Musawa ignites Enugu Christmas festival with 500,000 lights

Hannatu Musawa, the minister of art, culture, tourism and the creative economy, ignited the ’25 Days of Christmas Festival’ in Enugu with 500,000 lights at the Naira Triangle and Unity Park during the weekend.

In a statement released on Monday by Nnekw Ikem Anizebeze, the minister’s spokesperson, Musawa praised Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu, for his innovative transformation of the state within his first year in office.

The minister also commended the governor’s “rapid development of the state” and his commitment to harnessing the full potential of the tourism and creative industry.

“I thank the Governor and the good people of Enugu state for their hospitality and warmth. Enugu is a blessed state and one of the bastions of culture and history in Nigeria,” she said.

“Governor Mbah is a rare gift to the nation, and Enugu is the luckiest state to have him. He has proved and distinguished himself as a visionary innovative leader. What he has done in just one year and half has been absolutely exemplary.

“I am very honoured to be here to light the Christmas lights. I wish everyone in Enugu, a Merry Christmas and I look forward to coming back in the new year to see how our Ministry can collaborate and partner with the state on to further develop the arts, culture, tourism, and creative potentials of the state and other related initiatives of the governor.”

In his response, Mbah thanked Musawa for her “giant strides” in the creative industry and expressed his desire to collaborate with the ministry.

“In just one year that you have been in office, you have demonstrated the necessary drive and unwavering commitment to unlock the huge economic potential in the tourism and creative industry. So I want to truly commend you for your grits and creativity,” he said.

The governor also highlighted Enugu’s history and cultural significance, adding that it was once the “home of Nollywood and has a long history of being an economic hub in Nigeria”.

“For us in Enugu state, we are also committed to harnessing the full potential of the tourism and creative industry. We have a history of that, already. Enugu used to be the home of Nollywood and it is actually where the industry started,” Mbah said.

“We have a very long history of being the economic hub of Nigeria. We played the role of several administrative capitals in the southern provinces, and the East Central region and we have other numerous factors that make Enugu a very important city.

“We have the rolling hills, waterfalls, caves, and numerous other tourist sites. At those waterfalls and caves, we want to create a new kind of experience for tourism. We have a state-of-the-art International Conference Centre intended to make Enugu state, the conference capital of Africa and attract all the tourism activities. We plan to create a new kind of experience for tourists and turn the numerous landmarks in Enugu state to proper tourism sites. We are investing hugely and we are hoping we could also work with your ministry.”

During the one-day visit, Mba took the minister on a tour of the yet-to-be-commissioned international conference centre, the Enugu digital museum, the Unity Park and the Naira Triangle; a state-private sector initiative where she lit up and commissioned the Christmas Village.

The Enugu Christmas Festival, which runs from December 7 to 31, will feature street carnivals, art exhibitions, Santa Storm, Christmas village musical performances, cultural displays, and family-friendly entertainment.