Home Special Report All Set For Lagos To Host First-Ever All Nigerian Festival

All Set For Lagos To Host First-Ever All Nigerian Festival

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...Steve Ayorinde...Lagos' Commissioner for Information...
...Steve Ayorinde...Lagos' Commissioner for Information...

All is now set for the All Nigerian Festival (ANF) scheduled for the Main Bowl of the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos State to hold.

The maiden edition of the All Nigerian Festival which is open to everyone will feature an exhibition of Nigerian food, fashion, Arts and Craft, local beverage from various parts of the country, traditional dance and live music amongst others.

According to the organizers, “This festival seeks to promote the cultural heritage of Nigeria. We will be promoting the local cuisines, showcasing the official food of each state in Nigeria to the international world. We will also be showcasing our local liquor like the kunu, zobo, which will be officially packaged to promote it. In the fashion angle, we will be looking at the different fashion styles peculiar to the different ethnic groups in Nigeria. For instance, there is a way the Bayelsa man dresses which is different from the dressing style of the Delta man. For the arts, we will be looking at arts, the craft, cultural dance, and there will also be music.”

Making the announcement at a world press briefing at the Oriental Hotels Lagos, curator of the first-of-its-kind event, Nigerian music Veteran, Kupa Victory, declared that the maiden edition of the All Nigerian Festival is in partnership with the Lagos State government, as the initiative is in tandem with the state government’s drive for promoting the state as a tourism hub.

In a statement, Mr Kupa explained that the festival is a three-day National event, slated for the 13 to 15 April, 2018, designed to showcase and promote “different tribes, cultures and traditions of Nigeria”, through states participation across the country.

He was quoted as stating “in tandem with diversifying Nigeria’s economy and continued dependence on oil crude as a source of revenue, it is time the private sector takes the bull by the horns, to take charge of the tourism sector. This urge, in turn, gave rise to the inspiration for us entrepreneurs to partner with the Federal Government (through the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture) to create a marketplace which will feature cuisines and culture of the West African country, culminating into a festive exhibition.

He said, “well, of course, guests and visitors are assured of guaranteed security from the Lagos State Police command and private security provided for the fiesta. And then we expect subsequent host states will emulate the anticipated success of this edition. We plan to make the ANF an annual event.”

As the hub of entertainment in Nigeria, Lagos State government has thrown its weight behind the festival. According to the Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Folarin Adeyemi “It is the desire of the Governor to always support individuals, groups and organisations that are interested in the arts and culture and by extension tourism activities in Lagos State. So supporting the organisers of the All Nigerian Festival is not a coincidence or mistake because we have done a lot in the past two years of our administration.”

While unveiling, he commended the initiative by reaffirming the support of the Lagos State Government towards the ANF which has been designed to showcase and promote the heritage and cultures of Nigeria through the participation of states across the federation.

As Lagos State will host the maiden edition, the festival will be taken to other states in subsequent editions. Kupa, however, confirmed that several states are already on board to participate in this year’s fiesta.

The All Nigerian Festival is being put together by a group of entrepreneurs who believe in supporting culture with their passion, these include Lagos-based legendary fashion designer, Mr Mo-Ami, a food nutritionist, Miss Iyabo Lawani, an iconic art and craft curator, Mrs Nike Okundaye of Nike Art Gallery, the Director-General of Nigerian Cultural troop dance, Dr Arnold Udoka and Mr Kupa Victory, a veteran Nigerian dancehall pioneer, instrumentalist and musician. Franchise owners of the ANF are Groove Tyme Entertainment, an event and promotions outfit.

Credit: tribuneonlineng.com

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