* aims to rebrand Ijaw identity beyond militancy and oil narratives
By Florencemary Nwabueze
The Ijaw Initiative Movement has announced a groundbreaking inaugural ‘African Ijaw Cultural Festival', aimed at celebrating Ijaw culture, promote tourism, and provide a unifying platform for Ijaw people both at home and in the diaspora. The three-day event scheduled for August 6-8, 2026, will hold at Bicks Garden and Boat Club, Admiralty way-Lekki, Lagos.
Speaking at a press conference held at Silverbird Gallery Victoria Island Lagos on Tuesday, Kuroghogha Ibironke Fapohunda, President of the Ijaw Initiative, described the organization as "a movement, a cultural advocacy heritage platform" created to promote Ijaw identity and give diaspora members a sense of connection to their roots.
"The original concept is actually a unifying platform that goes to a global platform to unify people using culture as a base. We want to use culture as the magnet to bring people together. We are hosting it in Lagos because we have large number of Ijaws scattered across the state." Fapohunda said
She further emphasized the initiative's goal of transforming public perception of the Ijaw people, who are often associated with militancy and oil politics in mainstream discourse.
"We want to change that narrative by creating a platform where we begin to project our own people on what they can do on their talent to the globe. We can now have the best chef, best fashion designer, best swimmer, best wrestler—everything that we know we have in Afro-culture, we want to turn it into a product for the global market." She said
The festival promises to feature traditional displays including cultural dancing, boat regatta, traditional wrestling competitions, masquerade and performances by the Belebele dancers of Amasuma. Other activities include singing competitions in Ijaw languages, short dramas, a gala night with red carpet, and a symposium featuring a book launch for the "Amai Biri" magazine. The event further promised to feature business-oriented speakers and employment opportunities through agencies like Pregnancy Child Solutions, which will offer on-site recruitment for qualified attendees.
Obianga Carter Iyalla, the initiative's Public Relations Officer, highlighted the organization's focus on youth development, noting that the initiative has already hosted two editions of the "Izon Music Camelot" event to showcase young Ijaw-speaking artists.
"This initiative has targeted a diverse range of people, and the youths are the ones that we focus on more. We understand the unemployment rate. We understand the high rate of banditry and high rate of fraudulence from youths... What the initiative is trying to do is bridge that gap, close it, create opportunities where the youth will say, 'Oh, there is something out there that is not fraud. There is something that I can do that people will see." He said
However, the initiative acknowledged that it hasn’t received government backing, aside from a donation from the late Senator Lawrence Erujako in 2023.
"We have written letters to Delta State, Bayelsa State, River State. We haven’t gotten their support yet. But we are still working on it. I know for sure if the governors are aware of what we're doing, they will support." Faphubda said
The initiative revealed it has secured collaborations with Silverbird, AGN Lagos chapter, Rock Shield, and Vick's Garden & Boat Club, which have supported the event since its inception. Fapohunda noted that they are awaiting responses from other potential collaborators, including the legendary Nigeria musician Tim Mayer.
"This is a global vision. So there is no way we can do this all by ourselves. We need all the collaborations we can get. We need all the sponsorship deals we can lay our hands on because by the end of the day, it's also a way of bringing back revenue to our society." Fapohunda noted
Richard Ebizimor Dagana, Vice President of the initiative, emphasized the cultural richness of the Ijaw people, who are spread across six states in Nigeria, including Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Ondo, Edo, and Akwa Ibom.
"The Ijaw culture is very rich. So we want to use this initiative to take Ijaw culture to the world, to take our culture to our brothers and sisters in the diasporas." He said
Organizers envision the African Ijaw Cultural Festival becoming an annual event with expanded competitions for fashion designers, models, and other talents.
"We're going to have competitions where we promote our fashion designers and have Ijaw models. We need to have the most beautiful, the most dressed. We promote them. We create a platform for that." Fapohunda said
When questioned about security for the large gathering, Fapohunda confirmed that the Nigerian Police Force and Joint Task Force would be deployed to ensure safety during the festival.
The festival aims to position Ijaw culture as a global product and attract tourists to experience the rich traditions of one of Nigeria's largest ethnic groups.
"We have a lot of culture, we have beauty, we have music, we have food to share to the world, and we know that the world is looking for a place to go where they can experience something new, feel at home, and home is what the Ijaw people are. The Ijaw people are peaceful people, and we want to share this information, share this lifestyle, and share this beauty with the whole world.” Dagana said