September 7, 2025
By Ademola Adekusibe
President Bola Tinubu has described Nigeria’s traditional institutions as critical to peace, unity, and development, stressing that they remain key partners in his administration’s nation-building agenda.
Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, spoke on Saturday at the annual Igede Agba Festival held in Oju Local Government Area of Benue State.
The Igede Agba Festival, first celebrated in 1957 at Ihigile Market, is a major cultural event marking the yam harvest, the most revered crop of the Igede, Benue’s third-largest ethnic group.
Akume said traditional rulers have long served as stabilising forces in Nigerian society and remain vital in addressing insecurity and other national challenges.
“The traditional institution has remained an instrument for peace, unity and progress, and a veritable tool for our administration to explore in solving developmental purposes and other sundry issues,” Akume stated.
“It also serves as a critical player in peace-building processes in troubled zones.”
He praised the Igede Traditional Council for safeguarding its cultural heritage and commended the role of traditional rulers in fostering community unity.
Reiterating Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive development, Akume noted that Benue State has already benefited from federal appointments, infrastructure projects, and the award of the Oju–Ogoja road contract.
The paramount ruler of the Igede, Oga Ero (the Adiharu of Igede), expressed gratitude to Tinubu for honouring the festival and for the federal government’s intervention on the road project, which he described as a long-awaited relief for the people.
Nigeria’s traditional institutions have historically played central roles in dispute resolution, grassroots mobilisation, and cultural preservation. In recent years, they have also been increasingly engaged in addressing insecurity, particularly in the Middle Belt where communal clashes and banditry remain major challenges.
By restating his support for traditional rulers at the Igede Agba Festival, Tinubu signalled his administration’s intent to strengthen local structures that promote peace and national development.
