Odi Community Appoints Planning Committee for 2025 Ogori Ba Uge Festival

Odi Community Appoints Planning Committee for 2025 Ogori Ba Uge Festival

Odi, Bayelsa State, Nigeria – May 6, 2025

In a significant step toward cultural preservation and international engagement, the Odi community of Bayelsa State, Nigeria, has inaugurated the planning committee for the 2025 Ogori Ba Uge Festival—a premier celebration of Izon cultural heritage.

Presiding over the inauguration ceremony, Deputy Amananaowei, Chief Lumumba Izonfuo, speaking on behalf of His Royal Majesty King Shine Apre, Imgbela xll, underscored the importance of continuity and innovation in sustaining indigenous traditions. He commended the efforts of cultural scholar and festival convener Dr. Ebikisei Stanley Udisi, whose leadership has been instrumental in revitalizing the event in recent years.
“The Ogori Ba Uge Festival is not merely a local celebration—it is a living archive of our identity,” Chief Izonfuo declared.
“The committee must chart a path that honors our past while embracing creative expressions relevant to today’s global audience.”

The 2025 Planning Committee reflects a blend of traditional authority, youth leadership, gender representation, and technical expertise. The committee members include:

Dr. Ebikisei Stanley Udisi – Chairman

Mr. Doubara Johnson Bolou – Secretary

Chief (Apostle) Idon Ingezi – Member

Engr. Erekemefa Save Ogboin – Chairman, Community Development Committee

Comrade Perekibina Odom – President, Odi Youth Council

Mr. Okpoebi Ziboh – Member

Madam Diweni Igbonkumo – Member

Mrs. Ipamoere Offurugbo Addy – Member

Mr. Kemedengiyefa Opia – Member

Ms. Harriet Edide (Finnie) – Member

Ms. Ebisindo Pearl Asamaowei – Member

Mrs. Chinyere Zibokiebieri Dick – Member

Mr. Prince Ebiuwou Ikioufagha – Member

The composition highlights a commitment to community ownership and collaborative governance in cultural affairs.

The Ogori Ba Uge Festival is widely recognized as a vital platform for the transmission of Izon customs, language, music, and oral history. Each edition draws thousands of attendees, including cultural scholars, heritage advocates, policymakers, and members of the Izon diaspora.

With the 2025 edition on the horizon, expectations are high for a festival that not only showcases traditional performances but also integrates contemporary cultural expressions, sustainability practices, and educational outreach.
Dr. Udisi, speaking at the inauguration, emphasized the festival’s evolving mission. “Our vision is to position the Ogori Ba Uge Festival as a cultural event of global resonance—where the ancestral meets the modern, and where indigenous voices are celebrated on the world stage.”

The planning committee is scheduled to release a detailed program outline and partnership framework in the coming weeks. Key focus areas include community engagement, diaspora participation, youth involvement, and digital documentation of the festival for global audiences.

As cultural heritage gains renewed relevance in global discourse, the 2025 Ogori Ba Uge Festival is poised to reinforce the Izon people’s place in the story of Africa’s cultural renaissance.