Set to take place in Niamey in December 2025, the seventh edition of the Festival des Africains du Niger (Festival of Africans in Niger) will transform the nation’s capital into a vibrant cultural and social crossroads. Led by Marc Sylva Bikok, this annual event celebrates arts and traditions, and aims to forge lasting connections among African communities living in Niger. In a context marked by migratory challenges, identity tensions and aspirations towards continental unity, the festival offers a tangible response rooted in sharing, visibility and action.

The programme is designed to bring people together as it highlights diversity, features music, gastronomy, crafts, film screenings and youth workshops. Niger, the host country, will showcase its cultural richness while welcoming artistic expressions from its neighbours around Africa, fostering a spirit of exchange and mutual recognition. The event also focuses on inclusion of marginalised groups, support for young entrepreneurs, diplomatic partnerships and the creation of a permanent African Village.

In this exclusive interview with Dialogue Migration, Marc Sylva Bikok reveals the vision behind a project that transcends mere festivity. Special thanks go to Madame Mireille Boli-Bissouma, who facilitated this interview. The festival thus becomes a platform and a tool for cooperation, as well as a model of local integration — a closely watched initiative at a time when Africa seeks to unite its diversity and unity in one shared future.

Dialogue Migration: What is the cultural vision of the F Festival des Africains du Niger and how does it promote unity among African communities in the country?

Marc Sylva Bikok: The festival promotes the unity and integration of African peoples. It  provides a space where culture becomes a unifying force — through events that celebrate and reinforce cultural diversity, coexistence, social cohesion and a sense of shared African identity. This year, Niger is the guest of honour; its cultural showcases will be presented alongside those of other African communities living in the country.

Dialogue Migration: How is this ambition reflected in the festival’s programme?

Marc Sylva Bikok: The programme will showcase local and regional talents, as well as artistic troupes from various communities, including music, art and gastronomy. Each performance is designed to be a space for sharing and exchange, where diversity and differences are celebrated because they ultimately bring us together. The chosen formats — shows, exhibitions, the ‘village des saveurs (Village of Flavours), screenings and children’s workshops — aim to facilitate encounters between audiences and offer expatriates convivial moments close to their roots, while actively involving Nigeriens.

Dialogue Migration: Does your selection criteria  ensure inclusive and diverse representation?

Marc Sylva Bikok: For artists, we focus on young committed talents, seeking to make their country proud. As for participants and exhibitors, we prioritise credible artisans, traders and entrepreneurs from all fields and all African countries present in Niger who are legally operating in the country and offering useful and innovative products and services to the public. The goal is to combine cultural quality with economic relevance, generating tangible opportunities for the event.

Dialogue Migration: What are the steps taken to engage with young people, women and marginalised groups?

Marc Sylva Bikok: We are increasing initiatives such as meetings with communities, consulates and embassies to ensure the full mobilisation of everyone. We are also seeking diplomatic support for exhibitors and planning discounts on exhibitor booth fees. There will be awards for the football competition, the cultural contest and the best stalls. There will also be a children’s area to introduce them to African cultural values and allow the youngest participants to engage with the festival.

Dialogue Migration: What plans do you have in place to ensure people who cannot get there themselves, such as those living in remote areas or in vulnerable situations, have easy access?

Marc Sylva Bikok: We will collaborate with community leaders to identify these individuals and provide them with invitations to paid activities. We will also establish partnerships with transport unions to assist people living in remote areas to travel to the event. These logistical measures aim to reduce material barriers to participation and ensure truly inclusive attendance.

Dialogue Migration: How does the festival intend to transform visibility into lasting impact?

Marc Sylva Bikok: By selecting innovative exhibitors and creating conditions for meaningful exchanges, we hope to generate numerous collaborations and projects that emerge from the festival. We will also measure the impact by the participation of all African communities in Niger, without exception and by the qualitative feedback from participants, including national authorities, sponsors, media partners and festival attendees. These indicators will guide our post-event follow-up.

JDialogue Migration: What are the prospects for expanding the festival’s reach while strengthening its local roots?

Marc Sylva Bikok: Our goal is to develop sub-regional cultural partnerships and create a platform that unites associations to organise activities that empower communities, such as training, networking, education, raising awareness, providing mutual support and community projects. The idea is to create a lasting space for training and cooperation that goes beyond a one-time event.

Dialogue Migration: You also mentioned creating an African village. What role do you envisage for it?

Marc Sylva Bikok: The creation of an African village dedicated to culture, economic exchanges and youth training addresses the need for a permanent space to consolidate the connections formed during the festival. It will support young entrepreneurs, provide regular training, host association meetings and create business opportunities. It would also serve to professionalise local skills and foster cross-border cooperation.

Dialogue Migration: What is expected of advertisers and partners?

Marc Sylva BIKOK: The festival targets advertisers offering innovative, useful and practical products and services for African communities in Niger. We seek partners willing to develop their corporate social responsibility through visibility initiatives that highlight culture and encourage youth and women’s entrepreneurship. We seek partners who are willing to invest in social sustainability rather than just short-term visibility.

Dialogue Migration: How can the  Festival des Africains du Niger serve as a model for African integration?

Marc Sylva Bikok: By celebrating the contributions of different peoples to the cultural identity of the continent and Niger, enabling expatriates to enjoy convivial moments away from their homelands and fostering economic and educational exchanges, the festival offers a vision of integration rooted in mutual recognition and local empowerment. If the aforementioned collaborations come to fruition, this model could inspire other similar regional initiatives.

Marc Sylva BIKOK’s presentation of the  Festival des Africains du Nigergoes beyond the scope of a cultural event. Instead, it becomes a laboratory of integration — a space where differences foster lasting connections rather than divide. By prioritising inclusion, training and entrepreneurship, the project offers a vision of an Africa built from the ground up and deeply rooted in its communities, talents and local solidarity. At a time when speeches about African unity often fail to translate into action, this particular initiative invites us to reconsider the levers of cohesion. What if integration were played out not only in political summits, but also in cultural villages, artisan stalls and children’s workshops? The Niamey event on 5 and 6 December 2025 could provide an answer. The key will be turning promises into practice and transforming one-day encounters into long-term commitments.

Written interview granted to Dialogue Migration.