Ofala Festival Kicks Off October 14 With Glo Sponsorship

OpenLife Nigeria reports that Nigeria’s biggest supporter of culture, Globacom, is throwing its weight behind this year’s edition of Ofala Festival holding from October 15 in Onitsha, Anambra State.

The festival, which is a yearly customary obligation of the Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, will begin with the Iru Ofala on October 14 while the Azu Ofala will be marked the next day.

Globacom, which is the major sponsor of the festival, disclosed at a press conference held by the Organising Committee for the festival at Ime Obi, Obi’s Palace in Onitsha, on Thursday that its support for the event is a testament to its faith “in the nation’s huge cultural heritage and its potential to create employment and boost revenue generation.”

The company referred to Year 2020 data from the World Tourism Organization, which noted Nigeria as being 52nd on the list of top 55 tourism nations globally.

“Interestingly, the Travel and Tourism market in Nigeria has been projected to grow by 6.13 percent between 2023 and 2027, resulting in a market volume of nearly US$4 in 2027.

If we continue to focus on promoting the best of our values for the world, nothing stops Nigeria from moving up to the Top 10 Tourism greats among the comity of nations within the next few years”, the company added.

“At Globacom, we are committed to supporting efforts aimed at preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of our country. This is why we have consistently supported prominent festivals such as Ofala and Ojude Oba over these years.

We believe that these festivals, if well promoted, will help boost Nigeria’s tourism industry as they will attract tourists who will be willing to come around to witness these festivals.

Their presence will be a booster for hotels, restaurants, tour guides, arts markets and several other sectors whose trade will be in demand.
Hundreds of thousands of jobs will also be created along the line.” Globacom said.