The 2021 National Festival of Arts and Culture, the 34th edition has ended in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. Rivers State took 2nd position behind the winners, Ekiti State while Bayelsa State came third.
Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Tonye Briggs Oniyide, who led the States contingents expressed joy for the wonderful and artistic performance of the State’s flag bearers.
Briefing journalists after the closing ceremony, the Hon. Commissioner said NAFEST has brought to the fore, the role of culture in promoting national peace and harmony. She urged all Nigerians to encourage their cultural heritage stressing that culture is one of the great tools for national unity.
She pointed out that NAFEST has provided a platform for Nigerians from different ethnic backgrounds, tribes, religions, political or cultural affiliations to live and cherish one another.
Mrs. Oniyide, who expressed her heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency, Chief Nyesom Wike for enabling them participate in the NAFEST 2021, noted that 2018 NAFEST, hosted by Rivers State still stands out as the best organized NAFEST in Nigeria.
She maintained that Rivers State has performed creditable well in all the events. Despite the 2nd position, the contingents presented our diverse artistic and cultural endowment she added.
Earlier in his speech, the Director General (DG) National Council for Arts and Culture, Chief Otumba Olusegun Runsewe, said NAFEST is a post-civil war cultural creation, which was evolved by the Gowon administration as a means of healing the wound and the inter-ethnic bitterness occasioned by the war.
The DG noted that each of the 33 editions of NAFEST has continued to respond to the question of our national unity and diversity.
He pointed out that the spirit of NAFEST would strengthen our unity in diversity as well as foster national integration, engender patriotism and national co-operation.
30 States and FCT participated in the 2021 Ekiti NAFEST competition.
In all, Rivers State won four golds in traditional cuisine, children essay writing, children storytelling and indigenous fabric and fashion, and two bronze trophies in drama.
The theme of the 2021 NAFEST is “Celebrating National Unity In Diversity”.
