The continuous success of the annual Ofala Festival of Onitsha has been attributed to the support given the ceremony by digital solutions provider, Globacom, which has sponsored the festival for the past twelve years and helped transform it into a tourist destination.

This was stated by the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, while speaking at the 2023 edition of the event at his Ime Obi in Onitsha, Anambra State, over weekend.

Igwe Achebe, who commended Globacom, for adding value to the people of Onitsha since it took over sponsorship of the festival, said, “Globacom as our principal partner has remained steadfast with us even with the present economic challenges. We thank them exceedingly and trust that our mutually beneficial partnership will continue to grow”.

In his speech, Globacom’s Retail Sales Chief, South East and South South, Augustine-ndu Offor, explained that the company supported the festival over the years because of its capacity to boost Nigeria’s tourism industry as well as the need to preserve the country’s traditional values and systems.

He emphasized the company’s commitment to empowering Nigerians and explained that, by sponsoring Ofala and other key festivals across the country, Glo is empowering communities to preserve and promote their cultural heritage.

The sustained support for cultural festivals such as Ofala, he noted, has added economic value to the surrounding regions by leading to the development of tourism.

He added that it is in line with the vision of empowerment that MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank (MMPSB), a subsidiary of Globacom, was launched this year. MMPSB, through its G kala wallet enables the unbanked and underbanked to use their mobile phones to send, save, collect and deposit their money, thereby empowering the financially excluded in the society. The 8% interest rate per annum on the G Kala savings account is a good demonstration of the added value the company provides its customers.

One of the personalities at the event was Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who commended Igwe Achebe, the entire indigenes of Onitsha as well as the sponsors for their outstanding contributions towards the success of the event. This, according to him, would complement the government’s efforts in bringing development to the state.

Globacom took over the sponsorship of the Ofala Festival in 2011 and it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last year extending the partnership for another three years, from 2022 to 2025.