Igboukwu Community Hands Over 56 Plots Of Land To Anambra Government For Development Of National Yam Festival Cultural Village

By Joseph Egbeocha

Anambra State Government has received from Igboukwu community in Aguata Local Government Area fifty-six plots of land for the development of “National Yam Festival Cultural Village” at Etiti village of the community for public use.

Thanking the community after their President General, Barrister Michael Ubah and Traditional Ruler, Igwe Alex Azike, jointly and officially handed over paper for the land to him at the National Yam House, Etiti Village Igboukwu, the Anambra State Commissioner for Culture, Entertainment and Tourism, Barrister Udorji Amedu, represented by the Director of Tourism, Mrs Chioma Afuba, noted that Governor Chukwuma Soludo is tourism-friendly, and that the place will be a tourist attraction, promising that the ministry will do everything possible to make the yam festival cultural village thrive and gain recognition by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO.

In his address, the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musawa, represented by the Director, Department of Cultural Industries and Heritage, Princess Ginika Nwafor-Orizu, promised that the ministry will support, preserve, develop with excellence and ensure that place remains a place where every indigene, Igbos, Nigerians and visitors can visit to learn, research, relax, market, patronize, invest, celebrate, showcase and be proud of.

Later in an interview, the President General of Igboukwu community, Barrister Ubah, declared the project a “prayer answered”, and that the community is ready to help make it a tourist destination of first choice, while the Chairman of Mbido Igbo Association, Chief Ugochukwu Okafouzu, explained that the “National Yam Festival Cultural Village” will have yam barn, cocoyam barn, pavilion, royal dome, art exhibition center, tourism institute, yam/ cocoyam research/ information center, hotel, among others, and expressed hope that public-private-community partnership will help speed up infrastructural development of the ‘village’, and that the government will provide access road, electricity, water, landscaping, fencing, security, joint management team, among others.

The Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority, NTDA, Dr. Olayiwola Awakan, represented by the South East Zonal Cordinator, Mr. Damian Ebiloma, the Executive Director, National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Professor Chiedozie Egesi, represented by the Cordinator of Yam Programme, Dr. Mary-Ann Mazza, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization, Igboukwu Outreach Centre, represented by Mr. Walter Nebem, the Bishop of Ekwulobia Catholic Diocese, Peter Cardinal Ebere Okpaleke, represented by Rev. Fr. Prof. Anthony Chiegboka, Traditional Rulers, among others attended the land handover ceremony.