How a Local Cultural and Tourism Committee Can Transform Aken O’e into a Global Festival

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A cross section of wrestlers 

Chief Obarilomate Ollor 
Executive Chairman of Eleme LGA 


By Nwafor Oji Awala

When the Executive Chairman of Eleme Local Government Area, Chief Obarilomate Ollor, stood before the jubilant crowd at the Echieta-Nchia Arena during the grand finale of the 2025 Nchia Annual Wrestling Festival (Aken O’e), his words struck a deep cultural chord.

“I want to say to the Eleme people that this part of our culture, what we are doing here today, has come to stay. We are going to set up a cultural committee that will monitor and ensure that this activity is properly censored and it's going to be there forever,” he declared.

Chief Ollor decorating a champion 

That promise, to establish a Cultural and Tourism Committee, may well become the turning point in Eleme’s cultural history.

Every year, the Aken O’e Festival transforms the peaceful Nchia district into a vibrant theatre of tradition. Around the famous Echieta market, business halts as youths, elders, dancers, and tourists gather to witness a spectacle of wrestling, dance, and ancestral communion.

The festival is not just a sport; it is a cultural statement. It celebrates Eleme’s heritage, marks the season of yam harvest, and honours the spirits of ancestors believed to return home to rejoice with their living kin.


In the rotation of hosting rights among Ogale, Agbonchia, Aleto, Alesa, and Alode lies a sense of unity, continuity, and shared pride.

Chief Ollor’s pronouncement to create a Cultural and Tourism Committee signals more than administrative intent; it hints at the birth of a sustainable cultural framework.

A structured body dedicated to monitoring, standardizing, and promoting Eleme’s festivals can bring immense benefits to the land:

With proper planning, Aken O’e can attract tourists the way Calabar Carnival has transformed Cross River State. Hotels, transport operators, food vendors, and artisans in Eleme can experience economic boosts during festival periods.

The committee can document indigenous practices, songs, attire, and folklore associated with Aken O’e, ensuring they are passed to future generations.


By formally organizing wrestling, dance, and other traditional arts, the committee will create platforms for Eleme youths to express themselves constructively, a viable tool against social vices.

Just as the Argungu Fishing Festival in Kebbi or the Osun-Osogbo Festival in Osun State attract international attention, a properly managed Aken O’e can position Eleme as the cultural heartbeat of Rivers State.

With an organized structure, the committee can attract sponsorships from cultural foundations, oil and gas companies, and tourism agencies, turning Eleme’s traditions into economic assets.


The Calabar Cultural Festival, now known as “Africa’s Biggest Street Party,” began as a local celebration of Cross River’s identity. With government support, institutional frameworks, and creative tourism strategies, it evolved into a global attraction drawing thousands of visitors each December.

Eleme can replicate that success, not by imitation, but through authentic expression. Aken O’e offers a rare blend of physical sport, ritual symbolism, and communal celebration. With proper planning, it can become the Wrestling Carnival of Southern Nigeria, an annual event that tells the story of Eleme to the world.

Chief Ollor’s emphasis that the committee will “work with the Traditional Council and ensure that whatever is needed is put in place” points to an inclusive model, one that fuses governance with tradition.

It acknowledges that the future of culture lies in collaboration between government institutions, traditional authorities, and the creative community.


If properly executed, this committee could become the cultural compass of Eleme, guiding festivals, promoting tourism, and building bridges between the old and the new.

With the establishment of a Cultural and Tourism Committee, Eleme stands on the verge of transforming its ancient traditions into a modern cultural industry that celebrates its past while securing its future.


©️ Nwafor Oji Awala 

Prime Heritage Magazine 

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