Businessman Obinna Iyiegbu (Obi Cubana) and John Okafor (Mr Ibu) were honoured with traditional titles at the 2021 Nollywood New Yam Festival.

Fahad Al Taffaq, the United Arab Emirates ambassador to Nigeria, was also honoured.

The event is an annual fiesta, which showcases Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage, organised by the former chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Abuja, Onwurah Ifeanyi (Agility).

“This is a festival that Nollywood stakeholders put in place to always remind them of their roots and culture. In the time past, we were forgetting our roots, but now we are trying to see what we can do every year to bring people back,” he stated. “I used the festival to be a pointer to other African cultures. You can see people dress in Edo, Calabar, Yoruba, Hausa, and other attire to attend. So that is the pointer.”

He added, “That is why every year, we gather here in the celebration of the yam as a symbol of unity for Nigeria and the Igbo man.”

While Obi Cubana got the title of Ifeomaolibo for training, sponsoring, and supporting “a lot of youths to become self-independent,” Mr Ibu was given the title of Aki Ogbocioma because of his positive impact in the creative industry.

Mr Taffaq was honoured with ‘Ugocinba’ (an eagle from a foreign land that is well cherished). Other awardees included Francis Duru, Abubakar Maikano, the Sapayi of Garki, Abuja, and many others.

Meanwhile, Oguba Owuocho John, the secretary of the West Africa College of Bishop, said African cultures should not be allowed to die. He pointed out that there is a need to differentiate between sacrifice and culture.

“Today, we are talking about a culture that does not involve sacrifice. This New Yam Festival is a point of contact where people interact with themselves, where some helpers locate people that they suppose to render help to,” stated Mr John.

Mr Taffaq explained that the event would bring prosperity to Nigeria’s creative industry.

“We at the UAE Embassy have been partnering with the Nigerian government and the leaders in the country’s creative industry,” said the UAE ambassador. “In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, we organised the UAE-Nigeria Culture and Art Football in Lagos. It was well attended and a huge success.”

(NAN)