After three years break due to COVID-19 pandemic the popular Adrie carnival which is the biggest Nigeria cultural gathering outside Nigeria would be hosted in Vienna Austria.
The Adire street party which is always part of the Nigerian in Diaspora Cultural Festival “Nigerian Cultural Festival” is always celebrated together with Nigeria-Austria Business forum in Austria.The objective of the mega event is to showcase the rich cultural heritage of our great country Nigeria, Promote Nigeria tourism potentials and to help foster the good relationship between Nigeria and the host country Austria.
This year’s event would be hosted in the historic city of Vienna on the 25th of June 2022.Other events include:Nigeria – Austria Business Forum 22nd and 23rd of June 2022Nigeria Cultural exhibition “Mask and masquerade” 24th of June 2022After the two-day Business Forum, the cultural event would start with the Nigerian Mask and masquerade exhibition on Friday the 24th of June at the Welt Museum Wien, Austria.
The opening ceremony would be at 16.00 hours with a drum and cultural display outside the Museum.The exhibition would be officially opened by the Nigerian Ambassador to Austria and Slovak His Excellency Ambassador Dr Suleiman Dauda Umar after a welcome address by the director of the Welt Museum Wien Dr Jonathan Fine.
This would be followed by various Goodwill messages.The royal father of the day would be His Royal Majesty Oba Prof. Adeyemi Obalanlege the Olota of Ota Awori land Ogun State of Nigeria.
Other special guest would include the former president of NACCIMA Iyalode Alaba Lawson “Iyalode of Yoruba land”, Hon. Abike Dabiri Erewa Chairman /CEO of NIDCOM, Dr Oluwatoyin Taiwo the Ogun state commissioner of Culture and Tourism, Dr Dayo Olomu form United Kingdom, Chief Tunde Kelani Film Director/Producer, Nollywood actor Bolaji Amusan and Lateef Oladimeji just to mention few.The day two event the Nigerian/Adire Carnival tagged “Carnival of Peace and Unity” would commence with a gathering of all participants by 12.00 noon in front of the Nigerian Embassy in the 3rd district of Vienna, Austria.
The participants would be waving Nigerian and Austria flags. The street party would start after a short speech by the Ambassador.
At exactly 13.00 hours the parade would start with a fanfare. The lead trumpeter Mr Richmond Ojobor would blow the trumpet and the drummers would join with the beat of the African drums.
The Carnival uniform for this year carnival would be a black and yellow colour combination of Adire fabric manufactured in Nigeria.The LOC team are also expecting participants from the Nigerian communities from other parts of Austria like Salzburg, Graz, Karten and Linz.
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Others would also include visitors from Ireland, UK, and USA. They would be joined by friends of Nigeria from Brazil, Paraguay, Bangladesh, and Macedonia.The Carnival parade route would pass through Rennweg street, Schwarzenberg square and the Vienna ring road in the city centre of Vienna.
The parade would terminate at Hoffburg in front of the Welt Museum Vienna near the office of the Austrian President. The event would continue with a stage show in the big ceremonial hall of the Welt Museum Wien, it would be declared open by the Nigerian Ambassador to Austria, this would be purely stage performance by different Nigerian cultural groups and friends of Nigeria present.
(Bangladesh cultural group, Macedonia group, the Paraguay group, and an acrobatic show by the Kenya flex group. In preparation for this year’s event the coordinator of the event Engr Oluyeni Ogundele visited Nigeria to unveil the fabric for this year’s event, the event that took-place in the conference hall of the Abeokuta Chambers of commence was well attended.
Some of the VIPs at the unveiling event included Chief Mrs Alaba Lawson iyalode of Yoruba land, Mrs TYewande Amusan former Ogun State commissioner of Culture and tourism, Alhaja S.A. Akamo “The iya loye of Kemta Adire market in Abeokuta”, the designer of the 2022 Adire fabric Mrs Agboke, Mr Bolaji Amusan the President of TAMPAN and the chairman of the Ogun State branch of TAMPAN, Mr Owolabi Ajasa, Madam Adejoke Shomoye “Ewa Ede” and Bunmi Mustapha of City People just to mention few.Engr. Ogundele also paid a courtesy visit to the office of the Austrian Ambassador to Nigeria His Excellency Ambassador Thomas Schlesinger and to the villa office of NIDCOM to see Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa the chairman /CEO of NIDCOM.
Both appreciated the efforts of the organisers in fostering a friendly relationship between the host country Austria and Nigeria, the promotion of the Nigerian cultural heritage and presenting Nigeria as a tourist destination.Before his trip to Nigeria Engr. Oluyemi Ogundele and the President of the Yoruba Community in Austria “Egbe Omo Oduduwa Austria” Aare Lanre Fagbodun had earlier visited the office of Dr Jonathan Fine the new Director of the Welt Museum Wien the venue of the main event to inform him of the program of activities and to thank him for the excellent cooperation and support they have been receiving from the museum.
Aare Lanre Fagbodun also promised a fantastic event this year. In his message to all the invitees he said all hands are on deck to make this year’s event the best ever.
He also promises to work hand in hand with the Nigerian Embassy in Vienna and all other Nigeria ethnic associations to showcase Nigeria at her best.
