The Nigerian Cultural Festival 2022, tagged Adore Carnival 2022 and held at Vienna, Austria, has been described as an event with a difference and a great success.
The Chief Coordinator of the carnival, Engineer Oluyemi Ogundele, stated this in a report he submitted on the 2022 edition of the event.
The event, organised by the Yoruba Community in Austria “Egbe Omo Oduduwa Austria”, through one of its subsidiaries, Festival of Music, Art, and Culture (FESTMAC), was the fifth of its kind.
The first edition of the event took place in Vienna in the summer of 2013, then another two other ones in 2016, 2018 and a virtual celebration in the summer of 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Ogundele, who is chairman, Local Organising Committee of the event and former president of Egbe Omo Oduduwa, this year’s celebration was second to none, given the appearance and support of several dignitaries.
He said present were Ambassador Dr Suleiman Dauda Umar, the Nigerian Ambassador to Austria and Slovakia; Ambassador Thomas Schlesinger, the Austrian Ambassador to Nigeria; Ambassador Modupe Irele, Nigerian Ambassador to Hungary; and His Royal Majesty Oba Abdulazeez Oluwatoyin Akinde (Oloja Ekun of Igbesa Awori land, Ogun State).
Also, Nollywood superstar, Lateef Adedimeji and his wife Mobimpe! UK-baser media expert, Dr Dayo Olomu and his wife; and Professor (Dr) Oluwatoyin Odutola of the University of Florida, Gainesville, USA, among other very important personalities, made a great difference with their presence.
The event, which was organised in collaboration with the Nigerian Embassy in Vienna, Austrian Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria and Weltmuseum Wien, started with exhibition of Made-In-Nigeria products and adire fabrics, from 20 to 25 June.
Ogundele however regretted that the exhibition was not optimal due to lack of exhibitors, a situation which he attributed to visa constrains by the Austrian Embassy in Nigeria.
“The event was planned to foster the friendly relationship between Nigeria and our host country, Austria, and to promote the cultural heritage of our great country Nigeria, as well as presenting Nigeria as a tourism destination.
“The highlight of the event was the Adire International carnival also called Nigerian carnival. This year carnival was tagged the “Carnival of Peace and Unity”.
“The carnival parade, which commenced in front of the Nigerian Embassy in the Third District of Vienna and passed through Rennweg Street, Schwarzenberg Square and the Vienna Ring Road in the city centre of Vienna, terminated in Hoffburg in front of the Welt Museum, near the office of the Austrian President.
“The second leg of the event was the indoor programme which took-place in the big ceremonial hall of the Welt Museum Wien.
“It was declared open by Ibrahim Hamidu of the Nigerian Embassy Vienna who stood in for the Nigerian Ambassador, Dr Suleiman Dauda Umar who was unavoidably absent.
“Next was a welcome address by the director of the Weltmuseum Wien Dr Johnathan Fine. Goodwill messages were delivered by Ambassador Modupe Irele, Nigerian Ambassador to Hungary and Dr Dayo Olumu from the United Kingdom.
“The guests were entertained by the Kenya flex group with their acrobatic performers and the Yoruba Cultural Troupe with their Eyo and Egungun masquerade dance.
“The European Fuji Ambassador, Alhaji Mutiu Ishola, also made a short performance while singing for the masquerade.
“The highlight of the evening was the stage performance by the Nollywood star, Lateef Adedimeji, who performed the music of the legend, Alhaji Ayinla Omowora, live on stage.
“The event closed with the Nigerian National Anthem,” Engineer Oluyemi Ogundele further stated in the report.
