Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, welcomed thousands of Kanuri people from across Africa to Maiduguri for the 2026 Kanem-Borno Cultural Summit, a landmark event celebrating unity, identity and the enduring legacy of one of Africa’s oldest empires.
The summit brought together 161 emirs, top government officials and Kanuri delegates from ten countries, including Ghana, Sudan, Gabon, Niger, the Central African Republic, Senegal, Libya, Chad, Cameroon and Benin Republic. Participants arrived in colourful traditional attire, showcasing the rich cultural heritage shared by millions across borders.
Governor Zulum said the summit was a strategic step toward rebuilding the centuries-old transnational kinship of the Kanuri people. Speaking in his native Kanuri language, he urged participants to work together in promoting education, entrepreneurship and social development across the regions historically linked to the Kanem-Borno Empire.
“The spirit of Kanem-Borno must continue to unite us,” Zulum told the audience. “Through shared vision, we can empower our communities, renew pride in our heritage, and prepare our younger generation to take the Kanuri legacy into the future.”
As part of efforts to strengthen educational ties, the governor announced 150 scholarships for students from the ten participating countries. The initiative, he said, would support academic collaboration and strengthen bonds among Kanuri descendants worldwide.
The event featured colourful cultural displays and traditional dances, with contingents from each country performing unique interpretations of Kanuri heritage through music and costume. The celebration transformed Maiduguri into a mosaic of tradition and pride.
The Kanem-Borno Empire, which thrived for more than a millennium,from about the 9th to the 19th century, once covered vast territories across present-day Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Libya. It’s one of Africa’s greatest civilisations, renowned for its advanced governance, scholarship, trade and influence across the Sahel.
Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno was represented by the Governor of Lac Province, Major General Saleh Haggar Tidjani, who praised the summit as a bridge between history and the future.
“Our shared roots must continue to inspire our unity and development,” he said.
Other dignitaries included Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, former Vice President Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, Senators Mohammed Tahir Monguno and Mohammed Ali Ndume and Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan.
Also in attendance were members of the National Assembly, State Houses Assembly, traditional rulers from across Nigeria, commissioners and senior Borno State Government officials.
With its blend of ceremony, reflection and vision, the Kanem-Borno Cultural Summit reaffirmed Maiduguri’s standing as the heart of Kanuri identity and symbolised the determination of its people to keep their shared history alive in a modern world.
