Every culture has a story.
Ours begins with a purpose.
CuHeWe — the Cultural Heritage & Wellness Initiative — was founded on a simple belief: culture lives through people. We exist to celebrate Nigeria's rich cultural heritage by supporting the creatives, cultural custodians, and communities who carry it forward. Through meaningful programmes, partnerships, and shared experiences, we are building a future where our heritage continues to inspire generations.
Safeguarding the traditions, languages, stories, and crafts that shape who we are.
Backing the creatives and custodians who keep culture alive, so they can thrive.
Passing heritage from one generation to the next through shared experiences.
OUR STORY - WHY WE STARTED
Culture is not something we visit.
It is something we live.
It is heard in the languages we speak, seen in the crafts we create, remembered through our stories, and celebrated in our music, festivals, and traditions.
Yet many of these traditions are becoming less visible as cultural knowledge fades, languages disappear, and the people preserving them face growing social and economic challenges.
We saw an opportunity to respond differently. Rather than focusing only on preserving traditions, we chose to support the people who keep those traditions alive. That idea became CuHeWe.
Today, we bring together creatives, cultural practitioners, educators, organisations, and communities to celebrate heritage, promote wellbeing, and create opportunities that help culture continue to flourish.
OUR VISION
A Nigeria where heritage is not only preserved, but actively celebrated.
A future where every creative has the opportunity to thrive, every community takes pride in its cultural identity, and every generation contributes to keeping our shared heritage alive.
OUR MISSION
When people thrive,
culture thrives.
Our mission is to keep Nigeria's culture alive by preserving heritage, supporting creative wellbeing, and creating opportunities for sustainable growth through education, collaboration, and community-driven programmes.
How we create lasting impact
Our work is guided by three interconnected impact areas that strengthen both people and culture.
Heritage Preservation
We celebrate and preserve the traditions, languages, stories, crafts, and artistic expressions that shape Nigeria's cultural identity.
Creative Wellbeing
We create opportunities for creatives to grow through learning, connection, wellness, and community support.
Sustainable Creative Futures
We equip creatives with practical knowledge, partnerships, and opportunities that help them build resilient careers while contributing to a thriving cultural landscape.
The principles that guide us
We Celebrate Heritage
We honour Nigeria's diverse cultures, traditions, languages, and artistic expressions because they tell the story of who we are.
We Put People First
Culture exists because people keep it alive. Supporting creatives and cultural custodians is central to our work.
We Learn Together
We believe knowledge grows when it is shared across generations, communities, and creative disciplines.
We Build Through Collaboration
Meaningful cultural impact is created through partnerships, shared ideas, and collective action.
We Think Long Term
Our goal is not simply to organise programmes — it is to strengthen the future of Nigeria's cultural landscape.
The thread that ties them
Every principle points back to one belief: culture is carried by people, so we invest in people first.
This is only the beginning.
CuHeWe is building more than programmes. We are building a movement that celebrates culture, strengthens communities, and creates opportunities for creatives to flourish. As our work grows, so will our partnerships, initiatives, and community of people who believe that culture is one of our greatest shared resources. The future of our heritage depends on what we choose to preserve — and who we choose to empower today.
Meet
Yinka Davies
Convener, Cultural Heritage and Wellness Initiative
Yinka Davies is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, dancer, lyricist, actress, and creative practitioner whose journey across music, dance, theatre, and the visual arts has spanned decades.
Her relationship with Nigerian culture was shaped early by a life of movement and exposure to the country's diverse communities. As the daughter of a Nigerian Air Force officer, she grew up moving between different parts of Nigeria, experiencing the country's many cultures, traditions, sounds, and stories along the way.
From her early work in painting and sculpture at the National Theatre to dance, theatre, choreography, and music, Yinka's multidisciplinary journey has always been rooted in curiosity, creativity, and cultural expression. Her work has included collaborations with leading Nigerian and African musicians, performances across Nigeria and internationally, and years as a judge on Nigerian Idol.
Today, she brings that experience to CuHeWe with a simple conviction: culture must be lived, shared, and carried forward.
Through the Cultural Heritage and Wellness Initiative, Yinka seeks to create spaces where generations can reconnect with heritage, learn from one another, nurture creative wellbeing, and build a more sustainable future for culture and creativity.
Culture is not only inherited. It
is nurtured, shared, and
carried forward by people.
That is why CuHeWe exists.