Distinguished Guests, Esteemed Traditional Leaders, Partners, Friends, and Fellow Advocates,

Good morning and welcome to this momentous occasion—the Grand Cultural Rally of FCT Original Inhabitants commemorating the 2025 United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

On behalf of the Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED), the Cohort of FCT Original Inhabitant Groups, and with the generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, I extend our deepest gratitude to each of you for joining us today.

This gathering is not merely a celebration—it is a declaration.

A declaration that the Indigenous Peoples of the Federal Capital Territory are not invisible.
That their voices will no longer be silenced.

That their heritage is not only sacred, but central to the soul of Abuja.

Today, we honour the nine tribes and seventeen chiefdoms whose ancestral wisdom, cultural vibrancy, and enduring resilience have shaped this land long before it became the seat of power. We celebrate their music, their dance, their language, and their stories—woven into the very soil beneath our feet.

But we also gather to confront a painful truth:

That the Original Inhabitants of the FCT have been pushed to the margins of the city they birthed.

For decades, they have endured landlessness—ancestral lands seized without consultation, compensation, or restitution. The sacred grounds that hold their history, their graves, and their identity have been replaced by government edifices, luxury estates, and commercial centres—while the rightful custodians are left displaced, impoverished and disregarded.

They have suffered political exclusion—denied the right to elect a governor and legislators and denied a seat at the table where decisions about their lives are made. Despite their historical significance and demographic presence, they remain underrepresented in governance, policy, and leadership. Their voices are muted, their rights sidelined, their leadership overlooked.

And they continue to face economic deprivation—locked out of the prosperity that surrounds them. Development in the FCT has failed to uplift Indigenous communities. Instead, it has deepened inequality, leaving them without access to quality education, healthcare, infrastructure, or employment.

Therefore,

This rally is an act of resistance.

It is a reclamation of space—physical, political, and cultural.

It is a demand for justice.

We call on the Nigerian government, development partners, and civil society to act with urgency and integrity. We demand:

• Land restitution and fair compensation for displaced communities
• Political inclusion through affirmative representation and policy reform
• Economic empowerment through targeted investments, education, and job creation

To our partners, the MacArthur Foundation and all allies, we thank you for your solidarity.
To our traditional leaders, your stewardship preserves the dignity of our heritage.
And to the youth of FCT indigenous communities—may you rise with courage, creativity, and conviction to shape a future where your identity is not just acknowledged, but celebrated and respected.

Let this rally be more than a moment.

Let it be a movement.

Let it echo beyond this ground—into the halls of power, the pages of policy, and the hearts of every Nigerian.

Welcome, and let the march toward justice for the FCT Original inhabitants begin.