The Chairman of the Moro’a Development Association (MDA), Abuja Branch, Mr. Kaboshio Dauda, says the annual Asholio cultural festival, celebrated by the Asholio people of Moro’a Chiefdom in Kaduna State’s Kaura Local Government Area, is a key platform for preserving cultural heritage, fostering unity, and promoting national development.
Dauda spoke in Abuja at the 2025 edition of MAM Asholio, organised to promote the cultural identity of the Asholio people.
He said the festival, themed “Empowering Women and Youths: Crucial for Fostering Inclusive Growth for Sustainable Development,” aims to promote inclusion and sustain the cultural values of the community.
He noted that “the Asholio people are industrious and possess a rich cultural heritage that must be preserved for future generations.”
Dauda said that “the association is also supporting vulnerable members through knowledge sharing and financial assistance.”
The Chairman commended the Nigerian Government for what he described as growing attention to communities in Southern Kaduna.
Also speaking, the National President of the association, Dr. Jolly La’ah, said the gathering was an opportunity to appreciate God despite the nation’s current difficulties.
La’ah identified population pressure, climate change and competition for land as factors influencing insecurity in Southern Kaduna but noted that the situation was improving.
In her remarks, the immediate past Director-General of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Victoria Akai called for urgent economic engagement at the grassroots to support national development.
Akai said such efforts would help address challenges affecting agriculture, education and security, stressing that rural communities must not be left behind.
“We must take economic development to the grassroots. Women and young people must be central to inclusion because without them, there is no community,” she said.
Akai added that the Asholio community is rich in human and natural resources and capable of sustaining itself with the right support.
She urged residents of Kaduna State to embrace peace, tolerance and unity.
“Let us make Kaduna the most peaceful state in Nigeria. We can achieve it if we decide to live together and secure our state,” she said.
NAN/Oluchi