The Temple Company, in collaboration with Balmoral Group, has announced plans to roll out the maiden edition of the Lagos Independence Festival of Excellence (LIFE).
Conceptualised around Nigeria’s Independence Day, the three-day festival aims to celebrate, promote, and preserve the heritage and culture that collectively make up the fabric of the most populous black nation using arts, fashion, music, and film to mention a few.
The all-inclusive event will be open to the general public irrespective of age or socio-economic status. To achieve this, the organisers have planned engaging activities during day and night-time.
The daytime activities will focus on entertaining and educating the younger generation, while the nighttime activities are moulded to impact nostalgia and appreciation of Nigerian cultures.
Founder, The Temple Company, Idris Olorunnimbe, emphasised the crucial need to promote Nigerian artists, who serve as culture custodians.
“Most of our children know the international artists, but who is going to help us celebrate our artists? The idea is very simple: the convergence of all of us, regardless of age, will experience Nigeria’s independence in a new, more impactful light. Our children will learn, in a fun way, about our country and our people, and our culture, and then, at night, the adults can experience a unique nightlife that celebrates Nigeria.”
Working for several months with the in-house team at The Temple Company, and securing collaborations from third-party creatives, Olorunnimbe is confident of the event’s smooth run next year.
He expects the event will pool guests from around the globe. He further disclosed that plans for logistics and lodging have been given top priority. The festival has also entered partnerships with various corporate and government entities to help subsidise the entry fee for the festival.
Although the festival focuses on uniting the people of Nigeria under the same roof for three consecutive days, it also plays the important role of revamping the economy through talent discovery and job creation.
Chief Executive Officer Balmoral Groups, Ezekiel Adamu, strongly believes that the festival will influence some level of brain gain in the country, too.
LIFE is set to hold in 2022 at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.