Unchained Vibes Africa advocates for national unity, builds bridges across ethnic divides
LAGOS, Nigeria— Unchained Vibes Africa (UVA), last Saturday, October 28th 2023, hosted the 7th edition of its Freedom Vibes Series tagged Freedom Vibes 7.0 Najia Day at the Freedom Park, Broad Street, Lagos Island. The event was aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of ethnic and religious politics, contributing to the healing process after one of the most divisive elections in the annals of the country and helping in rebuilding and rekindling mutual trust and hope for a better Nigeria.
Naija Day provided a platform where citizens from all walks of life gathered to promote national unity and celebrate cultural diversity. The event featured important messages that addressed and countered the lies, false narratives, disinformation and other divisive tactics employed by desperate politicians to divide Nigerians during the 2023 general elections. The messages were accompanied by a medley of contemporary cultural displays by different troupes, including the legendary Igbabonaremhin Acrobatic Dance of the Esan people, Idoma Sabada Dance, Efik Ekombi Dance, the Anioma Cultural Group and the Crown Troupe of Africa. Activities of the event kicked off with a procession within the neighbourhood of Freedom Park on Lagos Island where hundreds of citizens were reached with messages revolving around the need for national unity and intercultural understanding to prevent reoccurrence of ethnic based campaigns, emotional blackmail, ethnic profiling and disenfranchisement of voters on the basis of their ethnic identity.
The event was rounded off with a concert headlined by ARA (Nigeria’s iconic and internationally acclaimed female talking drummer), rap music icon Eedris Abdulkareem, Jude Chukwuka (Marlian Godfather), Abbey Trombone and Guild of Nigerian Dance Practitioners, Lagos chapter, who all leveraged the power of music, drama, dance and poetry to highlight the dangers of ethnic politics. There was a special appearance by Anselm Ramachar a.k.a Ayantunde (the German percussionist with dexterity in Yoruba Bata drumming). Other notable speakers at the event included the Chair of Rastafari community in Nigeria Myke Pam, former president of Association of Voiceover Artists of Nigeria Ehi Omokhuale and veteran journalist and culture advocate Jahman Anikulapo.
Attendees had the opportunity to celebrate the richness of Nigeria’s diverse cultures, amplify the importance of intercultural understanding and national unity. Through the procession and performances, there was a spotlight on minority ethnic groups with less visibility at national gatherings.
Event Photos
