Chinelo Obogo
The organisers of the forthcoming Nigeria Cultural Festival (NICUFES 2019) in Denmark, have said that the main purpose of the event is to promote economic partnership and boost Nigeria’s image abroad.
Speaking during a press conference in Lagos, the organiser, Olugbenga Ogunniyi, revealed that Stephen Omotehinse, the chairman of Afrowood Media, will host the event in Denmark and that they were hopeful the festival would provide a vibrant platform for economic partnership and collaboration among Nigerian investors and their Scandinavian counterparts with a view to promoting foreign direct investment (FDI) flow into the country.
“The major idea behind the organisation of the Nigeria Cultural Festival in the Scandinavia is to showcase the uniqueness and richness of the cultural heritage and values of various ethnic groups in Nigeria so as to give the outside world and Nigerians in the day, a good and promising perspective about Nigeria. This will eliminate racial suspicion and engender trust and respect that are critical to harmony and peace in the globe.
“Another major facet of the festival is that it will provide vibrant institutional platforms for economic partnership and collaboration among the Nigeria investors and their Scandinavian counterparts with a view to promoting foreign direct investment (FDI) flow into Nigeria. Through the festival, we want the international community to embrace our culture as a great people in a great country as our selling point. We want the world to know that Nigeria is not all about social vices, banditry and militancy. We want to create an honest impression that Nigeria is a land of good people, rich culture, innovations, opportunities, care, love and oneness,” Ogunniyi said.
The festival would take place from Friday, September 6, to Sunday September 8, 2019 in Copenhagen, Denmark, with support from the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture and partnership with the Africa Chamber of Commerce in Scandinavia.
The festival shall comprise carnival-like procession with different cultural troupes showcasing the rich cultural heritage of various ethnic groups in Nigeria. It will also have business conference with institutional investors and cultural promoters and Nigeria market day which shall provide opportunity for Nigerians in the Scandinavian countries to unite and interact.