Cultural Olympics: NAFEST to Celebrate Nigerian Music, Arts, Culture – Obi Asika

This year’s edition of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) will celebrate, connect, and bring together the best of Nigeria and showcase the best of the country’s culture, according to the Director-General/CEO, National Council for Arts and Culture, Mr. Obi Asika.

The 2024 edition is themed ‘Connected Culture’ and will hold from November 22 – 30, 2024, in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.

“NAFEST is like our cultural Olympics, where the 36 States of Niger and the FCT come together in a sort of competitive battle of the states in about eight disciplines, including dance, fashion, music, debates, swag show, jollof wars, the Sing-Off Naija, and more,” Asika told Africa Interviews.

He noted that the theme was significant as it addresses the great connections in the country’s cultural diversity.

“Unity in diversity is a different thing for me, it is more of connections in the culture, the culture of the people – traditional and modern culture, Afrobeats and the antiquities; we’re bringing all of them together. We want to bring Nigerians together, while translating our culture to each other so that we can know each other better.” he explained.

This year’s edition will be hosted at different venues, including the Abuja National Stadium, the arts village, at multiple galleries and other venues, in a move the organisers hope will further open up Abuja as a cultural and entertainment destination.

The festival has been running since 1970 with all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) competing in various segments throughout the 8-day festival in Africa’s most populous country with over 250 ethnic groups

In a statement, the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) said, “We have reimagined the format and are seeking to deliver a world class festival come November, the Festival theme is Connected Culture as we come together to celebrate and connect and compete in friendly competition. Nigeria has incredible culture, and it will be on full display.

“Highlights of the event will include performances by prominent Nigerian artists and rising stars, stand-up comedians and performing troupes, a book fair as well as states competing in the Swag Show, the Dance-Off, and the Sing-Off.

“There will also be Dambe exhibitions and masquerades and more as organisers plan to bring the traditional and modern culture to one place and one city. The Jollof Wars will crown the best dish, while 8 galleries led by Richard Vedelago will host exhibitions and panel discussions around our theme and we will celebrate our ambassadors at the NCAC Honours gala.”

Similarly, the NCAC colloquium will feature inter-generational conversations and reflect shared heritage and culture.

Noting that while the festival has been existing for the last 50 years, Asika said more efforts are being put into the 2024 edition to further showcase it as a confluence of Nigeria’s diverse cultures.

“We want to bring it closer to the people, get the city and people involved way beyond the states and federal government. That’s the objective. We want our people to come out, get involved, get in, get engaged, let’s come and celebrate together. We spent a lot of time complaining about Nigeria, but we can also celebrate her,” he stated.