In its drive at making Cross River State one of the continent’s foremost tourist destinations, the state  government and the people of Yakurr are set to host another edition of the popular Leboku International Festival.

With the involvement of corporate bodies like MTN, the cultural fiesta has attained an international status as tourists around the world join the sons and daughters of Yakurr community to celebrate the festival.

According to Mr. Kola Oyeyemi, General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN, “the sponsorship and involvement of MTN in Leboku festival and other cultural festivals across the country is borne out of the desire to preserve and project the country’s rich cultural heritage and put various cultural festivals in the country on the international pedestal as well as galvanise their potentials to generate revenue for the communities and engender community bonding.

Corroborating Oyeyemi’s position, Kester Osahenye, Regional Marketing Manager, South-South, MTN Nigeria, said the company, through its Kulturefest initiative, has evolved into a strong pillar behind major festivals such as Osun Osogbo, Ofala Nnewi, Argungun and Anioma, among other festivals across the country.

Leboku Festival has been celebrated for many years by the Yakurr and Ugep people. It has a cultural message of harvest, love and fertility of the land. It is a celebration of the yield of harvest, hard work and youth.

Leboku is one festival that is very popular and well revered by the people of Cross River State and has continued to attract the indigenes of the area in the Diaspora and tourists from different parts of the world annually.

It is set aside by the Yakurr people to mark the beginning of the harvest of new yam. After toiling in the farm for months to cultivate yam, the Yakurr people, majority of whom are large_scale farmers, use the event to thank God for bountiful harvest.

Activities that make the three_week long event enthralling include Miss Leboku beauty pageant, which recognises and rewards the most intelligent and beautiful woman in the community, and Mr Leboku, which stresses the test of strength and character of the men’s folk.

Also featuring during the festival are the biggest yam harvest contest and football matches, while the grand finale features traditional parades of chiefs and maidens. Winners of these contests go home with mouth_watering prizes.

These elements of the Leboku Festival distinguish it among the festivals celebrated in the region. And MTN is committed to uplifting the festival to an international tourist standard.