Traditional leaders from Uganda and Nigeria have opened discussions on how cultural institutions can help build stronger connections among African communities, preserve shared heritage and contribute to peace and development.
The high-level cultural engagement, held at Hotel Africana in Kampala, brought together Emorimor Paul Sande Etomeileng Emolot, the Iteso cultural leader; Juliet Akaliait Among; and Queen Aruk II, also known as Obonganwan Marie Ikpeme Erete, a female traditional ruler from the Eyong Abatim community in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria.
The meeting focused on strengthening relations between traditional institutions beyond national borders and exploring areas where cultural leaders can work together for the benefit of their communities.
The discussions covered cultural preservation, community development, youth empowerment, peacebuilding and the promotion of African identity, with the leaders sharing experiences from their respective traditional institutions.
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At the centre of the engagement was the belief that culture can provide a platform for connecting African communities in ways that go beyond political and geographical boundaries.
Traditional institutions, the leaders noted, remain custodians of values, customs and histories that continue to shape communities, giving them an opportunity to contribute to broader efforts aimed at fostering dialogue, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
Emorimor called for cultural leaders to take a more active role in promoting peace and unity, saying their influence should extend beyond their individual communities.
“We as cultural leaders globally shall advocate for peace and unity. This will be the key contribution to our people and we shall push for it,” Emorimor said.
His message placed traditional leadership at the centre of a wider cultural agenda, encouraging institutions across Africa to work together in addressing challenges affecting their communities.
For the leaders, such cooperation could also create opportunities for cultural exchange and allow communities in different parts of Africa to learn from one another while preserving their distinct identities.
The meeting also brought the welfare of women and girls into the broader development discussion.
Toto Akaliait Juliet Among emphasised the importance of protecting and empowering the girl child, arguing that cultural and community development must also create opportunities for women and young people.
Her advocacy is linked to the work of the Akaliait Development Foundation, which focuses on initiatives aimed at improving the welfare and opportunities of women and girls.
The emphasis on the girl child added a social-development component to the discussions, broadening the cultural agenda beyond heritage and identity to include the wellbeing and participation of young people in Africa’s future.
The leaders also explored potential areas for practical cooperation, including cultural exchanges, youth development, women’s empowerment, preservation of African heritage and peacebuilding.
Such partnerships could provide traditional institutions with opportunities to share knowledge, develop community programmes and establish stronger relationships between cultural leaders in different African countries.
The Kampala engagement is therefore being viewed as an initial step towards developing a wider network of traditional leadership cooperation across the continent.
Rather than limiting cultural institutions to the preservation of customs and heritage, the discussions highlighted their potential role in addressing contemporary social challenges and strengthening relationships among communities.
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For Uganda and Nigeria, the engagement also provides an opportunity for traditional institutions to deepen people-to-people relations between two countries with longstanding historical and cultural connections.
As discussions continue, the focus will be on translating the shared vision into practical initiatives that can benefit communities, particularly in cultural preservation, youth development, women’s empowerment and peacebuilding.
The message emerging from the meeting is that Africa’s cultural diversity need not be a barrier to unity. Instead, traditional institutions can use that diversity as a foundation for dialogue, cooperation and stronger ties among communities across the continent.
