By Gift Chapi-Odekina
Over the years, the Ohueje Ohinoyi heritage festival has been the rich cultural heritage of the Egbira people from Kogi state, the North central part of Nigeria.
The 2023 7th edition of the festival is been designed to create more awareness on the cultural heritage of the people of Egbira land and with the soul aim of marketing it to the world.
In this edition, the 3 days festival will be organizing the 100 Looms Plus, a weaving competition for over 100 women weavers which ill be expected to commence the weaving of a complete set of wrapper from their own studio and finish them at the grand finale, is set also to empower local production of……
The competition is going to be a win win for them as the women will receive their normal wage and consequently, prizes for their excellence on various category.
Nigeria as a nation renowned for creativity, pottery is not left out as there will be an introduced into the 7th edition of the heritage festival.
The festival will also witness a paper to be delivered by practicing ceramist to create awareness for investment as there’s a large deposit of clay in Okehi Local Government that can drive such investment for the people of of Egbira land.
The festival will also have symposium, short drama and exhibition that will run through the 3 days festival whereby interested schools from Kogi Central are expected to attend the symposium and tour round the mounted exhibition in order to create a positive thinking in the minds of the young once as they journey through life.
To spice up the festival, their will be the revival of the old competition “Iyya Hanna” (pounded yam eaten competition). It will feature during Egbira Cuisine Show.
To icing the cake of the three day festival, there will be archery show, anuva dance and runway for the weaving textile. This is to create platform for designers to show their creativity using Egbira weaved clothes.
