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The Pan-Afrikan Drum Festival, an international cultural initiative founded in Canada, is set to deepen its presence in Africa following the establishment of its Nigerian office in Iwo, Osun State.
The development followed the official registration of Pan-Afrikan Drum Festival Ltd in Nigeria, with the initiative now set to bring its Canadian festival model to the country.
The convener of the festival, Prince Segun Akanni, said the Nigerian expansion was driven by calls from traditional rulers, cultural custodians, government officials, tourism stakeholders and participants at the fourth edition of the festival held in Canada in July 2026.
According to him, stakeholders who attended the Canadian event urged the organisers to establish the festival in Nigeria and subsequently extend it to other African countries.
The Nigerian edition is expected to go beyond cultural performances by incorporating programmes focused on youth development, skills acquisition and community empowerment.
Activities planned include traditional drumming, music and dance performances, vocational skills training, youth empowerment initiatives, fashion exhibitions, pageantry and other programmes designed to promote African culture.
Akanni said the establishment of the Nigerian office would provide a platform for the preservation and revival of African cultural heritage while creating opportunities for young people, artists and cultural practitioners.
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“The establishment of our office in Nigeria and the official registration of Pan-Afrikan Drum Festival Ltd represent a major step in our commitment to advancing cultural reawakening in Nigeria,” he said.
“Through this platform, we will continue to preserve, revive and promote our cultural heritage while creating meaningful opportunities for young people, artists, cultural practitioners and communities.”
The festival’s Nigerian operation will also share an office with the Global Forum for Human Rights and Sustainable Development (GFHRSD), a non-profit organisation founded by Akanni in Nigeria in 2019 and subsequently registered in Canada in 2023.
GFHRSD works in areas including poverty alleviation, climate-change awareness, human rights, democratic governance, cultural reawakening and gender equality.
The organisation also supports underprivileged people, particularly girls, through formal education, vocational training and technical education, while partnering with non-profit and community organisations in Nigeria, Canada and other locations.
Akanni, who is also publisher of The Drum Online Organization (Pan-Afrikan), said the expansion was part of a broader vision to transform cultural celebrations into sustainable platforms for heritage preservation, youth development, economic empowerment and international cultural exchange.
The establishment of the Nigerian office is therefore expected to provide a permanent base for the festival’s activities in Nigeria and create a pathway for its eventual expansion to other African countries.
