Stakeholders, including women leaders, cultural advocates, and thespians, have called on women to preserve African cultural and family values to ensure they remain vibrant and sustained for future generations.

They made the call during a panel discussion as part of activities for the ongoing 13th edition of the Nollywood Cultural Heritage Festival in Abuja.

The 2025 festival, with the theme “The Role of African Women in Preserving African Culture,” began on Thursday and will end on Saturday.

The panel discussion organised by the annual thespian and cultural fiesta in collaboration with UNESCO brought together culture enthusiasts and representatives of relevant institutions.

Josephat Ngene, traditional leader of Akwuke in Enugu State, said in Africa, women have always played central roles in preserving traditions and other intangible cultural elements, including local languages, cuisine, and age-long values.

He said many women in the 21st century pay little or no attention to age-old traditions that make African culture unique due to Western influences.

“The upbringing of children is largely in the hands of the woman because she spends more time with them, and this applies to passing across our values and traditions to them,” he said.

Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh said women should mentor the younger generation, who are supposed to be the future ambassadors of culture and tradition.

“Enough of us trying to mimic the Western curriculum in our schools, because our children, in that sense, have been ‘Westernised’, and they are no longer interested in learning their culture.

“They need to speak their dialects, they need to know their cultural value systems, and we need to also give the same enthusiasm being given to the Western ideas to our cultural identity,” she said.

Also speaking, Ebele Ukatu, president of the women’s wing of the Umuoji Improvement Union, Abuja Branch, said that women of today face numerous challenges in balancing their traditional roles with modern influences.

“So we need that support from our husbands, our men, because we need this country to be good for everybody,” she said.

Kayode Aiyegbusi, director of Blackbones Theatre Company, urged filmmakers to tell stories that showcase and put African rich cultural heritage in a good light to the younger generation.

In his goodwill message, Emeka Rolas, national president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), stated that African women are the heartbeat of their heritage and the custodians of traditions, values, and communal values.

“Today we celebrate their unwavering role in nurturing unity, safeguarding our tradition, and inspiring new generations to remain as Africans,” he said.

Earlier in her address of welcome, the head of office and representative of the UNESCO Office, Abuja, Jean-Paul Abiaga, lauded the organisers of the festival for focusing discussions on issues that affect women.

“We are here today to support women and also to reaffirm the central role of women in preserving and transmitting cultural heritage, because women are the keepers of our stories, rituals, and artistic expressions,” she said.

In his remarks, Agility Onwurah, president of the Nollywood Cultural Heritage Festival, said the preservation of culture should be taken as a collective responsibility.

He said the grand finale of the festival, scheduled to be held at the Exhibition Pavilion, will feature a Pan-African food session and present the Youth Cultural Festival Arts Exhibition and awards to relevant stakeholders.

“The 13th edition is a celebration of African culture, uniting Africans and the global community in cultural exchange, while highlighting the pivotal role of African women in preserving African heritage,” he added.

(NAN)