Emeka Anokwuru
One of the initiatives of the private sector to put tourism on the front burner in Lagos, Eko Onibaje New Yam and Beach Festival, will hold in Ibeju Lekki to deepen the tourism offering of the people through cultural reawakening and sustainability and once more position the city as a a destination for domestic tourism.
The three-day event begins on September 27, the day set aside globally to mark the World Tourism Day, and ends on September 29, 2019, with a yam feast, entertainment and revelry.
Ozo Chiedu Idezuna, managing director, Castledown Art Centre, the organisers, said the festival, now in its 11th year, has been enlarged to accommodate a lot of activities and shades of interest, in other to deepen the content and make the feast memorable.
“As expected, on the opening day, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation will deliver the speech on behalf of the UNWTO Secretary General, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili titled ‘Tourism a Veritable Tool for Holistic development’, which is the theme for the global celebration. After that, there would be speeches, and presentation by the Centre for Black and African Art and Civilisation CBAAC, on its activities towards developing African art and tourism, and Vanguard Newspapers.” He said the high point of the festival would be cutting and eating of the fresh yams by guests, either cooked or roasted, followed by traditional wrestling contest, catapult competition, comedy, cultural performances, art and craft, tour, skills acquisition, comedy, digital music contest, a beauty pageant and an African night’s entertainment where various artistes would perform. All the activities will take place at Eko Onibaje Kingdom, some will hold at Igimeta Ground. The Eko Onibaje New Yam and Beach festival is one that brings people together at home and abroad. The aim of the festival is to use yam as tool for national unity while the realtime goal is to promote peaceful coexistence among ethnic nationalities in Lagos through culture, tourism and entertainment.