The PJ Chills and Crew Company, in collaboration with African Woman Communications Ltd., is seeking a partnership with Niger Delta governors.
The partnership is aimed at hosting the maiden edition of the Niger Delta Festival of Art and Culture (NIDEFEST).
Mr. Peter Etuk-Akpan, the group’s director general, appealed on Tuesday in Abuja.
Etuk-Akpan said that the festival, slated for August 7–10, would foster peace and development and unlock the wealth potential of tourism in the Niger Delta region.
“The Niger Delta Festival seeks the endorsement and collaboration of the nine Niger Delta state governments to enhance the public confidence required to fast-track the processes of planning and executing this laudable project.
“The NIDEFEST maiden edition, slated for launch in Abuja, is capable of creating alternative sources of wealth for the people of the Niger Delta.
“The festival has an ambitious programme for tourism development, for sustainable peace, to boost the income and profits of traders in the agricultural sector, promote our food and hospitality industries, and educate.
“We will be assembling not less than 30,000 participants from the entire region and beyond to explore, promote, and stimulate the tourism potential of the Niger Delta people,” he said.
Etuk-Akpan said that the festival would serve as an annual event for the promotion and showcasing of the Niger Delta culture to promote unity, foster mutual understanding, and ensure empowerment for the people.
He said that successively, the festival would be celebrated annually in the various states to encourage tourists to visit the states and experience the rich culture and lifestyle in the region.
The group’s Director-General said that the maiden edition would serve as a platform for the nine states in the region to unanimously form an institution of traditional artistry to create job opportunities and develop a training basin for youth empowerment.
According to him, the festival’s maiden edition would aid in the establishment of training centres in all the states, which would be used as a take-off training spot for local and international skills competitions annually.
Etuk-Akpan called on the state governors to embrace the project by endorsing and partnering with the organisers to make the festival a reality and for the region to redeem its glory.
He called on stakeholders, government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), NGOs, community-based organizations, cultural groups, and Nigerians in the diaspora to support the project for continued peace and development in the region.
He also appealed to the diplomatic corps, international culture, and tourism groups to support the festival to achieve its vision of unlocking the wealth potential of tourism in the Niger Delta. (NAN)
