By Hassan Ibrahim
The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) President of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Comrade Abdulrahman Halliru Saraki, has called for the annual ABU Cultural Carnival to be recognised as a national festival, saying the event has gained both national and international attention.
Saraki made the call while speaking to journalist during the opening of the annual ABU-SRC Cultural Carnival, which began with an inter-state cooking competition involving students representing different states and cultural groups across Nigeria.
According to him, ABU is a “mini Nigeria” because it has students drawn from all 774 local government areas of the country, making the university one of the most culturally diverse institutions in Africa.
He said the carnival was organised to showcase this diversity, promote peaceful coexistence and strengthen unity among students from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
The SRC President explained that the cooking competition also provides students with an opportunity to showcase their talents, preserve their cultural heritage and win cash prizes, with some winners expected to receive as much as N500,000 and N1 million.
Saraki said the carnival also gives minority groups and people with special needs an opportunity to participate and receive the necessary support, stressing that the organisers are committed to ensuring that no group is left behind.
He added that the educational value of the programme was significant, as students could learn about traditional cooking methods, local dishes, cultures and business opportunities.
He noted that subsequent activities, including the mega trade fair, would enable students to display and sell their products.
The SRC President said the council was already making arrangements for the Cultural Carnival to receive national festival status, noting that the programme had attracted attention beyond the university and was gradually gaining international recognition.
He also disclosed that other universities had begun adopting similar cultural programmes, adding that the ABU-SRC was willing to share its experience and guide other institutions interested in organising cultural carnivals.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Comrade Aliyu Halilu, said the carnival was initiated in 2018 and had continued to grow under successive SRC administrations.
He explained that the programme was designed to preserve Nigeria’s cultural heritage while demonstrating that people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds could live and celebrate together peacefully.
He said the participation of students from across the 774 local government areas demonstrated the cosmopolitan nature of ABU and showed that cultural diversity could be a source of unity rather than division.
Halilu expressed optimism that the carnival would eventually attain global recognition, noting that relevant tourism bodies, universities and international organisations had already shown interest in the programme.
He commended sponsors and partners for supporting the initiative and thanked the university management, particularly the leadership and relevant student-affairs authorities, for providing the necessary support.
Students representing Kwara, Borno, Nasarawa, Abuja, Plateau, Adamawa, Jigawa and Bauchi States among others at the cooking competition said the programme had exposed them to new traditional dishes and cultures from different parts of Nigeria, strengthened relationships among students, promoted cultural exchange and encouraged appreciation of the country’s diverse culinary heritage.
A panel of judges was invited to assess the competitors based on their performances. Among the judges was Chef Amor Hadiza Ango, a popular food content creator.
Similarly, Chief Amor Hadiza Ango commended the organisers for bringing students from different states together to showcase their indigenous foods, saying the event would promote interaction, cultural understanding and social cohesion.
The ABU-SRC Cultural Carnival continues with a mega trade fair, grand exhibition and traditional cultural parade featuring different tribes and cultural groups from across the country.
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