{"id":16135,"date":"2024-10-02T17:04:47","date_gmt":"2024-10-02T16:04:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/?p=16135"},"modified":"2024-10-02T17:04:51","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T16:04:51","slug":"akwa-ibom-to-host-the-2024-ecowas-food-and-cultural-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/akwa-ibom-to-host-the-2024-ecowas-food-and-cultural-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Akwa Ibom to Host the 2024 ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1170\" height=\"694\" src=\"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\ud83c\udf1f-ECOWAS-Food-and-Cultural-Festival-Nigeria-2024-\ud83c\udf89-Celebrate-African-Cult_20240622_112043_0000-1170x694.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16136\" srcset=\"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\ud83c\udf1f-ECOWAS-Food-and-Cultural-Festival-Nigeria-2024-\ud83c\udf89-Celebrate-African-Cult_20240622_112043_0000-1170x694.png 1170w, https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\ud83c\udf1f-ECOWAS-Food-and-Cultural-Festival-Nigeria-2024-\ud83c\udf89-Celebrate-African-Cult_20240622_112043_0000-768x456.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\">In collaboration with Cross River State, Akwa Ibom State has been selected to host the <a href=\"https:\/\/ecowasfoodandculturalfestival.org\/aboutfestival\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival 2024 (EFCF).<\/a> This grand event promises to showcase the rich cultural diversity and gastronomic excellence of the 15 ECOWAS member countries. The festival, scheduled from October 24 to 27, 2024, will be held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom\u2019s capital, and will be a dazzling celebration of West African culture, food, and creativity**.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\">Read: <a href=\"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/chimamanda-ngozi-adichies-new-novel-dream-count-set-for-release-in-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie\u2019s New Novel \u201cDream Count\u201d Set for Release in 2025<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:18px\">A Grand Celebration of West African Heritage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\">The 2024 edition of the ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival is set to immerse attendees in the vibrant cultures of West Africa. With music, dance, food, art, and cultural showcases from across the region, the festival is designed to celebrate both unity and diversity within ECOWAS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\">Visitors will have the chance to experience culinary masterpieces prepared by renowned chefs featuring traditional dishes that tell the stories of their native lands. In addition to food, attendees will be treated to performances from cultural troupes representing the musical and dance traditions of the member countries. The festival will also provide interactive art and craft workshops, allowing attendees to engage with West Africa\u2019s artistic heritage firsthand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:18px\">Key Events and Highlights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/group-of-dancers-in-bright-clothes-performing-at-a-street-festival.jpeg\" alt=\"Akwa Ibom to Host the 2024 ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival\" class=\"wp-image-16137\" srcset=\"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/group-of-dancers-in-bright-clothes-performing-at-a-street-festival.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/group-of-dancers-in-bright-clothes-performing-at-a-street-festival-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/group-of-dancers-in-bright-clothes-performing-at-a-street-festival-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/group-of-dancers-in-bright-clothes-performing-at-a-street-festival-1170x780.jpeg 1170w, https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/group-of-dancers-in-bright-clothes-performing-at-a-street-festival-585x390.jpeg 585w, https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/group-of-dancers-in-bright-clothes-performing-at-a-street-festival-263x175.jpeg 263w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\">The ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival will host a variety of engaging events over the four days, celebrating all aspects of West African culture. Among the anticipated highlights are the Miss ECOWAS Festival Beauty Pageant. There will also be a Business CEOs Summit on food security, economic integration, and sustainable development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\">Cultural exhibitions will showcase regional food products, traditional arts, and crafts. A Food Expo will provide indigenous food businesses and vendors a platform to display their products and services, boosting local entrepreneurship and promoting tourism. The event will also feature a Youth and Women Forum, focusing on empowerment, development, and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:18px\">Why Akwa Ibom Was Chosen as Host<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\">Akwa Ibom\u2019s selection as the festival host is a testament to the state\u2019s cultural diversity, peaceful environment, and strong infrastructural capacity. Known for its agrarian nature and hospitality, Akwa Ibom is home to some of Nigeria\u2019s finest food delicacies and tourism potential, making it the perfect backdrop for an event of this magnitude.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Akwa-Ibom-road-1.png\" alt=\"Akwa Ibom to Host the 2024 ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival\" class=\"wp-image-16138\" srcset=\"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Akwa-Ibom-road-1.png 700w, https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Akwa-Ibom-road-1-585x334.png 585w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\">Prof. Sola Aliu, Chairman of the National Central Working Committee (NCWC), and Amb. Prince Felix Ihonre, Director General of the ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival, emphasized that Akwa Ibom\u2019s modern infrastructure, including well-maintained roads, venues, airports, and accommodation options, makes it ideal for hosting international visitors and events. Cross River State’s co-hosting role further enhances the festival\u2019s appeal, leveraging the region’s cultural richness and tourism potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\">Read: <a href=\"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/fade-ogunro-founder-of-bookings-africa-first-african-woman-on-cherie-blair-foundations-global-campaign-board\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Fade Ogunro: Founder of Bookings Africa & First African Woman on Cherie Blair Foundation\u2019s Global Campaign Board<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:18px\">Expected Attendance and Economic Impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\">The 2024 ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival is expected to draw over 10,000 direct participants and thousands more spectators from around the world. It will attract 15,000 visitors and engage over 30 million virtual attendees via media broadcasts. Attendees will include Presidents, Heads of State, government representatives, business executives, traditional rulers, and leading figures in culture, tourism, and development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\">In addition to showcasing cultural tourism and promoting regional collaboration, the festival aims to stimulate economic growth through increased investment in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecowas.int\/member-states\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">ECOWAS region<\/a>. The event is expected to boost local businesses, promote inbound tourism, and provide opportunities for investment partnerships across West Africa\u2019s food, culture, and tourism sectors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 2024 edition of the ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival is set to immerse attendees in the vibrant cultures of West Africa. With music, dance, food, art, and cultural showcases from across the region, the festival is designed to celebrate both unity and diversity within ECOWAS.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":16136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2176,2030,251],"tags":[270,1207,300,278],"class_list":["post-16135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-festival","category-news","tag-events","tag-festival","tag-refinednews","tag-refinedng"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16135"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16135\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16141,"href":"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16135\/revisions\/16141"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refinedng.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}