The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Food and Cultural Festival says its upcoming festival holding in Nigeria is aimed at promoting food security, poverty alleviation and zero tolerance for hunger in 16 ECOWAS countries.
Its Director-General, Amb. Felix Ihonre, said this at the Preparatory Inter-Ministerial/Stakeholders Meeting on ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival in Abuja on Friday.
ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival is scheduled to hold in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State from Oct. 6 to 11, 2024.
Ihonre said that the festival would bring together key players in the food security and security structure to proffer solutions to security challenges that hindered farming and agricultural production in Nigeria and other west African countries.
He added that Nigeria being the host of the festival would stand to gain a lot of economic benefits.
According to him, being the host alone, Nigerians are going to benefit from the festival. We are the host, we are the people that are to sell food for participants to eat.
“We are the people that are to give accomodations for participants to stay. Our drivers on the streets are there to carry passengers who will pay.
“Our hotels will be busy and airports will be busy and then all economic activities will be busy during this period.
“One of the greatest components of this is that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is the same Chairman of ECOWAS Commission.
“So, now that we have Nigerian as the Chairman of ECOWAS, it is time for Nigeria to also benefit from hosting ECOWAS through this festival.
“We are welcoming to Uyo from Oct. 6 to 11, 2024, the delegates from 15 member-countries of ECOWAS, delegates from around the world, heads of states and governments that will be coming to Abuja, as well as Uyo to grace the occasion.”
The director-general said activities such as golf tournament, train carnival, Miss ECOWAS Beauty Pageant and others had been outlined for the festival.
“We are having activities in the area of golf tournament. We will be having flow train carnival and men and youth forum.
We will be having forum of local government chairmen, permanent secretaries of MDAs as well as directors.
“We will be having the Miss ECOWAS Beauty Pageant which is going to showcase ECOWAS beauty as well as their costumes. So, a lot of activities will take place in Uyo and there will a lot of food and cuisines.”
He said the theme of the upcoming ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festive titled “Celebrating African Cultural Heritage for Peace and Development” was apt because there could be no development in an atmosphere of rancor and conflict.
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