The Anambra Unity Festival, ANUFEST, is set to generate about 3,000 employment opportunities while promoting tourism, cultural heritage and economic activities across the state, according to the festival’s Director, Mr Ifeanyi Eziukwu.
The week-long event, themed “Tomorrow Meets Today,” is expected to create a platform for communities, creatives, businesses and cultural stakeholders to showcase Anambra’s rich heritage and drive economic growth.
Eziukwu disclosed this on Thursday at a news conference in Abuja, announcing that the festival would take place from Sept. 21 to Sept. 27 across Anambra’s 21 Local Government Areas, with a series of pre-event activities planned ahead of the official opening.
Eziukwu said the festival, organized in partnership with the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority, NTDA, National Troupe of Nigeria, and other stakeholders, was designed to promote unity, cultural preservation, tourism development and youth empowerment.
“This festival alone is aimed to employ at least 3,000 people across all sections of the economy, from transportation, hospitality and media to printing and other businesses across the 21 local government areas, he said.”
According to him, the festival’s activities will include an inter-local government football competition, wrestling contests, cultural displays, tourism excursions, youth entrepreneurship programmes, master classes, business forums and creative events.
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Eziukwu added that the organizers plan to make ANUFEST an annual celebration before expanding it to other parts of Nigeria, with the aim of promoting the country’s tourism potential and cultural identity.
Also speaking, the Strategic Partner and Legal Adviser to ANUFEST, Mr Ifeanyi Mbah, said the festival was initiated to promote Nigeria’s culture, heritage and tourism through strategic collaborations.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the NTDA, Mr Olayiwola Awakan, described cultural festivals as vital platforms for preserving heritage, showcasing tourism destinations and stimulating local economic development.
Awakan said the festival aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the vision of the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy. The festival is designed to promote unity, encourage domestic tourism, attract investment, support hospitality and creative industries, create jobs and preserve Igbo cultural identity.
He reaffirmed the NTDA’s commitment to partnerships that would strengthen Nigeria’s tourism sector and help position the country as Africa’s preferred tourism destination.
NAN
