Anambra to feature over 200 masquerades for 2012 New Yam Festival

[MrVan]

Abuja – Chief Martin Ezeh, the Idu II of Igboukwu, on Thursday said that the 2012 New Yam Festival in Anambra would feature over 200 different masquerades.

He said this when a delegation of the Mbido Igbo Association visited the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) in Abuja.

"The festival will showcase the different masquerades in Igboland. The aim is to attract tourists to the event," Ezeh said.

He solicited the support of the corporation to sensitise governors of states in the South-East to partner with communities in the region to promote the festival.

The traditional ruler recalled that the building known as "Yam House" was built three years ago in Igbo-Uku, Anambra by the NTDC and had since been attracting a lot of tourists to the area.

He said that there was the need to build a fence round the building to properly secure it.

Ezeh called for the training of inhabitants in the area to act as tour guides, saying, "the guides will need to imbibe best practices in attending to the expected tourists."

He said that the National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI) in Umudike, Abia had indicated interest in creating an international yam museum and yam research centre in the Yam House.

Ezeh said the yam museum would exhibit over 76 different species of yam in Africa, adding that history had traced its origin to Igboland.

Responding, the Director-General of NTDC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, pledged the corporation's support for the New Yam festival.

He said that a delegation would be sent to the Yam House to ensure the fencing of the facility.

"We want the Yam House to remain a symbol of unity to the Igbo people and a tourist delight to the world,'' Runsewe said.

The festival is slated for Aug. 25 and is expected to showcase the Igbo culture to the world.

Meanwhile, the organisers of Nupe Day Festival, led by Mr John Akaya, the organising committee chairman, have solicited the corporation's support in making the 2012 festival a success.

"The committee has lined up series of cultural activities that will attract tourists from far and beyond," he said.

Akaya said that the event would feature the organisation of lectures  and a scholarship award scheme for Nupe indigenes.

Runsewe also pledged to support to the Nupe Day Festival, adding that the 2012 event would be enlarged to attract both local and foreign tourists.

He said that Nupes high respect for culture was a virtue every ethnic group should emulate to promote and market their culture to the international world.

"We are managing over 150 festivals across Nigeria. What we see in Nupe is a high standard festival which everybody should emulate,'' the NTDC Director-General said.

Runsewe commended the Nupe people for maintaining peace within their community and assured that the NTDC would help them to discover some hidden potential that are in their youths.(NAN)

Vanguard Nigeria