By: Manoah Kikekon
ABUJA, NIGERIA – The Platform for Cooperation on Mixed Migration (PCMM) has announced the decentralization of the 2026 International Migrants Day celebrations. This year, the organization will host a nationwide Cultural Hangout Festival (CHF) on Saturday, December 12, 2026, under the theme: "Nigeria Welcomes the World – Celebrating Migrants, Culture, Contribution and Community."
The 2026 edition will feature simultaneous festivals across five strategic Nigerian locations: Abuja, Lagos, Edo, Cross River, and Ogun. The initiative is designed to spotlight foreign nationals who have made Nigeria their home, whether for work, study, investment, or family-building, reframing the national narrative around the positive impacts of migration.
International Migrants Day, officially observed globally on December 18, serves as a poignant reminder of the dignity and essential contributions of migrants. For the 2026 festival, the PCMM aims to move beyond policy discussions to celebrate the real-life stories and economic contributions of those who have integrated into the Nigerian social fabric.
Mr. Victor Aihawu, the pioneer of the PCMM, emphasized that the event is specifically tailored to recognize the diverse roles migrants play in Nigeria’s development. "The festival will focus strictly on foreign nationals who have come to Nigeria to live, work, study, trade, invest, build families and contribute to society," Aihawu explained. "This event is not a refugee programme, a deportation programme, or a trafficking/returnee programme. It is a positive national celebration of migrants living and thriving in Nigeria."
The Cultural Hangout Festival is set to be a day of immersion, offering a platform where migrants are recognized not as "strangers" but as neighbors, creative partners, and entrepreneurs. By showcasing the unique heritage of foreign communities alongside Nigeria’s own rich cultural landscape, the festival aims to strengthen cross-border ties and promote a welcoming national identity.