Lagos State has received glowing commendations on the global stage as the cultural engine room behind a new wave of African artistic renaissance, with accolades pouring in during the unveiling of the African Cultural Festival 2025 at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, United States.
EpeInsights gathered that the high-profile ceremony held on March 26, 2025, Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka and globally acclaimed art matriarch Chief Nike Okundaye of the Nike Art Gallery, Lagos, were honoured by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate for their monumental contributions to African art and culture.
While Soyinka was conferred with “Distinguished Honours” for his groundbreaking work in literature and his unwavering commitment to human rights and global discourse, Okundaye was celebrated for revolutionising contemporary African art through her pioneering use of the Adire resist-dyeing technique and her empowerment of thousands of Nigerian women through cultural entrepreneurship.
However, beyond individual accolades, the spotlight also shone brightly on Lagos State, recognised as a foundational force behind the global cultural movement now being celebrated.
Festival Director, Foluke Michael, in her remarks, paid special tribute to the Lagos State Government, crediting its visionary initiatives—particularly the Lagos Black Heritage Festival—as instrumental in planting the seeds for what has now blossomed into the African Cultural Festival.
“That era gave birth to a cultural renaissance,” she said, recalling how the Lagos Black Heritage Festival, championed by Professor Soyinka during his tenure as Festival Consultant, became a turning point. “The iconic ‘Rhumble in Lagos’ featuring President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and boxing legend Evander Holyfield was more than an event — it was a symbolic spark that lit the fire of what we are celebrating today.”
She further revealed that the official countdown to the 2025 African Cultural Festival will begin in Lagos at the end of April, reinforcing the state’s central role as the gateway of African cultural expression to the world.
Wole Adeniyi, CEO of ACI234, organisers of the festival, echoed this sentiment, stating that the event was designed to celebrate Africa’s rich heritage while positioning Lagos — and by extension Nigeria — as a hub of global cultural innovation.
The festival, scheduled for September 19–20, 2025 in Pennsylvania, will also feature the launch of “Duduplugs”, a cutting-edge digital platform developed to connect creative industries across continents and boost Africa’s creative economy.
With Lagos firmly acknowledged as the heartbeat of this cultural revival, the upcoming African Cultural Festival promises to be a landmark in the journey of African arts, powered by the vision and groundwork laid in Nigeria’s vibrant megacity.
