The Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED), in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation and the University of Abuja, hosted the FCT Original Inhabitants Grand Cultural Rally on Monday, 10 August 2026, at the university’s main campus to mark the 2026 United Nations World Indigenous Peoples Day.
In his welcome address, CHRICED Executive Director Zikirullahi Ibrahim emphasized the importance of safeguarding the identity, land rights, and heritage of the Federal Capital Territory’s nine indigenous tribes amid rapid urban expansion.
Aligning with the global UN theme, “Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Safeguarding Life and Well-being,” the event celebrated the critical role of traditional midwives as healthcare providers and custodians of ancestral wisdom.
A central highlight of the event was the announcement of the upcoming construction of the Abuja Original Inhabitants Heritage Centre, a facility designed to preserve local history, promote cultural research, and protect the heritage of the territory’s first peoples.
The event was attended by traditional rulers, diplomats, civil society leaders, Vice Chancellor Professor Hakeem B. Fawehinmi, and High Chief Dr. Kole Ahmed Shettima, Africa Director of the MacArthur Foundation. Organizers commended the indigenous communities for their peaceful resilience despite ongoing socio-economic pressures and land displacement.
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