Obi of Onitsha inaugurates committee for Ofala festival

The Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe has approved the committees of experts set to manage the 2019 Ofala.

The festival, which is the celebration of the annual emergence of the monarch from seclusion as well mark the homecoming of Onitsha indigenes will hold from October 11 to 12, 2019.

An international art exhibition, a youths’ carnival and a marathon endorsed by the relevant national and international athletics bodies, will be part of the event.

The Committees will focus finance, marketing strategy and communications, culture and tourism matters and government relations. Other areas of focus are protocol, logistics, and security. The committees have been established to place the festival on a higher pedestal.

According to His Majesty, “despite the grandeur and spectacle of the Ofala, there is a need to build upon this and ensure that the Ofala continues to grow and remains relevant.

“This is imperative particularly within the context of moving Onitsha Ado N’Idu forward. The 21st century is a millennium of rapid change, driven by digital technology that is transforming the world into a global village.”

The Ofala popularity has grown in terms of its social glamour, attracting national and international attention, in addition to enjoying the benefit of partnerships with major corporate bodies, which have helped enormously in projecting Onitsha to the entire world.