Edo State To Host The Next Edition Of NAFEST 2019

EDO STATE IS SET TO HOST THE NEXT EDITION OF THE NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS AND CULTURE  (NAFEST) 2019.

Cultural dancers performing during the opening ceremony

The 31st National Council for Arts and Culture officially opened in a colourful ceremony held on Tuesday at the Sharks Stadium in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State.

The theme of the 31st edition of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST), which attracted 18 states of the federation including Rivers, is “Nigeria: Our Festivals, Our Heritage’’ was a huge success today.

Recalling that NAFEST started in 1970 as a direct response from the then Federal Government to the bitterness , discord and disaffection resulting from the Nigerian Civil War , Runsewe said that the immediate objective of the founding fathers was to heal the wounds that the war inflicted on the country and its people, as well as to restore love among the people.

The highlights of the opening ceremony included a thrilling calisthenics display by youths and a parade by the various cultural groups and delegates from 17 states and the FCT.

Several awards were given to different states represented by their delegates during the festival.

Rivers state emerged the overall winner of the National festival of Arts and Culture 2018 and it was announced that the next edition will be hosted by Edo state next year 2019.