NIGERIA STRENGTHENS HERITAGE PROTECTION AS UNESCO PUSHES COMMUNITY-LED SAFEGUARDING OF LIVING TRADITIONS

By Simpson Global Media News Desk

Nigeria is intensifying efforts to protect and transmit its living cultural heritage as the country works with international partners to strengthen the capacity of cultural institutions, practitioners and communities to document, preserve and pass traditional knowledge and practices to younger generations.

The latest development came through a capacity-building workshop held in Nasarawa State from August 26 to 29, where Nigerian cultural officials, heritage specialists and civil-society representatives examined practical ways of implementing the international framework for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.

The exercise has renewed attention on an issue that extends far beyond museums, monuments and historical artefacts.

Much of Nigeria's cultural heritage exists in living communities.

It is found in languages, oral histories, songs, dances, festivals, rituals, traditional craftsmanship, indigenous knowledge, food practices, performance traditions and systems of knowledge passed from one generation to another.

When the people who possess that knowledge stop practising or transmitting it, documentation alone may not be enough to keep the tradition alive.

That is why the latest safeguarding effort places communities and practitioners at the centre of the preservation process.

Nigeria currently has eight elements inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, including Durbar in Kano, the Sango Festival of Oyo, Kwagh-Hir theatrical performance, the Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival, Ijele masquerade, the Oral Heritage of Gelede, Ifa divination system and traditional midwifery knowledge, skills and practices.

The new push is therefore not simply about securing additional international recognition.

It is about ensuring that cultural expressions already recognised — as well as those yet to receive international attention — remain active, meaningful and capable of being transmitted within the communities that created and sustained them.

A NEW FOCUS ON LIVING HERITAGE

The workshop in Nasarawa brought together 20 participants from the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, the National Institute for Cultural Orientation, the National Commission for UNESCO, cultural experts and civil-society organisations.

The discussions focused on the implementation of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The convention is concerned with cultural expressions that are continuously practised and transmitted rather than only physical objects that can be placed in museums.

This distinction is important for Nigeria.

A carved object can potentially be preserved in controlled conditions.

A traditional dance cannot.

A dance survives because people continue to perform it.

A language survives because people continue to speak it.

A craft survives because people continue to teach and practise the skills required to produce it.

A festival survives because communities continue to organise it and younger generations continue to participate.

The safeguarding challenge is therefore closely connected to people.

The recent workshop recognised that reality by placing community-based approaches at the centre of discussions.

WHY DOCUMENTATION ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH

For many years, cultural preservation has been associated with collecting artefacts, recording performances, photographing ceremonies and documenting traditional knowledge.

Those activities remain important.

Documentation can create valuable records for researchers, museums, schools and future generations.

But documentation has limitations.

A recorded traditional song does not automatically preserve the community knowledge surrounding the song.

A video of a traditional dance does not necessarily preserve the circumstances under which the dance is performed.

A written description of a craft does not replace the experience of learning the techniques from a skilled practitioner.

A digital archive can preserve information, but it cannot by itself guarantee that someone will continue practising the tradition.

This is one of the reasons community participation is central to the UNESCO safeguarding framework.

The objective is to create conditions in which communities themselves can continue to practise, adapt and transmit their cultural expressions.

That approach recognises that culture is not frozen in time.

Living traditions can change while maintaining their essential identity.

NIGERIA'S EIGHT UNESCO-LISTED TRADITIONS

Nigeria's representation on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list demonstrates the breadth of its cultural landscape.

The most recent Nigerian addition is Durbar in Kano, inscribed in 2024.

The tradition involves large ceremonial processions associated with the Muslim calendar and features horses, riders, traditional authority, music and public celebration.

Its inclusion reflects the significance of the cultural knowledge surrounding the ceremony, not simply the spectacle visible to visitors.

Another recognised tradition is the Sango Festival of Oyo, which was inscribed in 2023.

The festival marks the beginning of the Yoruba traditional New Year in August and connects religious practice, history, oral traditions, music, dance and community identity.

Also inscribed in 2023 is traditional midwifery knowledge, skills and practices, a multinational element involving several countries including Nigeria.

The recognition demonstrates that intangible heritage can include practical knowledge as well as festivals and performances.

The Kwagh-Hir theatrical performance of the Tiv people was inscribed in 2019.

Kwagh-Hir combines storytelling, puppetry, music, dance, sculpture and theatrical performance.

The Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival was inscribed in 2016, while Ijele masquerade was added in 2009.

Nigeria's earlier inscriptions include the Oral Heritage of Gelede and Ifa divination system, both inscribed in 2008.

Together, these elements demonstrate that Nigerian heritage is not represented by a single cultural tradition.

It encompasses different regions, communities, languages, belief systems, artistic forms and knowledge systems.

THE CHALLENGE OF TRANSMISSION

One of the most important questions facing Nigerian cultural preservation is whether younger generations will continue to learn traditional practices.

Modernisation has changed the way Nigerians live, work and communicate.

Young people are increasingly exposed to global entertainment, international fashion, digital platforms and new forms of artistic expression.

These developments are not necessarily incompatible with traditional culture.

In fact, young Nigerians have repeatedly demonstrated an ability to combine indigenous influences with contemporary creative forms.

The challenge is ensuring that young people have meaningful opportunities to learn the cultural knowledge behind those influences.

A musician can sample a traditional rhythm without understanding its historical significance.

A fashion designer can use indigenous patterns without knowing their origins.

A filmmaker can incorporate a traditional story without understanding the community's interpretation of it.

A successful safeguarding system can help ensure that the knowledge behind cultural expressions remains accessible.

That requires interaction between elders, practitioners, educators and younger creators.

COMMUNITIES ARE THE CUSTODIANS

The emphasis on communities reflects a fundamental principle of intangible cultural heritage protection.

The people who practise a tradition are usually the people best placed to explain its meaning, history and appropriate use.

They can identify which elements are public and which may be restricted.

They can explain how knowledge is traditionally transferred.

They can identify changes that are acceptable within the tradition and changes that may undermine its meaning.

This is particularly important when cultural heritage is being documented for national or international recognition.

Outside researchers and institutions can provide technical support, but communities need to remain involved in determining how their heritage is represented.

The recent workshop encouraged stronger collaboration among communities, state governments, traditional institutions, cultural organisations, universities, researchers, practitioners and relevant government agencies.

That approach could help reduce the distance between cultural policy and the people actually practising the traditions.

THE ROLE OF TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Traditional institutions remain important in many Nigerian communities.

Kings, chiefs, elders and cultural custodians often possess knowledge that may not exist in written records.

They can provide historical context and help explain the significance of ceremonies, festivals and traditional practices.

Their involvement can also help establish trust when cultural documentation projects enter local communities.

However, cultural safeguarding also requires the participation of younger people, women, artists, researchers and community organisations.

A tradition cannot depend indefinitely on one generation.

Knowledge must move across generations.

The challenge is creating systems through which experienced practitioners can teach others before specialised knowledge disappears.

LANGUAGE IS PART OF HERITAGE

Nigeria's cultural preservation challenge is closely connected to language.

The country has hundreds of languages and numerous dialects.

Language carries history, humour, oral literature, traditional knowledge, names, proverbs and ways of understanding the world.

When a language becomes less commonly spoken, the cultural knowledge embedded within it can also become more difficult to transmit.

Traditional songs and oral histories can lose meaning when translated without context.

Proverbs may not have direct equivalents in another language.

Names of plants, farming techniques, foods and traditional tools may contain information that is difficult to reproduce accurately in translation.

For this reason, cultural safeguarding should not be separated from efforts to encourage the continued use of indigenous languages.

Schools, families, cultural organisations and digital platforms can all play a role.

THE DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY

Technology presents both a challenge and an opportunity for cultural preservation.

Young Nigerians increasingly consume cultural content through smartphones and social media.

That creates an opportunity to make traditional knowledge more accessible.

Digital archives can preserve recordings of elders, traditional performances, oral histories and craft techniques.

Museums and cultural institutions can use online exhibitions to reach audiences beyond their physical locations.

Artists can reinterpret traditional forms for digital audiences.

Documentaries can bring festivals to people who cannot travel to the communities where they take place.

However, digital preservation must be undertaken carefully.

Cultural knowledge can involve ownership, consent and community rights.

Not everything recorded for documentation should automatically be placed online.

Some traditions contain knowledge that communities consider private, sacred or restricted.

The use of digital technology therefore needs to be guided by ethical and community-based principles.

YOUNG PEOPLE COULD DETERMINE WHAT SURVIVES

Young Nigerians are increasingly important to the future of cultural heritage.

A tradition that cannot connect with younger generations faces long-term sustainability challenges.

But cultural organisations can make heritage relevant by linking traditional knowledge with contemporary opportunities.

A young person interested in fashion can learn traditional textile techniques.

A musician can study indigenous rhythms and incorporate them into contemporary compositions.

A filmmaker can use oral history as the basis for documentary or fictional storytelling.

A designer can study traditional patterns and develop new products while respecting their cultural origins.

A technology entrepreneur can create digital platforms for cultural education.

This means safeguarding does not necessarily require young people to reproduce traditions exactly as previous generations did.

Instead, it can create opportunities for young people to understand, practise and responsibly renew those traditions.

CULTURE AND THE CREATIVE ECONOMY

Nigeria's cultural heritage also has an increasingly important economic dimension.

The country's creative industries include music, film, television, fashion, visual arts, publishing, crafts, design and live entertainment.

Traditional cultural knowledge can influence many of these sectors.

Textiles can inspire fashion.

Traditional stories can become films or television productions.

Music traditions can influence contemporary sound.

Craftsmanship can generate products for domestic and international markets.

Festivals can attract visitors and create opportunities for hospitality businesses, transport operators, food vendors and artisans.

The challenge is ensuring that communities and cultural practitioners benefit from the economic value created by their heritage.

Commercialisation without appropriate safeguards can lead to exploitation or loss of cultural meaning.

A sustainable creative economy therefore requires attention to intellectual property, attribution, community participation and fair compensation.

NAFEST RETURNS TO ENUGU

Nigeria's broader cultural calendar is also preparing for another major national event.

The National Council for Arts and Culture and the Enugu State Government are scheduled to host the 2026 National Festival of Arts and Culture, known as NAFEST, in Enugu from November 21 to 28.

The theme is “Connected Culture.”

The eight-day event is expected to bring delegations from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Organisers have said the festival will combine competitions, cultural exchange, creative-industry training, entertainment and national celebration.

The programme includes formats covering fashion, textiles, traditional and contemporary dance, music, interior aesthetics and cuisine.

The return of NAFEST to Enugu is significant because the city last hosted the national festival in 2007.

The 2026 edition therefore provides an opportunity to connect the historical role of the festival with contemporary creative industries.

FROM CULTURAL COMPETITION TO CREATIVE OPPORTUNITY

The new NAFEST programme also illustrates how Nigerian cultural institutions are attempting to connect heritage with modern creative opportunities.

A competition involving traditional dance can introduce young performers to audiences.

A fashion showcase can provide visibility for indigenous textiles.

A food competition can draw attention to regional cuisines.

A music programme can place traditional sounds alongside contemporary Nigerian music.

A home-design competition can demonstrate how indigenous patterns, fabrics and crafts can be incorporated into modern spaces.

These activities can potentially create markets for cultural products.

They also provide opportunities for practitioners to develop professional skills.

The challenge will be ensuring that the commercial dimension does not overwhelm the cultural purpose.

Heritage can generate economic activity while retaining its community meaning if the people who own and practise the traditions remain part of the process.

CULTURAL FESTIVALS ARE ALSO EDUCATIONAL

Festivals are often described primarily as entertainment.

But they can serve educational functions.

A child watching a traditional dance may learn the name of the dance, the community associated with it and the story behind the performance.

A student attending a craft demonstration may discover techniques that are not taught in formal classrooms.

A food festival can introduce younger Nigerians to regional ingredients and preparation methods.

A cultural exhibition can help people understand the diversity within Nigeria itself.

This educational dimension is especially important in a country where people from different cultural backgrounds live, study and work together.

Understanding another community's traditions can encourage respect and reduce stereotypes.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND NATIONAL IDENTITY

Nigeria's diversity is sometimes discussed primarily in political or demographic terms.

Culture provides another way of understanding that diversity.

Music, language, clothing, food, festivals, storytelling and traditional practices reveal the histories of different communities.

National cultural programmes can provide opportunities for those traditions to be presented side by side.

This does not require communities to abandon their distinct identities.

Instead, it can create a broader understanding of how different traditions contribute to Nigerian cultural life.

The idea behind the “Connected Culture” theme of NAFEST reflects this approach.

The objective is to create connections across states and cultural communities while recognising their differences.

THE INTERNATIONAL VALUE OF NIGERIAN HERITAGE

Nigeria's cultural heritage also has importance beyond its borders.

The Nigerian diaspora has carried music, food, fashion, religious traditions and cultural practices to cities across Africa, Europe, North America and other parts of the world.

International festivals featuring Nigerian culture can create connections between diaspora communities and people in Nigeria.

They can also introduce international audiences to Nigerian creative industries.

The recent announcement of an Edo Festival and Awards event in London, scheduled for November 20 to 22, is another example of Nigerian cultural activity being presented internationally.

Such events can provide platforms for cultural expression, business networking and diaspora engagement.

THE RISK OF HERITAGE BECOMING A PERFORMANCE WITHOUT CONTEXT

There is an important distinction between presenting culture and preserving culture.

A festival performance can display a traditional dance to thousands of people.

But the performance alone may not communicate the knowledge, history and community relationships behind it.

If cultural practices are presented only as entertainment, important context can gradually disappear.

This is why heritage safeguarding involves more than staging performances.

It requires documentation, education, community participation and transmission.

A visitor may see the final performance.

A safeguarding programme asks how the performer learned the dance, who taught it, what it means and whether another generation is learning it.

That deeper process determines whether the tradition remains alive.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL INVENTORIES

One of the practical areas discussed during the UNESCO workshop was community-based inventorying.

An inventory is essentially a structured record of cultural heritage elements within a community.

It can include information about practices, practitioners, locations, history, transmission methods and safeguarding needs.

Community participation is important because residents may identify cultural expressions that external researchers would overlook.

A national inventory can also help policymakers understand where support is needed.

Some traditions may have many practitioners and strong youth participation.

Others may have only a handful of surviving knowledge holders.

The latter may require urgent documentation and transmission programmes.

IDENTIFYING TRADITIONS AT RISK

Not every cultural practice faces the same level of risk.

Some traditions remain vibrant because large numbers of people participate.

Others may be practised by a small number of elderly custodians.

If young people are not learning the skills, the practice can become vulnerable.

Economic pressures can also affect cultural transmission.

A young person may decide that learning a traditional craft is not financially viable.

Migration can separate practitioners from their communities.

Urbanisation can change the environments in which traditional activities take place.

Religious and social changes can also influence whether certain practices continue.

Safeguarding programmes need to understand these different pressures rather than applying one solution to every cultural expression.

TRADITIONAL CRAFTS NEED ECONOMIC SUPPORT

Craftsmanship is one area where cultural preservation and economic opportunity can directly intersect.

Traditional weaving, pottery, carving, beadwork, leatherwork, metalwork and other crafts can provide livelihoods.

But artisans need markets.

If handmade products cannot compete economically with cheap mass-produced alternatives, younger people may have less incentive to learn traditional techniques.

Training, market access, design development and tourism can help.

Digital commerce can also allow artisans to reach customers beyond their immediate communities.

However, commercial success needs to be accompanied by appropriate recognition of the cultural origin of designs and techniques.

CULTURAL TOURISM CAN SUPPORT COMMUNITIES

Nigeria has numerous festivals, historic locations and cultural traditions that can contribute to tourism.

When managed responsibly, cultural tourism can generate income for communities.

Visitors require accommodation, transportation, food and other services.

Artisans can sell products.

Performers can earn fees.

Local guides can provide services.

Restaurants can showcase regional cuisine.

But tourism can also create pressures if communities are not involved in decision-making.

Large numbers of visitors can affect sacred locations and fragile cultural environments.

Cultural tourism therefore requires planning.

Communities need a voice in how their heritage is presented and used.

THE ROLE OF SCHOOLS

Schools can play a central role in cultural transmission.

Children spend significant periods of their lives in educational environments, making schools an important place for introducing indigenous history, languages, arts and crafts.

Cultural education does not necessarily have to compete with science, mathematics or technology.

It can complement them.

A student can learn digital skills while documenting oral history.

A student studying entrepreneurship can develop a business plan around traditional crafts.

A student learning art can study indigenous visual patterns.

A student learning languages can explore local literature and oral traditions.

Such approaches can make cultural education practical rather than purely theoretical.

CHILDREN'S CULTURAL FESTIVAL ALSO APPROACHES

Another cultural initiative scheduled for Abuja later in September demonstrates the connection between children, creativity and heritage.

The International Children Creative and Culture Festival is scheduled for September 24 to 26, 2026.

The programme is designed for children aged seven to 15 and includes competitions and workshops involving cultural performances, drawing and painting, indigenous fashion, mother-language activities and spelling.

The organisers describe the festival as a platform linking creativity, identity, education and opportunity.

Such programmes demonstrate how cultural transmission can begin early.

Children who encounter cultural practices through creative activities may be more likely to see heritage as something they can actively participate in rather than something belonging only to older generations.

WOMEN AND CULTURAL TRANSMISSION

Women also play major roles in transmitting cultural knowledge.

In many communities, women are central to food traditions, textile production, storytelling, childcare knowledge, crafts, ceremonies and other cultural practices.

Traditional midwifery knowledge is one example of cultural knowledge recognised internationally.

The recognition of traditional midwifery as intangible cultural heritage demonstrates that cultural heritage is not limited to ceremonial performances.

It can include specialised knowledge that has practical value.

Documenting such knowledge requires sensitivity because some practices may involve personal or community knowledge that should not be disclosed without consent.

THE QUESTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

As Nigerian cultural products gain commercial visibility, intellectual-property questions become increasingly important.

Traditional designs can be reproduced by companies.

Music patterns can be sampled.

Stories can be adapted.

Craft designs can be copied.

When this happens without attribution or benefit-sharing, communities may not receive recognition or economic value from their own cultural knowledge.

Safeguarding efforts therefore need to consider how traditional knowledge can be protected while still allowing responsible creative adaptation.

This is particularly relevant as Nigerian fashion, music, film and visual arts reach international audiences.

PRESERVATION DOES NOT MEAN FREEZING CULTURE

One of the most important principles in safeguarding living heritage is recognising that traditions naturally evolve.

A culture that never changes would eventually become disconnected from the people practising it.

Young musicians may combine traditional rhythms with contemporary sounds.

Fashion designers may reinterpret traditional textiles.

Festival organisers may use modern technology to communicate with audiences.

Craftspeople may develop new products using traditional techniques.

These changes do not automatically mean that the original culture has been lost.

The challenge is maintaining meaningful continuity.

Safeguarding should therefore provide space for communities to decide how their traditions can evolve while retaining their essential knowledge and identity.

NIGERIA'S NEXT CULTURAL CHALLENGE

Nigeria has achieved international recognition for eight intangible cultural heritage elements, but recognition is only one stage of preservation.

The harder task is maintaining the conditions that allow those traditions to survive.

That means supporting practitioners.

It means documenting knowledge.

It means creating opportunities for young people.

It means involving communities.

It means connecting cultural education with schools and universities.

It means creating responsible economic opportunities.

And it means ensuring that cultural policy is informed by the people whose traditions are being protected.

The UNESCO workshop in Nasarawa has placed these practical issues back at the centre of the national conversation.

WHAT COMES NEXT

The next stage will require the knowledge gained through capacity-building programmes to be translated into practical work at community level.

That could include stronger inventories, improved documentation, safeguarding plans for vulnerable traditions, training for practitioners and deeper cooperation between government agencies and communities.

The 2026 NAFEST programme also offers another opportunity to place cultural diversity before a national audience.

Its return to Enugu in November will bring state delegations together around performances, competitions, creative-industry training and cultural exchange.

Together, these developments point to a broader shift in how Nigeria approaches culture.

Heritage is increasingly being discussed not only as something to preserve but also as something that can contribute to education, creativity, tourism, employment and national connection.

The balance will be important.

Commercial opportunities can help cultural practitioners earn livelihoods and encourage younger people to learn traditional skills.

But cultural value cannot be measured only by ticket sales, visitor numbers or commercial revenue.

A tradition can be economically successful and still require protection of its deeper meaning.

The future of Nigerian cultural heritage will therefore depend on whether preservation, participation and innovation can operate together.

Nigeria's eight UNESCO-listed traditions provide internationally recognised examples of the country's cultural diversity.

But thousands of other traditions exist outside the international spotlight.

Some are practised in villages and towns.

Some survive through family knowledge.

Some are maintained by individual craftsmen, musicians, storytellers and cultural custodians.

Some may never seek international recognition.

They are nevertheless part of Nigeria's cultural inheritance.

The current safeguarding initiative provides an opportunity to look beyond the traditions that have already received global attention and identify those that may need support before their knowledge becomes difficult to recover.

Ultimately, cultural heritage survives when people continue to value it, practise it and teach it.

Museums can preserve objects.

Archives can preserve recordings.

Books can preserve descriptions.

But living culture requires living communities.

The latest Nigerian-UNESCO initiative is built around that principle.

As Nigeria strengthens its systems for documenting and safeguarding cultural heritage, the central task will be ensuring that traditions remain connected to the people who carry them and to the younger generations who will determine whether they continue into the future.

That makes cultural preservation not simply a project for government agencies or international organisations.

It is a long-term national effort involving families, schools, traditional institutions, artists, researchers, community organisations, businesses and young Nigerians.

The success of that effort will ultimately be measured not by how many traditions can be listed in an archive, but by how many continue to be practised, understood and transmitted by the communities that give them life.