Mr Charles Udoh, the Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, says the state will host its premier boat regatta and fishing festival to celebrate its maritime heritage.
Udoh, who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Uyo on Wednesday, said the event would hold on Sept. 27, at the Marina Beach.
He said that the festival was a deliberate move to celebrate communities playing host to Ibom Icon Hotel and the Marina Beach, a major slave route in Nigeria.
The commissioner said that Nwaniba and others communities hosting Ibom Icon Hotel and Marina Beach had been very peaceful and accommodating to investors.
“The state government is prepared to reciprocate these gestures. The festival is planned in line with the 2024 World Tourism Day celebration.
“The essence is to showcase tourism as sustainable driver of transformation, job creation, social inclusion and strengthening of local economies,” he said.
Udoh said that the event would also serve as a platform to promote tourism, culture, and peace in the state.
He said that a major highlight of the event would be the unveiling of a fully restored slave boat to symbolise a painful but significant chapter in the region’s history
“A newly established Slave Memorial Park, initiated by a local philanthropist, will also be officially inaugurated during the festival.
“These projects are efforts to preserve and showcase the rich heritage of the state. They are part of the broader vision to leverage our historical and cultural assets,” he said.
Udoh said that the Gov. Umo Eno-led administration was committed to adequately harnessing the state’s maritime heritage for economic prosperity.
He said the state government had made adequate arrangements to ensure the safety and security of participants and visitors during the festival.
“We are partnering the Nigerian Navy to provide 14 gunboats in order to ensure safety on our waterways.
“We are introducing a fully air-conditioned luxury ferry service to boost marine transport, and to attract tourism to the area,” he said.
