The original inhabitants of the FCT have called for further strengthening of their cultural ties under a two-year project that will train 300 women and youths.
Programme manager, Helpline Social Support Initiative, Godwin Arome Onoja, who addressed a press conference in Abuja, said Helpline, in partnership with the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education CHRICED, continues to seek to promote the Rights of the Original Inhabitants (OIs) of FCT with support from the MacArthur Foundation.
He said the two-year project promotes the cultural rights of the OIs on three core objectives. This second phase of the project, titled “Strengthening the cultural rights of the FCT OIs,” aims to train 100 more vulnerable women and youth in cultural attire production. Already, 200 had been trained in the first phase.
“This is to increase the cultural identity awareness of the OIs and create job opportunities through skill acquisition in art and craft.
We also advocate for the resettlement and adequate compensation of those whose land has been encroached upon or taken over by developers without adequate compensation.”
He said the nine Indigenous tribes in the FCT are Amwamwa, Bassa, Egbira, Gade, Ganagana, Gbagyi, Gbari, Gwandara, and Koro. Therefore, he called on all stakeholders in this venture to empathise and sympathise with the OIs and join to create an incredible impact that will outlive us and usher new generations to a life of ease in the FCT.
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