Center Launches Heritage Centre for Abuja Original Inhabitants

The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has taken a bode step towards preserving the heritage of Abuja’s original inhabitants with the groundbreaking of the Abuja Original Inhabitants Heritage Centre at the University of Abuja. Addressing stakeholders and participants at the event, Executive Director of CHRICED, Dr Ibrahim Zikirullahi, said the centre […]

The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has taken a bode step towards preserving the heritage of Abuja’s original inhabitants with the groundbreaking of the Abuja Original Inhabitants Heritage Centre at the University of Abuja.

Addressing stakeholders and participants at the event, Executive Director of CHRICED, Dr Ibrahim Zikirullahi, said the centre represents more than a physical structure, describing it as a living monument dedicated to truth, dignity, and inclusion for the indigenous people who first called Abuja home.

Zikirullahi said, the center will among other things break the cycles of exclusion and the walls of invisibility that have long obscured the stories of Abuja’s original inhabitants, describing the centre as a sanctuary of memory and a lighthouse for dignity that acknowledges the rights of indigenous communities.

According to him, the centre will serve as a hub for research, civic engagement, dialogue, and cultural expression aimed at protecting the dignity and amplifying the voices of Abuja’s original inhabitants.

The CHRICED director expressed appreciation to the MacArthur Foundation, the European Union Delegation to Nigeria, and other partners whose collaboration made the project possible.

Dr Kole Ahmed Shettima, Africa Director of MacArthur Foundation, in his remarks, explained that the Foundation’s involvement in the project stemmed from a conscious effort to support communities within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“We realised that even though the Foundation has been in Abuja since 2000, we never had any programme focused on the FCT. When this was brought to our president’s attention, he told us, it moved us to begin this work with CHRICED,” Shettima said.

He expressed excitement about the partnership and reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to advancing inclusive governance and community development in Nigeria.

Speaking earlier, the Sarki of Karshi, HRH Alhaji Ismaila Danladi Mohammed, described the occasion as a foundation of justice, memory, and dignity for a people whose stories have long been overlooked.

He traced the deep historical roots of Abuja’s nine indigenous tribes, emphasizing that their connection to the land dates back centuries before the capital’s creation.

“The original inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory have lived on this land for generations. Their cultures are rich, their traditions deep, and their connection to this soil unshakable. Yet, for decades, we have faced the painful paradox of being natives but invisible,” he said.

The traditional ruler recalled that when Abuja was conceived as Nigeria’s capital in 1976, it came at great cost to the indigenous people lands were taken, homes demolished, and communities displaced, with few of the promises made to them ever fulfilled.

He noted that the Abuja Original Inhabitants Heritage Centre would not merely serve as a museum but as a “living archive and civic space” preserving the stories, artefacts, and traditions of the FCT’s nine indigenous tribes.

Also speaking, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof Mathew Adamu, said the University was honoured to host the heritage centre, noting that the institution had long anticipated such a collaboration that bridges academia and community heritage.

“We know how difficult it has been trying to relocate this site more than once, but we are proud to see it finally taking shape. This partnership is a model for lasting change,” Adamu said.