Mr Osaze Osemwegie-Ero, the Commissioner for Arts, Culture, Tourism and Diaspora Affairs, made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Lagos.
Osemwegie-Ero said that the state was blessed with rich cultural heritage and it was time to propagate its huge benefits to the world.
According to the commissioner, it is time to harness the various sections of the tourism value chain to attract more foreign investments.
“We started the Edo Festival last year but this year, we are going to make it bigger and the governor has inaugurated a planning committee to this effect.
“It is going to be huge because we are looking at having an exhibition session to display pictures of our stolen artefacts at the museum, we will be having lectures and seminars.
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“Lecturers will come and talk about our arts and culture; also all the 18 local governments will be performing for Oba Ewuare II and to showcase our great cultural heritage.
“There will be an entertainment night to get all the Edo youths at home and in the Diaspora for them to perform as well as recognise some of the Edo people that have contributed to the growth and development of arts and culture in the state,” he said.
Osemwegie-Ero also told NAN that plans were ongoing to have a road show in Lagos State to sensitise Edo indigenes to come home for the festival.
He said that the state had embarked on massive revitalisation and developing of tourist sites across the state that needed foreign investors to develop and attract visitors to the state.
“There are plans have a road show in Lagos sometime in November to sensitise Edo people in Lagos about Edo Fest.
“We are developing the value chains across tourism like the entrepreneurs (people selling foods, drinks and others); the hoteliers, hospitality and transporters.
“Edo is richly blessed with a lot of cultural heritage and sites that have not been harnessed in the past and these festivals are opportunities to let people know what the state has.
“Of course, bringing investors into Edo State is to develop those tourist sites, so that when people come, they will see the value of what we have.
“During Edo Fest 2018, we intend to take some of the participants to some of the tourist sites across the state,” he said.
The commissioner also told NAN that after the Edo Festival, there will be Igue Festival to support the Oba Ewuare II to make the festival bigger than how it used to be.
He urged everyone both indigenes and non-indigenes to be in Edo come December for the various festivals.
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