Abuja Original Inhabitants celebrate culture in style

By: Prudence Okonna

The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) in collaboration with Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organization (AOIYEO), as well as other civil society organizations united to celebrate the cultural heritage of the original inhabitants of Abuja.

The groups gathered during a rally in Abuja, organized as part of activities to commemorate the International Day of Indigenous people (IDIP) 2022 and reiterate the yearnings of original inhabitants in Abuja. 

The rally which was a parade of the nine tribes that make up the indigenes of Abuja was to showcase the dance, food, music, art and other cultural heritage of the original inhabitants of Abuja. They came in large numbers, to commemorate this special Day in their colourful traditional attire, Dance performance and masquerade display.

The nine tribes in FCT consist of Amwamwa, Bassa, Egbira, Gade, Ganagana, Gbagyi, Gbari, Gwandara and Koro.

In an earlier appeal, in preparation for the celebration of IDIP 2022, the Executive Secretary, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), and the Ona of Abaji, Dr. Adamu Baba Yunusa, called on the authorities to assuage the sufferings of original inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

 Zikirulla during a courtesy visit to the Ona of Abaji, said they would not relent in drumming the challenges of original inhabitants into the ears of the government.

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous is annually observed on 9 August every year. The date marks the day of the first meeting, in 1982, of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations.

On this day, people from around the world are encouraged to spread the UN’s message on the protection and promotion of the rights of indigenous peoples.

The 2022 theme is “The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge”.