such collaboration, noting that it could pave the way for stronger diplomatic and social ties between Nigeria and Ghana.
Prior to the main event, there is a road trip initiative to the festival, themed: “Through The Exits Back To The Roots” which is a three day trip prior to the festival, starting from Cape Coast through Assin Manso all the way to the North. The trip gives participants the feel of our ancestors journey through their exiting point back to their roots point of capture. This will begin on the 10th November, 2024 and dovetail into the festival dates on the 13th to 16th November, 2024.
Another key aspect of the festival’s agenda is the unification of African kingdoms, an initiative known as the “United Africa Kingdoms Agenda.” As part of this initiative, a revered king from Ghana recently led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the former President of Nigeria, H.E Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, at his residence in Abeokuta. This visit was part of the roadshow for the festival, aimed at engaging prominent Nigerians and Africans in the quest to achieve integration through arts, culture and tourism.
Amb. Kazeem Balogun, Cultural Oneness Festival Country Director for Nigeria with his Assistant Country Director, Amb. Peace Onuiri during the press briefing in Abuja
During the question and answer session at the media briefing, participants unanimously agreed on the importance of Nigeria’s involvement in the festival. They noted that both governments and individuals should actively participate to create more synergy between Nigeria and Ghana, two of the most vibrant countries in West Africa, and to further sustain the existing diplomatic and social relationships between the two nations.
About Cultural Oneness Festival :
The Cultural Oneness Festival is a pan-African event designed to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of the continent while fostering unity and collaboration among African nations. Organized by The Taste Of Afrika, an international organization dedicated to promoting African culture, the festival has become a platform for African countries to showcase their heritage, engage in cultural exchange, and discuss ways to leverage cultural assets for socio-economic development. The 2024 edition of the festival, which is set to take place from 13th to 16th November in Tamale, Northern Ghana, will continue this tradition under the theme “Leveraging on Our Strength for Shared Growth and Prosperity as One People.”
