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September 10, 2025 by Our Reporter
Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) is set to promote North culture and boost its economy with CultureFest.
Media expert and Tourism Advocate, Aisha Garba, whose organisation is driving the event, said the ACF initiative will create jobs, foster unity, and promote non-kinetic approaches to peacebuilding.
Garba noted that the ACF is redefining its role beyond politics to focus on culture, enterprise, and development.
She said: “CultureFest is not just cultural; it is economic, social, and security-related. It will attract visitors, create jobs, build tolerance, and strengthen pride in our identity.”
The festival will begin with a Tourism for Security Summit in Abuja on October 9, bringing together policymakers, cultural leaders, investors, and security experts to explore how cultural initiatives can enhance peace.
Garba added that CultureFest will feature exhibitions, food and fashion showcases, music and arts festivals, adventure tourism, and community-based initiatives.
She highlighted TruNorth, the platform driving CultureFest, which connects culture, enterprise, and innovation to empower youths and transform heritage into prosperity.
Looking ahead, Garba envisioned a North where cultural pride, tourism, and creativity reduce insecurity and drive economic growth.
On the potential, she said: “CultureFest is cultural, yes, but it is also economic, social, and security-related.
“On the economic side, we are creating events that will attract visitors, both local and international. That means hotels will get filled up, food vendors will make sales, artisans will sell their craft, transport firms will get passengers and gain.
“Then there will be the direct jobs created by festivals—ushers, security personnel, stagehands, performers. When you string that in multiple states in North, the impact multiplies.
“CultureFest is a tool for integration. The North is diverse—Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Tiv, Nupe, Jukun, and others. Often, people live in silos, knowing little about one another.
“By creating festivals that bring people together across state and ethnic lines, we build familiarity, tolerance, and harmony. CultureFest is not just a festival, but a movement.
“It begins with summit in Abuja, where policymakers, investors, and community leaders will explore how culture and tourism can serve as non-kinetic tools for peace building and development. ‘‘
“That Summit sets the tone. Beyond that, we’ll be unveiling a full calendar of CultureFest events across multiple states, each crafted to showcase different aspects of Northern heritage and creativity.
“From immersive exhibitions that capture the grandeur of the region, to food and fashion showcases, music and arts festivals, nature expeditions, and adventure tourism, each will reintroduce the world to Northern Nigeria in fresh and powerful ways.
“This is not a one-off celebration. CultureFest is designed to become an annual rhythm of life in the North, just as Coachella is in the US or the Marrakech Festival is in Morocco.
“The Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy is a full partner in this effort. The Honourable Minister is co-hosting the Summit and the ministry’s staff have been exceptionally supportive in bringing us to this point.
“Their commitment shows that this is not just an ACF initiative, but a national priority with the weight of government and cultural leadership behind it.
“Tourism is not the sole responsibility of government; it is a shared duty that requires the private sector, development partners, and forward-thinking individuals to play their part.”
She added: “TruNorth is the platform driving CultureFest in partnership with the ACF, but our mission goes far beyond organising festivals.
“Our vision is to create a connected and empowered Northern Nigeria, where culture, enterprise, and innovation serve as engines of prosperity.
“We do this by building ecosystems—linking members, partners, and service providers across tourism, technology, agriculture, and creative industries.
“More importantly, True North operates as a bridge between governance systems, government institutions, and the governed.
“We work to loosen bottlenecks, open channels of communication, and facilitate policy outcomes that directly benefit communities.
“Our objective is simple but ambitious: to give Northerners, especially young people, the tools, opportunities, and networks they need to thrive both locally and globally.
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“CultureFest is the launch pad, but the wider TruNorth agenda is about transforming culture into commerce, identity into opportunity, and community into collective progress.
“In five years, I see a Northern Nigeria that is confident, creative, and connected.I see young people proudly learning their languages, dressing in their cultural attire, and building businesses around heritage.
“I see tourists flying into Kano or Maiduguri not for transit but for festivals, safaris, and food tours.I see communities where Kanuri and Tiv, Hausa and Nupe, Fulani and Jukun don’t just coexist but celebrate together.
“I see security improved, not only because of stronger forces but because communities are alive with enterprise, pride, and opportunity.
“And I see the ACF, under Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu’s leadership, remembered not just as a political forum, but as the catalyst that turned Northern Nigeria’s culture into its greatest engine of him progress.That’s the North we’re working towards to.”
She expressed her strong passion for promoting Northern Nigeria’s cultural heritage, describing it as a unifying force and a potential driver of development.
Speaking in an interview, Garba said her mission is to amplify authentic Northern voices, showcase traditions to wider audiences, and highlight how heritage can inspire progress for future generations.
She recalled her recent trips to Dutse, Jigawa State, where she experienced the traditional Durbar, and to Yusufari, Yobe State, where she explored desert tourism potential.
According to her, those experiences revealed the untapped opportunities in culture and tourism as tools for both development and security.
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