Ogori Fixes April 18 For Grand Finale Of 2026 Ovia Osese Cultural Festival

The Grand finale of the 2026 edition of the annual Ovia Osese cultural festival in Ogori, Ogori -Magongo Local Government, Kogi State, will hold on April 18 this year.

President of Ogori Descendants Union (ODU), Dr. Gabriel Aiso, announced this at a press conference in Lokoja on Tuesday.

He said activities lined up for the festival which is a globally acclaimed cultural event, will commence on Sunday, 12 April, 2026 with ‘Praise Night’ and followed by series of other events.

Aiso said the festival is being packaged to meet global best standards.

Dr. Aiso said the event with the theme : “Living The Legacy : A Rich Celebration of Tradition and Identity”, reflects the essence of the festival and its importance to the people of Ogori.

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Ogori, he maintained, places value on the girl-child, saying that the “girl-child is as important as the boy-child and therefore, she is accorded a very important pride of place.

“It is only in Ogori , Kogi State that you will find that the number of girl-child in school is far more than the enrolment of males.

“This is because we accord our womenfolk a prime of place.

“We see them not only as homemakers but as builders in all aspects.

“Our women are resilient, hardworking, courageous and they are goal getters.”

Dr. Aiso also revealed that the ODU is targeting N100 million out of which he said N40 million would be set aside for the festival.

He added that every effort is being made to ensure that the selling point of the festival is brought to the fore.

According to him, efforts are on to develop other nine tourist sites identified in the community by a special committee put together by the ODU.

“These sites will be visited by tourists during this year’s Ovia Osese,” he said.

As the only festival on the country’s National Calendar of Festivals in Kogi State, Dr. Aiso urged the state government to invest in the festival.

He notef that on the long run, the government stands to benefit more in terms of huge returns.

Prominent Nigerians from all walks of life, he disclosed would grace this year’s event, which he noted, “will be colourful and memorable.”

Meanwhile, the Festivals and Events Sub-Committee of the Ogori Descendants’ Union (ODU), has released the schedule of events for the 2026 Ovia Osese cultural festival celebration.

According to a statement from the committee, this year’s events will begin with Praise Night on Sunday, April 12th and end with Thanksgiving Services on Sunday, April 19th.