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By Damiete Braide
The 2026 Pan-Afrikan Drum Festival in Canada has emerged as a vibrant celebration of African heritage, cultural identity, youth empowerment and international collaboration, with traditional rulers, lawmakers, community leaders and cultural enthusiasts calling for the establishment of festival offices in Lagos and Osun states.
The call came as the fourth edition of the festival brought together Africans and members of the wider diaspora for two days of cultural celebration, intellectual engagement, skills acquisition, networking and recognition of individuals contributing to community development. The gathering also strengthened cultural and people-to-people ties between Africa and Canada.
Organised by The Drum Online Organization (Pan-Afrikan), in collaboration with the Global Forum for Human Rights and Sustainable Development, the festival opened with a Youth Empowerment Programme at Conservatory Hall, Brampton City Hall, before culminating in a colourful Grand Finale at Wesley Banquet Hall, Toronto.
Held under the theme, “Re-engineering Afro-Canadians’ Cultural Heritages for Real Growth, Inclusivity & Sustainable Development,” the festival demonstrated that African culture could serve purposes far beyond entertainment. It presented culture as a vehicle for education, economic empowerment, leadership development, community building and sustainable development.
The first day placed young people at the centre of the programme. Built around the message, “From Celebration to Institution Building,” the Youth Empowerment Programme provided participants with opportunities to engage in conversations on leadership, entrepreneurship, civic responsibility, human rights, cultural identity and nation building.
The programme also incorporated practical vocational training designed to connect African creativity with economic empowerment. Participants received training in lip gloss production, custom cloth printing, herbal hair oil production, gypsum art and decorative crafts. Complimentary Adire fabrics were distributed as part of the initiative, further reinforcing the connection between entrepreneurship, creativity and African cultural identity.
The skills-acquisition component was facilitated by Chief (Mrs.) Kehinde Okoroafor, Chief Executive Officer of Make Me Elegant, and coordinated by Mrs. Folasade Akanni. Among the personalities who participated were Hon. Amandeep Sodhi, Member of Parliament for Brampton Centre; His Royal Majesty Oba Adeola Adeniyi Ajakaiye, the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti; Dr. Israel Olajumoke, State and Resident Pastor of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Lokoja, and Chairman of House of Destiny Global Services; and Yeye (Dr.) Afolashade Shona-Aluko, Yeye Bobajiro Oodua.For the organisers, the focus on young people was central to the wider objective of preserving African heritage while equipping younger generations with the confidence, knowledge, entrepreneurial skills and leadership capacity required to navigate contemporary society.Festival Convener and initiator, Prince Segun Akanni, has consistently positioned youth empowerment as an important part of the broader mission of preserving Africa’s cultural heritage and values.
The second day shifted the celebration to Toronto, where Wesley Banquet Hall became a colourful meeting point for African royalty, traditional fashion, drumming, dance, music, awards and multicultural fellowship.
The Grand Finale featured a ceremonial procession, opening prayer, the Canadian national anthem, Land Acknowledgement, recognition of distinguished personalities, an official opening ceremony, the Grand Pan-Afrikan Drum Procession and Royal Drum Display.
Goodwill messages, cultural and fashion showcases, musical performances and the Pan-Afrikan Awards of Excellence also formed part of the programme.
The Land Acknowledgement, delivered by Chief Jean-Jérôme Baudry, co-founder of Consejo Cultural Yorùbá de Canada, recognised Canada’s Indigenous peoples while providing a thoughtful context for the celebration of African and diaspora identities.
One of the major attractions was the interactive VIP Drum Performance, which allowed dignitaries and guests to participate directly in the festival’s symbolic celebration of the drum as a representation of community, communication and identity.
The festival’s drummers were joined by the NEEMA Cultural Choir and Drummers from East Africa, while the Funky Cultural Troupe and other artistes added traditional performances to the programme. African fashion, music and cultural entertainment further showcased the diversity of African identities within multicultural Canada.
The growing profile of the festival was reflected in goodwill messages from senior Canadian political and civic leaders. Prime Minister Mark Carney commended the gathering as an opportunity to celebrate Canada’s cultural diversity, while Ontario Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism Graham McGregor, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow also sent goodwill messages.
Other Canadian leaders, including Hon. Shafqat Ali, Member of Parliament and President of the Treasury Board of Canada, and Hon. Amandeep Sodhi, Member of Parliament for Brampton Centre, recognised the significance of the cultural gathering.
African traditional institutions were equally prominent at the event. The Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, sent a goodwill message and was represented by Prince Victor Adekunle Alonge, Awokose Omoluabi Oodua, who was also honoured for his contributions to culture and community development.
Other royal fathers at the festival included Oba Adeola Adeniyi Ajakaiye, the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti; Oba Isaac Lanrewaju Ige, the Alaye of Aye; and Oba (Barr.) Lukmon Jayeola Agunbiade, Olute III, the Alagbara of Agbara Kingdom, Ogun State.
Their participation gave the festival a strong traditional dimension and reinforced the role of African traditional institutions in cultural diplomacy, heritage preservation and reconnecting younger generations in the diaspora with their ancestral roots.
A particularly significant development was the call by monarchs and senators who attended the festival for Prince Segun Akanni to establish operational offices of the Pan-Afrikan Drum Festival in Lagos and Osun states.
The leaders argued that establishing offices in the two Nigerian states would bring the festival closer to its African roots and provide a stronger platform for promoting the initiative within Nigeria. They urged the Convener to expand the festival beyond its Canadian base and develop an institutional presence that would allow Nigerians and other Africans on the continent to participate more directly.
The proposed offices could also create stronger links between the festival’s Canadian activities and Nigeria, opening opportunities for cultural practitioners, young people, traditional institutions and community organisations to participate in future editions and related programmes.
The intellectual dimension of the festival was strengthened by Professor Francis Olugbenga Fasanu, Professor of International Finance and Management Consultant at Sheridan College. Speaking on “African Drums, Cultural Roots, and the Economics of Waking Up,” Fasanu argued that the African drum should be regarded as much more than an instrument of entertainment.
Using the Yoruba talking drum as an example, he explained its historical role in communication, storytelling, identity and the preservation of intergenerational memory. He stressed that losing traditional instruments and the knowledge surrounding them could amount to losing important elements of language, history and cultural memory.
Nigerian political and community leaders also participated in the celebration. Amb. Adesina ’Lanre Ogunsola, Executive Chairman of Obafemi Owode Local Government, Ogun State, attended as Guest of Honour, while members of the Osun State House of Assembly included Hon. Oderinwale Elisha Akinyemi, Hon. Fatunmise Olumide Saheed, Hon. Ibrahim Waheed Abiola and Hon. Oladimeji Adekunle Emmanuel.
Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin, Bashorun of Offa Kingdom, former President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers and Chairman of its Board of Trustees, was also recognised with a Pan-Afrikan award. Other guests included Lady Adejisola Atiba, Madam Veronica Oluwatoyin Oyewunmi, Prince Julius Ojo, Otunba Adegbesan and Pastor Elisha Ayantokun.
The Pan-Afrikan Awards of Excellence further highlighted the festival’s commitment to recognising leadership, cultural preservation, community service, professional excellence, philanthropy and sustainable development.
By the end of the two-day event, the Pan-Afrikan Drum Festival had demonstrated its evolution from a cultural celebration into a broader platform for youth development, diaspora engagement, cultural diplomacy and international collaboration.
The drums that resonated across Toronto symbolised more than entertainment. They represented identity, unity, cultural pride and the enduring relationship between Africans on the continent and those living thousands of kilometres away.
With the growing demand for offices in Lagos and Osun, the festival now has an opportunity to deepen its Nigerian presence and establish a stronger institutional bridge between Canada and Africa.
For Prince Segun Akanni and the Pan-Afrikan Drum Festival, the message is increasingly clear: the drum must not simply continue to sound; the history, values, creativity, identity, unity and cultural memory it represents must also be preserved, strengthened and passed on to generations yet unborn.
