Goge Africa has unveiled a new Cultural Dialogue and Diplomacy Series aimed at positioning African culture as a strategic tool for diplomacy, tourism development and economic growth.
The initiative was announced on Monday in Lagos by the Co-founder of Goge Africa, Nneka Isaac-Moses, who described it as the next phase in the organisation’s more than 25-year mission of documenting and promoting African heritage across the continent.
According to her, the series is being convened in partnership with the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), with support from the Lagos State Government and the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy.
Isaac-Moses said the platform represents a shift from cultural storytelling to active policy engagement, creating opportunities for culture to contribute to discussions on diplomacy, trade, tourism and development.
“For over twenty-five years, we carried the camera.
“We went to the villages, the palaces, the festivals, the sacred spaces.
“We documented everything we could but documentation alone is not enough.
“Culture must enter the rooms where policy is made, where trade is negotiated, where perception is shaped.
“That is what this series is designed to do,” she said.
She disclosed that the maiden edition of the series, scheduled for July 2, 2026, will focus on the theme, ‘Eyo, Culture and Soft Power — Driving Diplomacy, Integration and Economic Growth.’
The event will use the Eyo cultural tradition as a framework for examining the role of culture in diplomacy, regional integration and economic advancement.
Isaac-Moses noted that the initiative is designed as an annual platform that will spotlight different African cultural traditions, cities and themes while encouraging partnerships, cultural exchange, tourism promotion and investment opportunities across the continent.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme will feature the premiere of a documentary titled ‘Eyo: Culture, Memory and Power,’ a high-level dialogue on culture and soft power, a diplomatic roundtable involving more than 20 consular missions, and a curated cultural exhibition.
The event will also witness the inauguration of ‘The Dialogue Journal,’ a publication dedicated to cultural diplomacy and thought leadership.
Speaking on the significance of the initiative, Director-General of NIIA, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, said culture has become an increasingly important tool in international relations.
“Culture — how nations tell their stories, project their values, and engage with one another, has become a defining instrument of diplomacy.
“That is why NIIA is proud to host and co-convene this Series,” he said.
Founded in 1999, Goge Africa is a pan-African tourism and cultural programme conceptualised and anchored by Nigerian couple Isaac and Nneka Moses.
