The 35th edition of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) will be held in Lagos State in 2022.
The announcement was made late Saturday night at the NAFEST 2021 closing ceremony by Olusegun Runsewe, the director-general of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC).
“The 2022 edition of NAFEST will hold in Lagos State.
“Lagos is waiting for the world and we are going to Lagos with an advanced NAFEST.
“We will do something bigger than what we have had in the past,” he said.
Mr. Runsewe stated that NAFEST is still a powerful tool for uniting the nation, and that such cultural festivals would put an end to separatist movements.
“We will get Nigeria united by all means. We must remove the spirit of dishonesty, hatred and fake news; all must go now.
“You can see 31 states in Ekiti. This is to tell us that nothing can divide this country; the country will remain.
“I thank Ekiti people and the government for receiving the 31 states and giving us the impression we need. It is a big statement and I remain grateful.
“There is no reason to disagree among ourselves considering the beauty of this nation, rather, we should stand together in love, peace and harmony,” he said.
Over 450 Ekiti natives have been empowered with skills such as wig and bead making, tailoring, cosmetology, shoe making, and waste to wealth conversion, according to Mr Runsewe.
He added that the festival had raised the income of Ado-Ekiti residents, especially those in the hotel, transportation and other businesses.
According to him, Nigeria will be stronger and better again with such festivals.
