SOCIO-POLITICAL

Festivalisation understood as a development of festivals and their influence on people and the surrounding space is not a new phenomenon. It is closely connected with the development of human culture, which dates back to the historical roots of the human kind.1 Due to the close relationship between festivals and culture, it was decided to start the chapter by precisely defining the latter. Aba festival is a channel through which the Etuno people showcase their culture to the entire world. Culture is the learned behaviour of members of a given social group. It is the learned, socially acquired traditions and lifestyles of the
members of a society, including their patterned, repetitive ways of thinking, feeling and acting. Taylor sees culture as that complex whole, which include knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, laws, customs and any other capabilities acquired by man, as a member of the society.2 Culture can be seen as the whole way of life of a people, which include their customs, habits, beliefs, religions and crafts, language, technology, dance, etc. It includes the rules and regulations that govern the behaviours of people in a given society.

Culture and politics have gained renewed scholarly attention, especially within the context of non-traditional diplomacy and soft power. Soft power is the ability of a country to attract and co-opt rather than coerce and often finds its strongest expression in culture, values, and institutions. In the case of Nigeria, one of the most potent cultural exports in recent decades has been its music industry. This industry, once rooted in traditional folk sounds and later politicized by artists like Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has evolved into a global force of influence through genres like Afrobeat, Afropop, and Afrofusion. Historically, Nigerian musicians have not only entertained but also challenged state authority, interrogated societal injustices, and shaped public opinion. Artists such as Fela, Eedris Abdulkareem, and more recently, Falz and Burna Boy, have transformed their musical platforms into vehicles of resistance and civic engagement. Music has become a channel through which disillusionment, national trauma, and the desire for reform are expressed particularly among Nigeria’s politically conscious youth population. This was most visible during the #EndSARS protests, where music provided both a soundtrack and a unifying call for justice.