The Ekiti State Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy says measures have been put in place to ensure adequate security during the Ekiti Festival (EKIFEST), scheduled for Aug. 6 to 10.
The Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Prof. Rasaki Ojo-Bakare, during a press briefing on Friday in Ado- Ekiti.
Ojo-Bakare said that EKIFEST, an annual flagship festival ,was organised to strengthen the cultural values and heritage of Ekiti people.
He said that the festival was established to project and showcase the many talents at the grassroots in a bid to place Ekiti on the map of global culture.
“We are here to tell you that Gov. Biodun Oyebanji has given us marching order to host EKIFEST and it has to be the best ever.
“EKIFEST started because of the need to create a platform for the local governments to bring what they have to the centre for the purpose of exposure, exhibition and marketing.
“EKIFEST was established to project talented people at the grassroots and expose them to the world.
“We are inviting visitors from all over Africa and beyond. These fellows are not just coming as tourists, but to see what our people are capable of doing with their talents, so that they can invest and take the products beyond the borders of Ekiti and Nigeria,” the commissioner said.
He said that there would be competitive events like fashion, traditional sports such as wrestling; street carnival, among others.
Ojo-Bakare said that the state government was working working with security agencies ensure no having any breach of security before, during and after the festival.
He urged traders to reduce prices of their products before, during and after the festival, so that they could generate more income for themselves and the state.
“Price control is not what we can actually control by force, but we are sensitising our people to make them understand the danger of capital flight.
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“We are already talking to them during festivals, ‘if you make price of your items too expensive, they will buy their things from their home country and bring them here’. “
“Some of their members will be in our planning committee, in order to have a successful festival this year,” the commissioner said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Ekiti State Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy is among the four ministries recently honoured by as the best performing MDAs in the state. (NAN)
