Culture

NIHOTOUR Launches Oríkì Cultural Festival 2025 in Abuja

Published

10 months ago

November 12, 2025

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.

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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.

Also read: Abuja Groovy December Festival Set to Boost Tourism, Inspire Growth

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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Culture

WAKE UP! Art Exhibition Returns for a Second Act

Published

2 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

Mariam Balogun

The contemporary art and photography exhibition “Wake Up!” is back again for a second edition.

Curated by Awele Onwordi, Wake Up! 2 exhibition pays homage to the Nigerian youth and burgeoning street culture which many of its contributing artists reference in their works.

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Titled “Young, Wild, Free”, the exhibition celebrates the creativity, resilience, freedom and cultural influence found in Nigerian youth.

Taking aim at societal issues and economic concerns, the exhibit reflects the youth and their refusal to compromise or bow despite all the challenges stacked against them while charting youth culture through art, music, fashion, skateboarding, photography and community.

The exhibition will be held, once again, at the Angel and Muse Gallery at 25 Sumbo Jibowu street off Ribadu Road off Awolowo Road in Ikoyi.

It will open on Saturday 5 September 2026 and will run until 11 September 2026
This second edition which focuses on celebrating, nurturing and exploring artistic practices rooted in youth and street culture will feature works from DENCITY and SUPERGLIDER HOUSE.

Exhibiting artists include Ajilore Kehinde – their work is deeply influenced by Nigerian street culture and works of other artists like Slawn, Peters Ejiro, etc, Chuka Onwordi – graphic designer who embodies themes of death, melancholy and beauty in his works, ZIDYEP – Abuja based creative whose works move between digital and physical spaces through art, graphic design and air brushing , Franklyn Okoye – graphic designer and artist whose works explore themes of identity and hyper-reality, Awele Onwordi – founder & curator of WAKE UP and multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans character art, creative logo design, album covers and more , Oluchi Kogolo – digital illustrator whose work explores street culture, personality and storytelling through a raw and playful visual style and Kozetuo Apeji – multidisciplinary artists who work explores experimental approaches to problem solving through both digital and traditional art forms.

Commenting on the exhibition in her curatorial statement, Awele noted that “despite economic instability, limited opportunities and socio-political challenges, Nigerian youth continue to shape culture through music, fashion, art, skateboarding, raves, photography and community.”

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Continuing and harping on the raison d’etre of the exhibition she said, “Young, Wild and Free exists to celebrate Nigerian youth while also creating a platform that supports and amplifies them.”