From Magnus Eze, Enugu
Ahead lift of lockdown in the United States, the Council of Igbo States in America (CISA) is poised to return to Igbo Village, Virginia, for the 2022 Igbo World Festival and Arts.
The global disruption associated with the Coronavirus pandemic had affected the last two editions of the widely attended fiesta leading to the introduction virtual celebrations during the period.
But, the newly installed President of the Council, James Umekwe disclosed after the CISA Governing Council meeting that this year’s festival has been slated to hold from 28th to 30th July, in Frontier Museum, Igbo Farm Village, Staunton, Virginia, U.S.A.
Umekwe who was upbeat to go back live to Igbo Village after a two-year COVID-19 shutdown of the festival live celebrations gladly invited Igbo people worldwide, their well-wishers and lovers of arts and culture to the event.
He also announced the setting up of the 2022 Planning Committee consisting of all CISA Governing Council members with Felix Nnaji as Chairman and Dr. Emima Obicsie as co-chairman.
Daily Sun gathered that the exciting fun-filled live and field event is designed to parade the beauty of Igbo cultural heritage in all ramifications. It had over the years witnessed contingents from Africa; North America, South America, Asia, and Europe. Since its initial opening in 2008, participants had come from different countries including USA, Colombia, Canada, Mali, South Africa; Liberia, Cameroun, Ghana, London, Nigeria, Gabon, Trinidad and Togo, Jamaica, Haiti and Barbados.
The event is one of the most unique and amazing cultural exhibitions of Ndigbo outside Nigeria.
CISA organises and sponsors the carnival in collaboration with the Frontier Cultural Museum of Commonwealth of Virginia in Staunton in promoting and sustaining Igbo cultural heritage and values for posterity. The festival showcases to the world the peculiarities of Ndigbo, their roots, cultural heritage, and cross-continental influences to foster brotherhood among their fellow African American kindred and to all humanity.
For CISA, the festival is one-way Igbo-Nigerian traditions can better be exposed and their contributions to world development firmly cast in bold relief.
Unique cultural and artistic works of the Igbo are exhibited with pomp and pageantry throughout the festival.
CISA Publicity and Media Director, Mathias Mgbeafulu said: “This is a celebration Ndigbo, Nigerians, their friends and well-wishers cannot afford to miss.”