..as Preparation begins for EKIFEST 2024
The Ekiti state government said preparations are in top gear to hold the annual Ekiti state Festival of Arts and Culture, EKIFEST
This was disclosed by the State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Professor Rasaki Ojo-Bakare .
The Commissioner stated that the state governor, Biodun Oyebanji has concluded all the arrangements for hitchfree celebration of the festival.
The Commissioner who noted that the the State Ministry of art, culture and creative economy was among the four ministries honoured by the National Assembly as the best performing MDAs in the state added that EKIFEST serves as an avenue to hunt and project natural endowments.
The Commissioner urged talented individuals to consider the event as an opportunity to showcase their talents for global projection.
EKIFEST is a five – day programme and will run between the 6th and 10th of August, 2024
Addressing newsmen yesterday in Ado Ekiti, the commissioner said all arrangements have been put in place to ensure adequate security of lives and property of tourists for fruitful celebration.
The commissioner said EKIFEST was created to globally project talented individuals at the grassroots, in order to bring Ekiti on the map of global culture.
“We are here to tell you that Governor Biodun Oyebanji has given us marching order to host EKIFEST beginning from 6th of August to 10th, 2024 and it has to be the best EKIFEST ever.
“EKIFEST started because of the need to create a platform for the local government to bring what they have to the center for the purpose of exposure, exhibitions and marketing.
“EKIFEST was established to project talented people at the grassroots and expose them to the world.
“We are inviting visitors from all over Africa and beyond. This fellows are not just coming as tourists but to see what our people are capable of doing with their talents so that they can invest and take the products beyond the border of Ekiti and Nigeria”.
The Commissioner who also highlighted the activities designed for the festival, said “For this year, competitive events like fashion, creative art, traditional sports such as wrestling, street carnival, among others will be involved.
“We are working towards not having any breach of security before, during and after the event. We have reached out to virtually all the security agents in the state”.
He urged traders in the state to reduce the prices of their products before, during and after the festival so that they can generate more income for themselves and the state.
“Price control is not what we can actually impose by fiat but we are sensitizing our people to make them understand the danger of capital flight.
“We are already talking to them during festivals. If you make prices of your items too expensive, they will buy their things in their home countries and bring them here”, the Commissioner said.