Ala-Igbo International Cultural Festival debuts, promotes Igbo personality

Success Damian:

For long there has been a widely held perception about the Igbos being fanatical about western culture and civilization to the extent of abandoning their identity.

Indeed the Igbos being a highly travelled group have been without a generally unifying platform designed for the expression and optimization of their cultural identity, even though individuals, communities and associations have various initiatives that attempt to promoting and preserving that identity, none has been able to gather the entire Igbo under a single umbrella for the purposes of cultural expression that would showcase the Biafran mindset which is not just political but a signification of a people with unique and never say die distinctiveness.

No wonder Ala-Igbo International Cultural Festival with the vision to establishing a lasting value using tourism, multicultural development through local and international partnerships was designed to change the narrative.

In a press statement issued by Evelyn Okere, the group’s Event Brand Director, the Festival was designed to resurrect in every Igbo personality the love, passion and interest in Igbo cultural heritage and values.

The statement read “The cultural festival is to resurrect in every Igbo personality the love, passion and interest for our cultural heritage and values. The festival will showcase the never say die spirit of Igbo people through visual arts, cultural displays, dance forms as well as the attire, cuisine, language, dialects and hospitality of the Igbo nation,” Okere said.

To hold on yet to be determined date, the Festival was packaged as an annual event to be hosted in any part of the world with the grand finale in one of the states of Southeast region. It was also intended to focus on creating platform for all Igbo families across the world to identify with their heritage, values, beauty and uniqueness of Igbo culture with emphasis on culture renaissance, tourism, youth development, and promotion of peace and security amongst the Igbo at home and in the Diaspora.

The statement further noted that with over 200,000 viewers and followers online, the Festival presents a perfect platform for brand visibility for corporate firms, government agencies, politicians, business community, associations, practitioners, and well-meaning personalities to have a wide reach to consumers and followers by taking advantage of the festival.

With the mission to make the Festival an avenue for the discovery of skills, talents, prowess, and showcasing the rich cultural heritage, values and investment opportunities in Igbo land, the event will present a bouquet of activities which include media parley and tour of facilities at the cultural village, Courtesy visits, Opening of cultural village and Queen of Ala-Igbo pageant; tourism summit; Industry Nite; International Cultural Dinner and Award Nite, and the Grand Finale (Brands/Street Party/Procession (one venue multiple activities). 

Expected at the event are His Excellencies, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, the Executive Governor of Abia State; Willie Obiano, the Executive Governor of Anambra State and Engr. David Umahi, the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State.

Others are His Excellencies, Ifeanyi Ugwanyi, the Executive Governor of Enugu State; Hope Uzodinma (Onwa Oyoko), the Executive Governor of Imo State; Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, the Executive Governor of Delta State; Prince Engr. Arthur Eze; Her Excellency, Deacon Nkechi Ikpeazu, First Lady of Abia State, among other crème de la crème of the region.