His royal highness Haniel Banti, Kpang Sanwi and paramount ruler of the Yandang Nation, has urged Nigerians to embrace their local cultures and build legacies future generations can learn from.

Mr Banti gave the advice on Saturday in Abuja during the Yandang Community Development Association (YCDA) cultural festival, noting that the Yandang people are found across Taraba and Adamawa States.

He said culture remains the totality of a people’s beliefs and value systems, adding that no nation or tribe can exist without a firm cultural identity.

According to him, cultural activities define how people communicate and relate with one another, stressing that without culture, effective communication cannot take place.

The traditional ruler said the 2025 YCDA cultural festival was the first to be held in Abuja and was designed to promote two key objectives of preserving the people and building a sustainable institution for generations yet unborn.

“What we are exhibiting here today is part of showcasing our cultural beliefs; our artefacts, crafts and belief systems. We want the world to know that a tribe called Yandang exists in Africa and especially in Nigeria.

“We are not a small tribe. We are Nigerians, and we have equal rights like every other group,” he said.

Mr Banti added that traditional rulers continued to play vital roles in promoting peace, unity and security in their domains.

“By bringing our people together, we work towards total unity. We ensure the security of government in our communities and make sure our people obey rules and orders,” he said.

Sen. Binos Yaroe, representing Adamawa South Senatorial District, said the festival was organised to reconnect Yandang youth in Abuja with their cultural roots, noting that many had spent their lives in the city and barely understood their language or traditions.

He advised the Yandang people to uphold what is right and avoid violence.

Istifanus Zabadi, director of research and innovation at Bingham University, Karu, who delivered the keynote address, observed that Yandang communities in Taraba and Adamawa remained largely agrarian and underserved in terms of infrastructure.

He said persistent poverty was linked to limited economic diversification, inadequate access to education, weak rural-urban linkages, and youth migration in search of menial jobs.

Mr Zabadi urged the people to embrace entrepreneurship and skill acquisition, stressing the need for vocational and technical training centres as well as microcredit schemes for women and youth.

Chairman of the Yandang community, Abuja chapter, Andrew Nariniba, said the association had worked hard to remain united as a socio-cultural organisation.

He said his leadership planned to equip members with skills that would enable them to compete favourably in the economic space, adding that the festival also featured the presentation of an empowerment blueprint targeting youth and women.

Jama Medan, co-chairman of the empowerment committee, noted that climate change had significantly affected Yandang communities.

According to him, environmental pressures and security challenges have pushed many youth out of their communities, while declining yields have worsened hardship.

“Our lands are no longer producing crops, and many of our people have left. Some of those who moved to Abuja are here without skills or any source of livelihood.

“We intend to unveil an empowerment programme where a few of us, the elites among us, can pool resources to support these youths,” he said. 

(NAN)