& Diplomacy Series
Driving Diplomacy, Integration & Economic Growth — a convergence of culture, governance, and statecraft.
From Conversation to Implementation
The official companion publication of the inaugural Goge Africa Cultural Dialogue & Diplomacy Series
As we reflect on the outcomes of the inaugural Series, we're delighted to share the digital edition of The Dialogue Journal — a carefully curated body of thought leadership presenting practical ideas for advancing culture as an instrument of soft power, economic transformation, national identity, and international cooperation.
The publication is enriched by forewords from Goge Africa, the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), and the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), alongside contributions from an exceptional lineup of thought leaders and practitioners.
Collectively, these contributions reinforce a central message: culture is not merely a reflection of who we are — it is a strategic national asset capable of shaping perceptions, strengthening diplomatic relations, driving tourism and investment, protecting intellectual property, empowering communities, and diversifying Nigeria's economy.
A reference and a catalyst for moving culture from policy to measurable impact. Physical copies distributed to diplomatic missions and institutional partners.
Eyo: Culture,
Memory & Power
The Eyo masquerade is one of the highest traditional honours in Lagos — not spectacle, but a living archive of governance, ancestry, and identity. The documentary traces how this centuries-old tradition sustains an entire ecosystem: artisans, traders, transport operators, and hospitality businesses built around it.
Produced over several years of on-location documentation, it makes the case that culture is both heritage and economic driver. It premiered at the Series' Inaugural Edition — physical and virtual attendees were the first in the world to see it.
Africa's Platform for Cultural Diplomacy
After visiting more than 500 locations across Africa and producing over 500 documentaries, Goge Africa's founders identified a gap: documentation alone was not enough. Culture had to be projected — into the rooms where policy is made, where trade is negotiated, where perception is shaped.
"It's about time we added culture to the policy level — not just for entertainment" — Isaac Moses, Co-Founder & CEO, Goge Africa
Convened with the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), the inaugural edition anchored this conversation in the Eyo masquerade tradition of Lagos Island — the city where Goge Africa's own journey began 25 years ago.
A Serious Cultural Diplomacy Platform
Books, wooden and iron sculptures, and cultural artefacts lined the entrance and the main hall before. Isaac Moses and Nneka Isaac-Moses opened proceedings alongside CBAAC and NIIA leadership — establishing from the outset that this was a structured institutional platform, not a cultural showcase.
The Calibre of the Room
Members of the diplomatic community, heads of federal and state government agencies, including Lagos State's Commissioner for Tourism, Arts & Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, policymakers, private-sector leaders, tourism and culture stakeholders, academics, and students filled the room.
Voices Shaping the Conversation
From Storytelling to Cultural Diplomacy
Isaac Moses and Nneka Isaac-Moses traced a journey that began 25 years ago in Lagos, the State that gave them the opportunity to actualise their dreams. Nneka told the story of an invitation from the Oba of Lagos to cover an Eyo Festival she called unforgettable.Isaac articulated the founding conviction plainly: documentation was never the end goal. Culture had to enter the rooms where policy is made and where perception is shaped.
The
Diplomatic
Dialogue
Accredited foreign missions sit not as observers but as participants — co-constructing a conversation about what African culture means to the world, and what the world owes African culture in return.
Diplomatic representatives from the United Kingdom, Denmark, China, and Burkina Faso joined Aduke Gomez, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Ireland in Lagos, who moderated the session on stage. Jetta Bjerrum (Danish Consul General), Maxime Bengaly (Consul General of Burkina Faso), Yan Yuqing (Consul General of China), and Simon Field (Deputy Head of the British Mission) joined representatives from Germany to speak directly to their countries' engagement with Nigerian cultural heritage. Field called diplomacy "a contact sport" — practised by going out, meeting people, and listening. Bengaly argued that culture belongs in daily life, not just festivals.
United Kingdom · China · Denmark · Burkina Faso · Germany · Brazil · Italy · Ireland
Mali · Ghana · Israel · The Gambia · Benin Republic · Senegal · USA · Canada · Ivory Coast
Eyo, Culture & Soft Power
Moderated by Aduke Gomez, with Joke Silva, Obi Asika (NCAC), Dr. Ola Awakan (NTDA), Prof. Habeeb Sanni, Lecturer (LASU), and Dr. Aisha Augie (CBAAC), the panel worked through what soft power actually requires in practice. Asika put a number on it: African cultural IP capturing just 1% of the global market is worth $23 billion a year — 5% is $71 billion. "The obstacle is the mirror," he said, "and what we have been taught not to see when we look into it." Silva argued that African stories must continue to be told by Africans. Augie confirmed that CBAAC is targeting 100 nations for FESTAC '77's 50th anniversary in 2027 — a golden jubilee for the festival that once drew 17,000 artists from 56 nations.
Heritage You Could Touch
Eyo artefacts, textiles, and costume detail lined the exhibition floor — a reminder that the conversations happening on stage were rooted in something tangible, not abstract talk.
White Lagos: The Official Commemorative Gift
Presented to diplomats, panelists, and selected dignitaries — White Lagos was conceived as a legacy gesture, not a souvenir. A keepsake intended to outlast the day it was given.
Beyond the Programme
Some of the day's most consequential conversations happened off the agenda entirely — over refreshments, between sessions, in the moments the programme schedule.
One Room. One Conversation.
Founders, diplomats, panelists, and dignitaries — together, for the record. The formal close of an inaugural edition that set out to prove culture belongs in the room where decisions get made.
Institutional Partners
Goge Africa Worldwide Limited
Founded in 1999 by Amb. Isaac Onyemaechi Moses and Amb. Nneka Isaac-Moses, Goge Africa Worldwide Limited has spent over twenty-five years building the most comprehensive visual archive of African cultural heritage in existence — 500+ documentaries across 500+ locations on the African continent and beyond.
Broadcasting to over 9.4 million weekly viewers across 14 television stations in Nigeria, and to a larger combined global audience via online platforms, DSTV, and terrestrial broadcasting internationally.
Goge Africa has spent a quarter century not simply documenting African culture but making the case — through film, publication, and institutional engagement — that culture is the continent's most undervalued strategic asset.
Goge Africa is a multiple award-winning institution, a Google Arts and Culture partner, and the convener of Africa's Cultural Diplomacy Platform — the Goge Africa Cultural Dialogue & Diplomacy Series.
Moments From The Day
738 photographs · 2 July 2026 · NIIA, Lagos
Thank you for
being part of history.
The inaugural CDDS brought diplomats, policymakers, and cultural leaders together for a day that made the case for culture as strategy. Relive it below.
#GogeAfricaDialogue
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