PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Food and Cultural Festival announced that its forthcoming event in Nigeria aims to foster sustainable food systems, alleviate poverty, and eradicate hunger across the 16 member states of ECOWAS.
The Director-General of the ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival (EFCF), Amb. Felix Ihonre, said this during the preparatory interministerial/stakeholders meeting for the EFCF held in Abuja on Friday.
The EFCF will take place in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, from October 6 to 11.
According to Ihonre, the festival will bring key stakeholders in food security and agriculture together to develop strategies for addressing security challenges that hinder farming and agricultural productivity in Nigeria and other West African countries.
He said that Nigeria, as the host country, would reap significant economic advantages from the festival, citing the opportunity for Nigerians to cater to participants’ food needs as a prime example.
He said: “We are the people who are to give accommodations 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, Bola Tinubu, is the same Chairman of the ECOWAS Commission.
“So, now that we have Nigeria 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 October 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 DG announced that the festival’s program includes activities like a golf tournament, a train carnival, the Miss ECOWAS Beauty Pageant, and other exciting events.
He said: “We are having activities in the area of golf tournament. We will be having a flow train carnival and men and youth forum.
“We will be having a 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 be a lot of food and cuisines.”
According to him, the theme “Celebrating African Cultural Heritage for Peace and Development” is well-chosen because development cannot coexist with conflict, and farmers must have unfettered access to their farms for progress to take hold.
He said: “That is why we are happy today that the security network of the security agencies like police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps will be there, as they are here today as one of the galvanising teams to ensure that there is peace in Nigeria.
“We already have a list of our organograms aimed at having a technical meeting that will bring together all the key players in the security structure.
“The meeting will also bring together key players in food security and food harmonization. So, after this festival, there will be follow-up projects and activities.
“These are going to be the hub of the food and cultural revolution which we have been preaching about, and that will take effect after the festival in October.”
In his speech, Mr. Oladunjoye Musiliu, the Director of International Organisations and Political Economy Affairs, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, appealed to relevant stakeholders to ensure the festival achieves its objectives.
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