At Convention: WICUDA-Canada reaffirms commitment to culture, unity.

The annual gathering, organised under the theme: “Going Back to Our Roots”, brought together hundreds of Wimbum people from across Canada and beyond, with participants celebrating their cultural heritage through traditional dances, music and other cultural expressions.

The 2026 edition featured the performances of the Nfuh, the traditional Mbum warrior dance; Njuh, an all-female royal dance; Mnkùng, characterised by rattles and xylophone music; and Mndong, the traditional flute dance.

Cameroonian-based Mbum artists, Lexy and Mukolah, were among the special performers at the event, while His Royal Majesty, Ta Nfor Nkwi Rong, the United States-based traditional leader of Mbumland, attended alongside his wife and a delegation of Mbum notables from the United States.

Welcoming participants, WICA President, Erna Ngwayi expressed delight at the massive turnout and the growing enthusiasm for Wimbum culture and unity.

She emphasised that WICA’s cultural gatherings are not merely occasions for celebration, but opportunities to strengthen community bonds and secure a better future for the younger generation.

According to the President, WICA’s major focus includes education and youth empowerment. 

She disclosed that the organisation began by providing scholarships to 40 children in the Wimbum area and intends to expand the programme this year by supporting more beneficiaries.

Beyond conventional academic education, WICA is also looking toward vocational training, with plans to support young people pursuing trades such as carpentry, construction, hairdressing and tailoring.

Ngwayi further highlighted plans to organise empowerment seminars, particularly for girls and young people, aimed at equipping them with knowledge and skills to protect themselves against abuse.

The organisation also intends to introduce health-awareness talks for the wider community as part of its service-oriented activities.

She thanked the Convention’s organisers, volunteers, sponsors, donors, cultural associations and performers for their contributions, stressing that the strength of the Wimbum community lies in unity and collective action.

“Going back to our roots,” she noted, is ultimately about celebrating where the community comes from, strengthening its present and investing in future generations.

Taking the floor, the guest of honor, HRM Fon Nganji Kennedy, lamented the declining use of Limbum in the Wimbum diaspora meetings. 

He called on all and sundry to proudly speak, teach their kids and practice the Limbum as the only way of upholding and preserving their cultural identity. 

Failure to do this, he warned, would eventually lead to the extinction of the precious language. Some WICA deserving members were knighted with traditional titles. 

This was done in a typical ritual in accordance with the Mbum culture and tradition. The ritual was performed by HRM Fon Nganjo. 

The next WICA Convention, it was announced, is scheduled to take place in Montreal, Canada.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3948 of Friday October 23, 2026