Nnewi stands still as Life Beer brings innovation to the annual Afiaolu cultural festival

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Marketing Director of Nigerian Breweries plc, Sarah Agha ( 2nd left) with other invitees at the Afiaolu Nnewi festival

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By Madu Obi

The Life Continental Lager Beer, has elevated the annual Afiaolu Nnewi cultural festival to higher level with the introduction of new innovation in this year's ceremony.

Celebrating the resilience and drive of Nnewi people, Life Beer demonstrated its love for the people's culture by sponsoring the 2025 Afiaolu festival.

Among the highlights in this year's festival were the wrestling, cooking and female football competitions in which the four communities of Uruagu, Nnewichi, Otolo and Umudim vied for honours.

Governor Anambra State, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, who was represented by the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Don Onyenji was pleasantly surprised at the Innovation introduced in this year's festival.

While commending Life Beer for the spectacle sponsorship, he observed that the bold participation of the brand has elevated the cultural festival to an enviable status of a tourist attraction.

According to him, the massive attendance of people from several parts of the world attested to the importance Afiaolu is assuming.

He commended the people of Nnewi for taking their culture to a higher level as this year's Afiaolu brought in many innovations, especially with the celebration of the event at the famous Nkwo Nnewi Triangle.

The governor said: "Nnewi is important to Anambra State because of its economic viability, which is why the administration is upgrading infrastructure through massive road construction.

Nnewi is the Japan of this state and beyond. What Nnewi is bringing to the table is not surprising because this is the town that produced the first Nigerian millionaire and it was he that provided the limousine that drove Queen Elizabeth around when she visited the country.

One of the most famous transporters in Nigeria also came from Nnewi and the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu is from Nnewi. There are also new generation of Nnewi millionaires who are contributing their quota to transform the community".

Addressing the mammoth crowd of the attendees, the Marketing Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, brewers of Life Beer, Sarah Agha, expressed joy that the people of Nnewi and their traditional ruler, His Royal Highness, Igwe Kenneth Orizu III welcomed Life Continental Lager Beer warmly, making it possible for the brand to boldly immerse itself in the people’s culture.

She said: “We thank everybody who graced the 2025 Afiaolu. Our special thanks go to the royal fathers, ably represented by HRH Igwe Kenneth Orizu who offered us the opportunity to participate in this festival.”

She added that the similarities in the brand proposition of Life Continental Lager Beer and the Nnewi people would always be a source of encouragement for the brand to continually identify with the people.

She expressed confidence that the mutually rewarding relationship between Life Continental Lager and Nnewi people will continue and even be bigger next year.