The African International Documentary Festival Foundation (AFIDFF), in collaboration with the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Arts and Culture (OSAPAC), successfully hosted Heritage in Motion 2026, marking five years of documenting, preserving, and promoting Africa’s cultural and natural heritage through documentary storytelling, community engagement, and cultural diplomacy.
Held at the FCT Exhibition Pavilion, Abuja, the landmark programme brought together over 250 participants, including senior government officials, traditional institutions, development partners, heritage professionals, filmmakers, creatives, media organisations and young people. The event celebrated AFIDFF’s five-year journey in heritage documentation, while creating a platform to explore how heritage can drive tourism, creativity, youth empowerment, community development and sustainable economic opportunities.
The Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Barr. Hannatu Musa Musawa, delivered the keynote address and commended AFIDFF’s work in documenting and promoting significant Nigerian heritage sites, including the Sukur Cultural Landscape, Gashaka-Gumti National Park, and the Ancient Kano City Walls and Associated Sites. She emphasised the importance of positioning culture, tourism and the creative economy as drivers of jobs, investment, national pride and sustainable development.
A major highlight of the programme was the unveiling of Lens on Africa, AFIDFF’s Pan-African heritage documentation and cultural diplomacy initiative designed to promote cross-border cultural exchange, documentary collaboration and regional partnerships. The Foundation also launched the AFIDFF Documentary Club, providing mentorship, capacity building and practical opportunities for emerging filmmakers, photographers and heritage storytellers.
The Honourable Minister also officially flagged off the 2026 UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Programme, reinforcing AFIDFF’s commitment to engaging young people in heritage conservation, environmental sustainability, research, documentation and community participation.
Speaking during the programme, AFIDFF Director General, Malame Mangzha, emphasised the need for Africans to take ownership of documenting and interpreting their heritage. He stressed that African stories, cultures and identities must be authentically documented and told from African perspectives, while underscoring AFIDFF’s conviction that heritage and development are interconnected.
The programme also featured goodwill messages from representatives of key government institutions and strategic partners, including OSAPAC, Taraba State Government, National Troupe of Nigeria, Nigerian Tourism Development Authority, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria and NEWMAP-EIB, who reaffirmed the importance of collaboration in heritage conservation, tourism, environmental sustainability, research, youth empowerment and cultural diplomacy.
Participants experienced documentary screenings, heritage photography and institutional exhibitions, cultural performances and networking sessions, showcasing AFIDFF’s work and the potential of documentary storytelling to connect heritage preservation with contemporary opportunities. The event also featured the premiere of the AFIDFF Heritage Song, written and performed by AFIDFF Ambassador and poet Justin Shemmang, celebrating the shared responsibility of preserving Africa’s cultural legacy.
As AFIDFF marks five years of impact, the Foundation extends its sincere appreciation to the 21 partner organisations and institutions that have journeyed with AFIDFF since 2021, contributing expertise, resources, partnerships and institutional support towards its heritage conservation and community development initiatives.
Heritage in Motion 2026 represents a new phase in AFIDFF’s journey, strengthening partnerships, empowering a new generation of African storytellers and positioning heritage as a platform for conservation, cultural diplomacy, tourism, creativity and sustainable development.
AFIDFF remains committed to ensuring that Africa’s heritage is documented, preserved and shared by Africans for generations to come.
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AFIDFF Heritage in Motion Live (full event) https://www.youtube.com/live/5pb3eYghCrI?si=Cun1xDj_O1_A-ly_
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AFIDFF Heritage song: https://youtu.be/s34OqI99sZw
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AFIDFF Five Years of Preserving Nigeria's Heritage Through Documentary https://youtu.be/8nxP6uB1RNc?si=xtWIh_5Xm46e5bJi
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Highlights video heritage in motion: https://youtube.com/shorts/Xse2nXTrrPE?feature=share
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Heritage in motion video 2: https://youtube.com/shorts/kZcsuf2jYgw?feature=share
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National troupe performance: https://youtube.com/shorts/baNXjvrr31I?feature=share
