A former Minister of Health, Dr. Tim Menakaya, has urged Nigerians to preserve and promote the country’s diverse cultural heritage, saying the protection of indigenous traditions is vital to sustaining national identity, strengthening social cohesion and fostering unity in a multicultural country.
Menakaya made the call during the New Yam Festival, Iwa Ji, at his Chukwudumebi home in Umunnya, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra.
The 92-year-old statesman said Nigeria’s languages, customs, festivals and traditional values constitute an important part of the nation’s heritage and should be deliberately passed on to younger generations.
He urged families, community leaders and young Nigerians to take greater interest in their cultural roots while learning to appreciate the traditions of other ethnic communities.
According to Menakaya, cultural festivals should go beyond entertainment and celebration, providing opportunities to preserve history, transmit values and promote understanding among communities.
He said greater appreciation of Nigeria’s diverse cultures could strengthen national cohesion by encouraging citizens to respect the traditions and identities that collectively make up the Nigerian nation.
Menakaya served as Minister of Health under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and is a founding member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.
The celebration was attended by Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Somto Udeze, former Chief Judge of the state, Justice Paul Obidigwe, and other community and professional leaders.
In his thanksgiving prayer, Menakaya expressed gratitude for the harvest and prayed for continued blessings and abundant harvest in the coming years.
The New Yam Festival is a major Igbo cultural celebration marking the harvest of new yam and providing an occasion for thanksgiving, communal interaction and transmission of cultural values.
For a culturally diverse country such as Nigeria, preserving indigenous traditions remains an important part of safeguarding national heritage while promoting appreciation of the identities and histories that coexist within the Nigerian state.
