A Revamped NAFEST: A Failure Or Potential Success?

Last weekend – the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) rounded off its 2024 National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST), held in Abuja, November 22 to 30, where Bayelsa State emerged the overall winner of the competition, with Ekiti and Lagos states in second and third positions.

Following a recent revamp of NAFEST by the new Director General, Obi Asika, its competitive aspects were rebranded and accentuated, with ‘Jollof War’, ‘Swag Show’ and the ‘Sing Off’ as the more anticipated events.

Of the fourteen participating states, Nasarawa State won the ‘Jollof War’, with FCT placing second, while Delta and Bayelsa states tied in the third position. Ekiti State took the gold gong in the ‘Swag Show’ leaving the second and third positions to Bayelsa and Rivers states. And Bayelsa State nabbed the golden gong in the ‘Sing Off’ competition, with Ekiti and Kwara states claiming second and third place.

Certainly, it wouldn’t be a competition without claims of partiality, rule breaking and mixed emotions. Hence, an eyewitness of the finales of the aforementioned categories arises.

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The Jollof War

The six states (Lagos, Bayelsa, Nasarawa, Niger, FCT, Delta) that made it to the finale of the Jollof War brought their A-game to the contest. Special commendation goes to Bayelsa State which ‘over did’ themselves with assortment of drinks, varieties of Jollof – party, pineapple, watermelon, smoky-  rice cupcakes, and moi-moi.

But it was obvious that Nasarawa and the FCT teams made better impression on the judges – chefs, Godfrey Mario, Vice President, Association of Professional Chefs Nigeria (APCN North Central), Ngozi Obasa, Ambassador World Chef to APCN, and Dr Angela Adamu, President, African Women’s Financial and Business Inclusion.

In the end, what mattered is the taste of the Jollof rice, not the side dishes and other accompaniments that came with it. Taste accounted for a larger score of the competition. That in addition to, presentation, aesthetics settings of state participants and their capacity to depict the festival’s theme of ‘Connected Culture’.

Nasarawa and the FCT were extolled for their simple but tasty and effective food presentation, FCT trumped Nasarawa in terms of showing ‘connected culture’ – as they presented Jollof from three states – Benue, Delta and Yoruba culture. Nasarawa, however, impressed judges the most, with their dedication throughout the competition, by spotting different cutleries, table furnishings, and a shaded exterior sitting area, where the judges could sit and cool off from the hot sun.

The Sing Off

Some states had accused Ekiti State for lip syncing its way to the final. While the intervention of the DJ proved more obtrusive than helpful, the lead singer did sing, but her vocals weren’t strong enough to carry over the microphone. The best part of the performance was the dancers.

Kwara State gave a strong and interactive rendition of the gospel song ‘Nara Ekele’ by a female singer.

However, it was Bayelsa’s performance that ruled. Both male and female singer, ‘sang’. They started out Tiwa Savage’s ‘Joromi’ singing individual verses, harmonized in bits, ending on a back-and-forth run of the song.

The winner was easy to call. Bayelsa State leads, while Ekiti and Kwara states in second and third place.

The Swag Show

Here, Ekiti State won first place, while Bayelsa and Rivers placed second and third positions. According to participants, states are expected to project ‘connected culture’. The result was nearly all the states fusing fabrics from different ethnicities into their states’ traditional ceremonial regalia or vice versa. This saw a lot of poor fabric or colour coordination, and unflattering designs.

Ekiti had the best colour coordination of the five competing states. Coupled with its incorporation of Isiagu, the Idoma red/white woven fabric to the Agbada outfit, and the combination of the Asoke and plain fabric into traditional and contemporary high-fashion wear. So, this checks out too.

However

Conversely, there was an incident where a state representative jumped onstage in protest of a wrestling result announcement which displaced state from the top three winners in the category.

Beyond the competition, a host of issues abound. First, is the festival’s absolute disregard of time, where events scheduled at particular period kickstart two hours after. There is the double roasting of festival guests under the sun. Guests had to sit in the Arts and Crafts Village Amphitheatre, under the hot sun till the evening on both the opening and closing ceremonies. One could literally see the fairer skinned audience turning red.

Finally, the audience had to strain for over an hour in order to hear the festival results because electricity went off mid event. In fact, an audience member was caught saying, “If a barber in the village right beside the Amphitheatre can afford a generator to light his store, why can’t NAFEST do so. This is disgraceful. This festival is a failure.”

While the festival leaves much to be desired, it has potentials for success if NCAC addresses the identified lapses. Only that will make the revamp worthwhile.