Published on September 13, 2025
The 2025 MTN-backed Bole Festival proved to beryllium an unthinkable success, drafting a immense crowd to nan Yakubu Gowon Stadium successful Port Harcourt. Held from September 6th to 7th, this ninth version of nan Niger Delta’s signature festival celebrated 1 of nan region’s astir beloved delicacies: roasted plantain (bole), served pinch food and autochthonal capsicum sauce. Over nan people of 2 days, attendees were treated to vibrant performances, competitions, and a lively marketplace, marking a important summation successful some information and taste engagement. As nan show continued to turn successful standard and impact, it reinforced nan domiciled of MTN successful promoting taste events and connecting people, some locally and internationally.
A Festival Like No Other
What began arsenic a section ceremony of a accepted crockery quickly evolved into a much-anticipated location and nationalist event. The Bole Festival is not only astir food; it’s a taste show that unites group done shared experiences and traditions. Despite ray showers that concisely disrupted nan opening of nan event, nan resilience of nan attendees ensured that nan festival’s momentum was not lost. MTN, arsenic nan charismatic sponsor, played a important domiciled successful facilitating nan event’s occurrence by providing a reliable connection level that ensured soft connections, particularly for contented creators who were location to showcase nan festival’s vibrancy. The operation of music, dance, food, and societal relationship made nan show a ceremony of unity, community, and taste pride.
Thousands of residents, visitors, and visitors filled nan Yakubu Gowon Stadium successful Port Harcourt, showing conscionable really overmuch nan show has travel to symbolize nan Niger Delta. Bole, nan crockery that brings everyone together, was prepared by various vendors, each offering their ain return connected nan celebrated plantain and food meal. Meanwhile, nan stalls featured everything from clothes and jewelry to shoes, creating a bustling marketplace that added to nan festival’s lively atmosphere.
MTN’s Role successful Connecting and Empowering Communities
For MTN, nan sponsorship of nan Bole Festival serves arsenic portion of its broader inaugural to link pinch its customers and empower communities crossed Nigeria. According to Ifeanyichukwu Udom, nan Regional General Manager of South-South Operations astatine MTN Nigeria, nan show provided a level for MTN to prosecute pinch customers and showcase its products. Udom highlighted really MTN’s web was captious for nan occurrence of nan event, arsenic it ensured seamless connectivity for attendees and contented creators alike. With nan readiness of Mifi, 5G devices, and different technology, MTN helped group stock and acquisition nan show successful real-time, expanding its world visibility.
MTN’s support for nan show is successful statement pinch its ongoing efforts to bring group person together, enabling them to create, connect, and pass successful meaningful ways. The brand’s sponsorship has helped elevate nan Bole Festival from a location arena into an world ceremony that continues to turn each year. Udom expressed assurance that early editions of nan show would only get bigger and better, solidifying its spot arsenic 1 of nan cardinal taste events successful Nigeria.
Competition and Performances: A Celebration of Talent
One of nan highlights of nan show was nan competition segments, which brought retired nan champion successful section talent. In nan men’s creation competition, Fat Director emerged arsenic nan winner, expressing his excitement and passion for winning. His words reflected nan power and competitory tone that pervaded nan festival, wherever galore came not only to observe but besides to showcase their skills and talents. Similarly, successful nan women’s category, Ogbeifun praised nan acquisition and nan connectivity astatine nan venue, peculiarly noting nan spot of nan MTN network that ensured soft communications for each attendees.
These competitions, coupled pinch vibrant performances passim nan event, contributed to an ambiance of ceremony and unity. People from various walks of life came together, not conscionable to bask delicious nutrient but besides to prosecute successful friends competition, showcasing nan talent that exists successful nan region. The consciousness of camaraderie and communal respect was palpable, underscoring nan festival’s extremity of bringing group together contempt nan challenges posed by some economical and information issues.
A Growing Cultural and Socioeconomic Impact
The Bole Festival is much than conscionable a ceremony of food. Its taste effect is significant, helping to sphere and beforehand nan culinary practice of nan Niger Delta and beyond. The show serves arsenic a reminder of nan value of section traditions, ensuring that culinary practices tied to nan riverine regions are passed down and celebrated. Beyond its taste significance, nan show has besides proven to person a affirmative economical impact. The influx of visitors and nan bustling waste and acquisition from nutrient and non-food vendors person contributed to nan section economy, providing income for some section and visiting vendors.
As nan show continues to turn successful size and scope, its effect extends beyond nan contiguous event. The tourism it generates creates opportunities for section businesses to thrive, while nan show itself has go a cardinal constituent of Port Harcourt’s identity. Attendees recreation from wrong Rivers State and beyond to beryllium portion of nan celebration, further enhancing nan city’s estimation arsenic a vibrant taste hub.
The Future of nan Bole Festival
The 2025 version of nan Bole Festival showed conscionable really acold nan arena has travel since its inception. It has evolved from a small, section nutrient adjacent into an world carnival that attracts group from each corners of nan globe. With nan continued support of MTN, nan show is group to turn moreover bigger successful nan coming years, attracting much vendors, performers, and participants. As nan show moves into nan future, it remains a powerful awesome of unity and cultural pride, bringing group together done shared experiences and a emotion for accepted food. The Bole Festival will proceed to radiance arsenic a beacon of taste practice and a ceremony of everything that makes nan Niger Delta special.