Kogi International Carnival to Promote Culture, Drive Investment

Kogi State will be playing host to Nigerians and the global community at the Kogi International Carnival, to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the ethnic groups that make up the state. The seven-day carnival will take place between December 1st and 7th, 2024. 

The much-awaited carnival tagged ‘Kogi International Carnival,’ was designed to showcase the people’s culture and woo local and international investors to explore the vast investment opportunities in the ‘Confluence State’ with the aim to plough investors’ funds into the economy of the state in particular and Nigeria in general.

The carnival, which was designed to hold simultaneously in four centres across the state in Lokoja, Kabba, Okene and Ayingba, would also present the cultural diversity of the state on global stage showcasing music, dance, dress, food and more as found among different ethnic groups that make up the North Central state.

The carnival, according to organisers, promises to be remembered for a long time afterwards by visitors and investors.

With the theme: ‘Come, Experience, Explore and Invest in the Confluence State Celebrating Unity, Promoting Tourism, and Empowering Local Communities’, the carnival is meant to key into the season of celebration that Christmas period presents across the globe not only for entertainment but also investment while focusing on tourism to keep the state in the memory of the guests expected to throng the event from all over the world.

The event which was designed to be citizen-driven has continued to receive the endorsement of prominent indigenes of Kogi State in various sectors, including traditional rulers. In particular, a foremost Marketing Communication practitioner, who doubles as President of the Nigeria chapter of International Advertising Association (IAA), Mr. Steve Babaeko, has indicated his intention to support the carnival in any way possible.

Babaeko, who is the CEO/ Chief Creative Officer of the nation’s leading advertising firm, X3M Ideas, described Kogi State as a unique state that has a lot of historical relevance to Nigeria. To this end, he called on Kogites, home and abroad to rally round the team championing the course to organise the one week carnival and use it to position Kogi State as an ideal destination for tourism, cultural heritage and gateway to Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to Babaeko, “Historically, Kogi is a unique state, with bountiful potentials and geographical relevance. Kogi has a lot of potentials, including a good geographical location, abundant natural resources, and a growing population that needs to be explored. 

From Lokoja to Kabba, Okene to Ida, down to Obajana, there are so many hidden treasures that need to be tapped. With this international carnival, government and stakeholders would be able to attract attention to Kogi State as a home of opportunities.Taking Agriculture for instance, from time immemorial,people of Kogi State have been the food basket of the nation, farming in Kogi, Ekiti, Ondo and Osun states. More importantly, the proximity of Kogi State to Abuja allows our farmers to move their outputs to the FCT with ease.

 Also speaking about the chain of carnival activities, Prince Philip Orebiyi, leader of the Kogi International Carnival (KIC) 2024 project team, described the carnival as “more than just a celebration.”