Managing Director Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC Dr. Samuel Ogbuku says the commission will continue to promote the culture of Niger Delta region. Dr. Ogbuku who made this known during Niger Delta Arts and Culture Expo in Port Harcourt Rivers State, insisted that the region has rich cultural heritage that needs to be sustained.
Represented by the Executive Director Corporate Services, Otumba Ifedayo Abegunde, the MD called on custodians of the culture to educate the younger ones on the diverse cultures of the region to prevent them from going extinct.
Speaking on the theme, Echoes of Our Heritage, Celebrating Niger Delta’s Rich Cultural Legacy, the key note speaker, Dr. Sam Dede decried the negative influence of western culture on the region right from colonial era.
Dr. Dede advocated documentation of cultural festivals to serve as reference materials for future generations.
The Cultural festival featured dance and cultural displays from all the Mandate States, contesting among themselves.
Correspondent Gabriel Okechukwu reports that the States were assessed according to their performances on three different categories of Women Cultural Group, Mr. and Mrs. Niger Delta as well as Best Cultural Troupe with results in the following order.
Women Cultural Group
1st Position – Ondo State
2nd Position – Rivers State
3rd Position – Delta State
Mr. and Mrs Niger Delta
1st Position – Delta State
2nd Position – Cross River State
3rd Position – Ondo State
Best Cultural Troupe
1st Position – Akwa Ibom State
2nd Position – Bayelsa State
3rd Position – Abia State
