Northern Nigeria is gearing up for a historic moment as preparations intensify for the maiden edition of the Arewa Festival, an ambitious regional celebration designed to spotlight entrepreneurship, culture, innovation, and the economic potential of the North.
The festival, organised as part of activities marking the 2025 Global Entrepreneurship Week, is scheduled to take place simultaneously across all 19 northern states on November 22nd and 23rd.
According to the convener and organiser, Hajiya Shuhda Muhammed, the festival will serve as a unified platform where women entrepreneurs, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), artisans, food vendors, creatives, cultural troupes, and young innovators can showcase their products, skills, and ideas. She said the event is open to the public and is designed to attract thousands of participants from within and outside the region.
Hajiya Shuhda explained that the festival will be rich with activities tailored to rejuvenate economic consciousness and cultural pride in Northern Nigeria. Among the key features are trade and product exhibitions, an African food and cultural exchange fair, fashion and craft showcases, and panel discussions focusing on entrepreneurship, innovation, and regional economic development. The panels are expected to host both local and international experts who will share insights on scaling businesses, leveraging culture for economic growth, and building sustainable value chains.
The festival will also include networking sessions meant to connect upcoming entrepreneurs with established business leaders, investors, and development partners. In addition, various forms of entertainment, including traditional music, dance, fashion parades, poetry, and comedy performances, will reflect the diversity and cultural richness of Northern Nigeria.
Speaking further, Hajiya Shuhda noted that Africa has long been recognised as a thriving hub of trade and commerce, with Northern Nigeria historically serving as a gateway for trans-Saharan trade routes. She emphasized that despite this rich heritage, the region continues to suffer from negative stereotypes suggesting economic stagnation and limited potential.
She lamented that the persistent poverty in the region raises critical questions, considering its deep-rooted legacy of entrepreneurship, craftsmanship, and agricultural strength. “For centuries, Arewa stood at the centre of African commerce. From the Kano dye pits and Katsina leatherworks to the famous groundnut pyramids, our ancestors built vibrant economies rooted in trade, innovation, and resilience,” she said.
According to her, it is time to revive that ancestral spirit of enterprise and ensure that modern-day Northern Nigeria reclaims its rightful place in the global economic conversation. “Let us awaken our collective potential and prove that our traditions and trade can coexist. There is a lot of untold history about the depth of entrepreneurship and trade in Northern Nigeria, but unfortunately, these stories are not widely known,” she added.
According to her Hajiya the festival is built around the acronym AREWA, which stands for Africa Rebuilding Economy With Agriculture. She said the initiative aims to broaden economic opportunities by promoting growth in key sectors, including trade, agriculture, entrepreneurship, education, the creative industry, tourism, and hospitality.
She noted that the Arewa Festival is not just an event but a movement to reshape narratives, inspire innovation, and create new pathways for prosperity in Northern Nigeria. With all 19 northern states participating simultaneously, she believes the 2025 edition will lay the foundation for what will become one of the largest cultural-entrepreneurial gatherings in Africa.
