Ahead of the 2027 poll, the UPHOLDD Nigeria Initiative (UNI) is rallying no fewer than 3,600 monarchs from across the country to bolster inclusive governance and peace building in the polity.

This follows the launch in Abuja of the RHESHAPE Nigeria 360 Initiative, a transformative Citizen2Citizen Campaign designed to activate 36 million culture heritage advocates across Nigeria’s 360 Federal Constituencies.

The initiative aims to mainstream culture diplomacy advocacy as a strategic tool for peacebuilding, inclusive democracy, and national development.

It aims to integrate traditional rulers as cultural diplomats and co-pilots of development, mobilising 3.6 million special heritage advocates and 360,000 culture impact coordinators to strengthen democracy, peacebuilding, and national cohesion.

HRH Henry Binidodogha, the Ovuru 1 of Ofunama Kingdom, Edo State, National Project Coordinator, RHEMINENCCE, who welcomed the initiative, explained that the monarchs will be strategically engaged as partners in inclusive governance and peacebuilding.

He acknowledged that the initiative will further restore the rightful place of traditional rulers as custodians of heritage and partners in shaping a future where every citizen’s culture is a voice in democracy.

Mr. Real Ime, Programs Development Director, UPHOLDD Nigeria Initiative, added that the goal is to transform heritage into a living resource for governance, democracy, and economic empowerment.

He emphasised that, with 36 million cultural heritage advocates, Nigeria will demonstrate that diversity.

For Pastor Nature Dumale, National Coordinator, RHESHAPE Citizen2Citizen Network: “RHESHAPE Nigeria is a people’s campaign — citizen-to-citizen, ward-to-ward, and culture-to-culture. We are mobilising 36 million culture impact marshals not just to celebrate heritage but to use it as a foundation for good governance, democracy, and development impact. This is the largest grassroots culture diplomacy campaign Nigeria has ever witnessed.”

The program builds constituency-based impact hubs to promote diversity integration, youth empowerment, value reorientation, and inclusive governance. RHESHAPE furher seeks to translate Nigeria’s cultural wealth into democratic dividends, strengthening national unity and sustainable development.

It operates as a citizen-driven movement that connects over 60 million young Nigerians from diverse ethnic and linguistic communities across all six geopolitical zones, building bridges across religion, ethnicity, and region.