By Nchendzengang Tatah
The second edition of the South West Cultural Festival will now be held from February to March 2026. In celebration of the festival’s chief patron, President Paul Biya, who is a February-born. The new date also aligns with the national youth period, providing an opportunity for the effective transmission of heritage to the next generation. This was the resolution of an emergency meeting on November 22 at the South West Chiefs’ Conference (SWECC) Secretariat in Buea.
The event, originally scheduled for December 11-13, 2025, will now take place from February 27 to March 1, 2026.
In a press address at the SWECC Secretariat, the Public Relations Officer of SWECC, HRM Chief Ebong Pende, stated that the festival’s theme, “Showcasing cultural identity, consolidating peace, and promoting entrepreneurial consciousness,” remains intact.
Chief Pende elaborated that the choice of February is profoundly symbolic. He revealed that the patron of the festival’s second edition is the President of the Republic, His Excellency Paul Biya, who was born in February. “For us, it represents a birthday present for him,” Pende stated. Furthermore, he connected the month to Cameroon’s National Youth Day, highlighting the chiefs’ duty to hand down cultural heritage to the younger generation. “This month will allow us… to transfer these skills, these values to them,” he added.
The President of the Chiefs’ Conference, His Majesty John Ahmadou Mokube, further explained that the nation’s busy political calendar was the primary reason for the shift. “The political calendar of the nation has taken a good deal of the time that we had for preparation, for fundraising, and for logistics,” Chief Mokube stated. He emphasised the need to “leave time for the dust to settle completely for people to reorganise and remobilise financially,” ensuring full participation from donors and attendees.
Despite the date change, the President assured that the core agenda, content, and venue at the Cultural Heritage Centre in Mile 18 remained unchanged. He also announced exciting additions to the programme, including traditional wrestling, canoe races, and major speeches from resource persons focused on entrepreneurial consciousness.
The SWECC leadership also used the platform to reflect on their role as stabilisers in the Region. Chief Penda commended the populace for maintaining peace during recent political events, stating, ” We are very happy that our population listened to us and that the South West Region was very, very quiet during and after the elections.”
Providing an update on the festival’s permanent home, President Mokube drew attention to the ongoing construction at the Cultural Heritage Center, urging the public to visit and witness the progress. He also underscored the inclusive nature of the rescheduled event, extending an invitation beyond the indigenous population. “We are inviting all other populations and cultures resident in the South West, whether they are national or not from the South West, we will include them to participate in this cultural event,” he declared.
The collective message from the SWECC executive is one of strategic delay for a grander celebration. The postponement is framed not as a setback, but as an opportunity to align the festival with significant national symbolism and ensure broader participation. The chiefs are positioning the end-of-February event as a unifying gift to the nation’s president, a pivotal moment for youth engagement, and a grander celebration of South West cultural heritage, now with more time for meticulous preparation.
