It is no longer in doubt that Lagos, Nigeria’s most celebrated city
state, will host the 2022 edition of National Festival of Arts and
Culture(NAFEST). There are also no controversies, that NAFEST is
Nigeria’s biggest cultural tourism export and defining the values and
strength in what unifies Nigerians than those things that tends to
lubricate our socio-economic and political dislocations.
From Kaduna to Rivers, Edo to Plateau and Ekiti, NAFEST runs on the
gasoline of Nigeria’s banquet of festivals, dances, indigenous
culinary expressions, history, artifacts, tongues and humongous
display of infinite energy and patriotism which propels endless
research about the richness and unbelievable attitude of the people.
Each festival theme births the prosperity and profiles of our sub
culture and tradition, highlights the intrinsic values and attractive
inclusiveness, and opens vistas to togetherness, unity, love and
connectivity.
Otunba Segun Runsewe, Nigeria’s chief culture officer, sets the tone
for each of the festival outings, powering evangelical cultural
awareness, loves Nigeria to bone deep, and appreciated by many
Nigerians who are amazed at our gift of nature, culture and
hospitality. In the past six years, Nigeria cultural vehicle has
never traversed through the nooks and crannies of our virgin
landscapes until Otunba Runsewe happened on the scene.
His cultural focal message, centres on the change narratives, the
power to fuse our faith and trust in our way of life. At each dining
table of our cultural gastronomy, the massive display of our food
culture, from soups to snacks, beverages and peacocks of ” swallows”
endemic to each geopolitical zones, unveils amazing hospitality
wonder, unseen and unimaginable.
For a time, waiting for the push for our cultural tourism wonders, it
was credited to Runsewe that Nigeria and to everything certainly
bestowed on us by God, from hills, mountains, rivers, landscapes,
groves and forests ecosystems, fauna resources, festivals and dances,
indigenous culinary expressions, there lies a trajectory of a a
wonderful gifted tourism nation.
To Runsewe, to understand the uniqueness and richness of Nigerian
cultural advantage, students and observers of our strategic evolving
cultural renaissance through NAFEST, must admit that beyond our
festivals, Nigeria has a new song on natural resources and
environmental conservation.
” I want to showcase beyond our dances and food culture, the 37
wonders of Nigeria and there no better place to do so than at Eko
NAFEST, ” Runsewe says to the prospect of a refreshing discovery,
which governor Babajide Sanwo-0lu, will unveil in November.
Indeed, our indigenous arts and crafts, positions this reality and
undeniably a bankable economy, tailed with prosperity and a funnel to
attracting international tourism spending, creating rural jobs.
Last week in Lagos and in conversation with governor Sanwo-Olu on Eko
NAFEST, Runsewe made the point known, that lagos, must strategically
reposition its socioeconomic reach and acceptation as Africa’s
destination for commerce and tourism trade, through the eyes of
NAFEST, and the unveiling of 37 wonders of Nigeria.
Governor Sanwo-O Olu, indeed as veritable partner and champion of “new
Lagos” infrastructure, gains on the NAFEST developmental template,
raving up the community to community development which has endeared
him to indigenes, residents and foreigners.
On this belt, the ongoing lagos rail lines, community theatres halls,
road renewals and connectivity and mapping of water transportation
routes, all most likely ready for use and unveiling during Eko NAFEST
in November, certainly propels the visionary leadership of governor
Sanwo-Olu, who assured Runsewe and his team who paid him a pre Eko
NAFEST visit, that his government will not leave any stones and bricks
unturned to showcase a truly Nigerian festival of arts and culture.
Upbeat about a new approach to Eko NAFEST, Runsewe further assures of
digging up buried historical and traditional cultural and historical
information about lagos.
Significantly, Eko NAFEST, will help power new tourism traffic
arrivals, showcase the city culture, night life, hospitality, commerce
and the wonders of Lagos nay Nigeria, all in one full cultural tourism
plate on governor Sanwo-Olu dinner table.
Runsewe says, Eko NAFEST will be different and he can be trusted to
keep his words and power his dreams for greater opportunities for
Nigerian culture tourism rebirth and rebranding through Eko NAFEST
2022. Ready? Let us prepare for Eko NAFEST!!