Nigeria’s Culture Chief, Runsewe Backs Ohafia Festival

Justina Uzo

The National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC), better known for its role in positioning unique cultures, will soon turn to Abia State, to focus on Ohafia cultural festival.

The Director General of NCAC, Otunba Segun Runsewe said the upcoming Ohafia Heritage Festival and Slave Route Tour (OHFESRT), scheduled for January 2 and 3, 2022 in Ohafia, will impact on the economies of the local communities. Last August, Runsewe had unveiled an economic plan to ensure non-oil exports contribute significantly to the nation’s economy. Christened “Beyond the Oil Economic: The Diversification Option for Nigeria”, the culture and tourism stakeholder said they are seeking new ways to promote and sell culture in a bid to start shifting the narratives from near total dependence on oil exportation as the source of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.

They, therefore, hoped the cultural cum tourism event to be held in Ohafia would add value to the economic agenda of the present administration, as the festival is expected to create economic and business opportunities in Ohafia and the Old Bende division. The beauty is that the gains will trickle down to everyone from the tour guides, art and crafts makers, transporters, car rental operators and hotels, as well as other tourism-reliant businesses.

Runsewe, who expressed this view while endorsing OHFESRT said: “Nigeria is known to be one of the most culturally diverse nations of the world. With over 250 distinct ethnic groups, each with a unique cultural manifestation, Nigeria clearly has a comparative advantage over all other African nations in the area of cultural tourism.” He also informed that Nigeria has rich and fascinating cultural festivals many of which are already known in the world cultural map and that they have been attracting both local and international audience.

“It is important to note that festivals serve as a catalyst that attracts recreation seekers to destinations with great tourism offerings. This means that visitors are likely to spend more days in a given destination when attracted to the cultural festivals in that destination,” he said, adding: “This long stay helps to improve the revenue-base of the people and also impact on the local economy.”

Giving reason why NCAC is involved, the Director General said it’s in line with the current economic policy of the present administration with particular emphasis on the economic diversification.

The National Council for Arts and Culture, he said, is working in close collaboration with state governments and key stakeholders in the arts, culture and tourism sector in developing, harnessing and promoting these cultural products as rich economic assets to drive the diversification agenda.

“It is in the light of the above that the Council has given its full endorsement for the take-off of Ohafia Heritage Festival and Slave Route Tour (OHFESRT),” he explained.

The nation’s culture chief also said Ohafia boasts a rich and colourful cultural history anchored on the creative artistry of its people.

According to him, the Ohafia War Dance with its fearsome war-like display rendered in rhythmic drum percussion, energetic and intimidating dance steps, as well as the slave trade route and relics of the slave trade, are some of the materials that could be developed as a rich tourism attraction of economic benefit to the people of the region.

He stressed: “The rich culture of Ohafia and historical remains of the slave trade, including the Slave Trade route are huge for the sustainable tourism industry with economic benefit to the people of Ohafia in particular and Abia State in general.”

OHFESRT is a festival conceived to showcase and celebrate the heritage of Ohafia and old Bende people in Abia North Senatorial zone. The organisers of OHFESRT said the event aims to project a festival and tourism products that would drive tourist traffic to Ohafia and Abia/North and, by so doing, boost tourism in the state.

According to them, “It is a festival aimed at providing a platform to create content to celebrate the culture, history, creativity and artistry of the culture-active people of Ohafia and by extension the old Bende Region. The festival is also designed to create tourism content and develop a tourism economy for the people.

This would be done through publicising natural and historical tourism endowments in this part of Igboland and build steady tourist traffic that could translate into wealth for the people.”