The viral Queen of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, cultural carnival, Suwaiba Abdulkarim, has accused the Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hajiya Hannatu Musawa, of neglecting Northern culture.
Suwaiba alleged that the minister ignored three official invitations to attend the university’s cultural carnival despite being invited, while attending a carnival in Lagos.
The 400-level Archaeology student, who has gained national attention for her striking traditional outfits and promotion of Northern cultural heritage, expressed disappointment over what she described as the marginalisation of Northern cultural promoters.
According to her, the response to the invitations raised concerns about the level of attention given to cultural activities in Northern Nigeria by the Federal Government.
Suwaiba said cultural festivals in the North deserve the same recognition and institutional support given to similar events in other parts of the country.
Her comments have generated reactions on social media, with supporters of the ABU carnival queen calling for greater inclusion of Northern cultural events in the country’s cultural development agenda.
The allegations come amid growing conversations about the need for Nigeria to preserve and promote its diverse cultural heritage, including the traditions, festivals, fashion and artistic expressions of communities across the country.
The claims attributed to Suwaiba were also published by Northern Nigeria Hub in an interview titled, “We Invited Her Thrice But She Went To Lagos Carnival.”
As of the time of filing this report, there was no response from the Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy addressing Suwaiba’s allegations.
