Oríkì Cultural Festival 2025 debuts in Abuja, showcasing Nigeria’s heritage, culinary excellence, and creative tourism with global participation
Oríkì Cultural Festival 2025 is set to debut in Abuja this December, promising a spectacular celebration of Nigeria’s cultural heritage and culinary innovation.
Organised by the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) in partnership with Novarosta, the event takes place on December 6, 2025, at the iconic Eagle’s Square.
The festival will gather culinary visionaries, cultural leaders, international investors, and artists from across Africa and the diaspora, creating a landmark platform for showcasing Nigeria’s rich traditions and culinary artistry.
Rooted in the Yoruba tradition of praise poetry, Oríkì has historically celebrated identity, pride, and purpose.
This oral heritage resonates across Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups—Aha Otuto among the Igbo, Kirari among the Hausa, and Eré by the Itsekiri. For the first time, Oríkì transforms this tradition into an immersive, multisensory global experience.
Attendees will enjoy a fusion of storytelling, music, and gourmet cuisine, featuring indigenous recipes alongside modern interpretations of local flavours.
The event aims not only to entertain but to highlight how Nigeria’s cultural heritage can drive creativity, tourism, and economic opportunity worldwide.
Dr. Abisoye Fagade, NIHOTOUR’s Director-General, said:
“Through Oríkì, Nigeria’s cultural soul becomes a global experience, connecting our traditions with opportunity, creativity with commerce.”
Novarosta’s executives echoed this vision, describing the festival as a bridge linking food, art, and hospitality to foster new pathways for trade, education, and cultural tourism.
The programme includes live Oríkì performances, culinary exhibitions, and regional food pavilions representing Nigeria’s diverse states.
Additionally, the festival introduces NIHOTOUR’s Cultural Gastronomy Investment series, aimed at attracting local and international investors to Nigeria’s expanding hospitality and tourism sectors.
Since 1987, NIHOTOUR has remained Nigeria’s leading authority on professional hospitality and tourism training, certification, and policy development.
With initiatives like Oríkì, the institute positions Nigeria prominently on the global cultural and culinary tourism map.
As Oríkì Cultural Festival 2025 debuts, it stands as a bold testament to Nigeria’s vibrant heritage, creative innovation, and emerging prominence in African culinary tourism.
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