PANAFEST celebrates 25th Anniversary

NAN-H-16

PANAFEST

By Taiye Baiyerohi

Lagos April 9, 2017 (NAN) The Pan African Historical Theatre Festval (PANAFEST), says plans are underway to celebrate its 25th anniversary in Cape Coast, Ghana.

between July 25 and Aug. 2 in Ghana, according to its Nigerian Representative,

Mr Kehinde Oluwafunsho, PANAFEST’s reoresenative in Nigeria told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos that the event which promises to be eventful, has been scheduled to hold from July 25 and Aug.2.

He highlighted the events at the programme to include exhibitions, performances, colloquium, musical concerts, networking, tours, reverential night and more.

“The anniversary will be celebrated with some other African countries delegates including Nigeria, all assembling in cape coast.

“It will be a period of cultural integration and diplomacy which we have been promoting,’’ he said.

Oluwafunsho said that the organisation had been able to bring back more than 5,000 Africans in the Diaspora to their roots.

According to him, PANAFEST has also proved the foreigners wrong with their belief that Africans were black monkeys.

He said that the organisation held meetings where they discussed problems faced by the Africans politically, economically and proffered lasting solutions to them.

Oluwafunsho also urged Nigerians to ensure full participation in order to project Nigerian culture and market the available tourist sites to other delegates.

“We want Nigerians to be well represented so that we will not be left behind.’’

NAN reports that PANAFEST is a cultural event held every two years for Africans and people of African descent.

The idea of the festival was to promote and enhance unity, pan-africanism, and the development of the continent of Africa.

It was mooted by the late Efua Sutherland, a Ghanian playwright in the mid-1980s as a cultural vehicle for bringing Africans on the continent and in the Diaspora together around the issues raised by slavery which remain suppressed.(NAN)

PTB/AIB/EAL

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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Ekemini Ladejobi