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By Christy Anyanwu
Africa Celebrates, a three-day festival about everything good in Africa, will kick off in Ethiopia from October 25, 2023.
“The theme of this year’s event: “Achieving African Integration through Art, Culture, Heritage, Tech, and Business Leveraging on AFCFTA Implementation,’ aligns with the African Union’s theme of the year.
In this regard, Ethiopian Airlines has been announced as the official airline of the event. The event is scheduled to hold at the African Union’s headquarters and Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In a statement issued by President/CEO of Africa Celebrates, Lexy Mojo-Eyes, at the weekend, the conveners of the event said: “Africa Celebrates is aimed at celebrating Africa’s unity in diversity, fostering integration through our rich cultural heritage, which can be explored as a catalyst for our social economic growth, promote intra and inter-African trade and tourism and encourage Africans and the rest of world to patronise ‘Made in Africa’ by eating our food, wearing our clothes, appreciating our music, dance, films, arts, crafts, and heritage.
“This is a partnership made in heaven: Africa’s biggest airline partnering with Africa’s biggest festival. Ethiopian Airlines will be flying participants of Africa Celebrates from all their global destinations to Africa’s capital, Addis Ababa, to experience real African hospitality expressed in art, culture, heritage, tech, business, dance, fashion, cuisine, music, etc.
The organisers noted that Ethiopian Airlines Group (Ethiopian), official carrier of the festival, was chosen for its pedigree as the fastest-growing airline brand globally and Africa’s largest airline, pointing out that, “In its 77 years of successful operations, Ethiopian has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success.
In addition to its main hub in Addis Ababa, it is also pursuing its multi-hub strategy through a hub in Lomé, Togo, with Asky, in Lilongwe, Malawi, with Malawi Airlines, and in Lusaka, Zambia, with Zambia Airways.”
“Having achieved its strategic plan (Vision 2025) ahead of time, Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2035 that will see it become one of the top 20 most competitive and leading aviation groups in the world by providing safe, secured, market-driven and customer focused passenger and cargo transport and logistics, aviation training, airport management and ground services, MRO and aerospace manufacturing and travel and tourism services. As an award-winning airline, Ethiopian has been the champion in various coveted awards, including Skytrax’s ‘Best Airline in Africa Award’ for six consecutive years, among others,” the statement added.
The Nigerian embassy in Ethiopia, Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Africa Tourism Board, Pristine Marketing Group and Studio 1888 are collaborating on the event. Other partners include Africa for Africa Women Organization, J4ward Global, Design Essentials, Dumele, Mayaz, Kana TV, Art TV, Kennis FM, Global Green Development Group, Platinum Entertainment Producers, Ethiopian Airlines and Skylight Hotel who are official airline and hotel, respectively.
