Nigeria’s biggest corporate supporter of culture, Globacom, has announced the sponsorship of this year’s edition of Ofala Festival, which is holding in Onitsha, Anambra State, in October, 2025.
The annual Ofala festival is a customary obligation performed by His Royal Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha. The celebrations, held over a two-day period, comprise the Iru Ofala on October 17 and the Azu Ofala the following day.
Globacom, the main sponsor of the Ofala festival, said at a press conference held at Ime Obi, Obi’s Palace, Onitsha, on Thursday by the Ofala Festival Organising Committee that it had been backing the event since 2011 because of its faith in the nation’s huge cultural heritage and its potential to create employment and boost revenue generation. The company restated its commitment to take the festival to a global stage and reckon.
“In 2025, Nigeria’s tourism sector is projected to contribute ₦11.2 trillion to GDP, up from about ₦10.9 trillion in 2024. Domestic tourism expenditure is also expected to be around ₦6.1 trillion, while international visitor spending is forecast at about ₦803.2 billion. These figures show not only recovery from the disruptions of recent years, but strong growth. They underscore a simple truth: culture and tourism are not luxuries, they are vital to our economy, our identity, and our future.
“Globacom is committed to pushing that future forward. Our support for Ofala is part of a broader belief that investment in culture yields returns beyond the balance sheet. It builds communities, jobs, local businesses, pride,” Globacom noted.
The company also revealed that the sponsorship of this year’s Ofala festival is coming with concrete initiatives to make it a special delight for its customers. “We are packaging a special promotion for our subscribers with prizes such as a brand new car, tricycles, sewing machines, and grinding machines, so that empowerment is tangible. We are also continuing aggressive roll-out and upgrade of network infrastructure across Nigeria, in particular to 4G-LTE in zones like the South East, so that all our subscribers will enjoy enhanced experience on the network on both voice and data services.
Globacom also highlighted the two offerings it unveiled on Monday to give more value to its subscribers: The first is the Talkmasta plan designed to provide customers with extra talk time and data at no additional cost, while the second one is the Welcome Bonus which gives new subscribers unmatched benefits for joining the Glo community.
The Chairman of the Ofala Strategic Marketing and Communications Committee, Mr Nnaemeka Maduegbuna, disclosed that this year’s Ofala would start with the annual lecture series on October 7 and continue with Oreze Art Exhibition, a showcase of paintings, sculptures, and ceramics featuring works by Nigerian and African artists, Ofala Youth Carnival on October 15, Medical, Health, and Wellbeing Community Outreach, Iru Ofala on October 17, Azu Ofala on October 18, and a Royal Banquet to be hosted in honour of Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe on October 22.
He assured those planning to attend the festival that adequate arrangements had been made to ensure a spectacular event as well as the security and comfort of all the visitors. The press conference had in attendance senior palace chiefs and members of the organising committee.
