Plans are afoot to stage boat regatta festival annually in the South-South zone of Nigeria as part of activities to boost the tourism and economic potentials of the Niger Delta region. To this end a committee has been inaugurated to prepare for the staging of the first in the series of the boat regatta in November this year in Akwa Ibom State.
A statement issued by the committee’s Director of Publicity, Mr. Jerome Adie, who is also the Head of the Cross River State Department of Culture and Heritage, indicates that the Regatta Festival billed for November, 2011 in Akwa Ibom State is to foster unity and cooperation among people of Niger Delta.
Adie said that the festival which will feature rowing, sailing, dancing and boat decoration is a veritable vehicle for tourism in the region, and therefore solicited the support of the stakeholders to ensure the success of the festival.
Adie said the Working Committee is headed by the Head of the South-South Zonal Office of the National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAN), Mr. Boniface Udonnah, while the Director of the Rivers State Council for Arts and Culture, Ambassador Deede Baede, is the vice chairman.
Adie said a former director-general of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, Mr. Moses Ekpo, is to serve as adviser. Other members include Mr. Okor Asi Okon, financial manager; while Mr. Dudafa Johnny of Bayelsa State Council of Arts and Culture will serve as coordinator.
Adie is the Director of Publicity for the Working Committee for the staging of the boat regatta which is billed to be an annual event.
Source: Daily Independent