The city of Port Harcourt the Rivers State capital has been thrown into a festive mood as the national festival of arts and culture [ NAFEST] kicks off in the city.

The News Agency of Nigeria [ NAN] reports that the Rivers State Government planned a 2018 edition of a cultural festival, tagged NAFEST to hold in Port Harcourt from Oct. 20 to Oct. 27, to showcase the cultural heritage of Rivers and Nigeria.

The State Commissioner for Information, Mr Emmah Okah, told newsmen on Saturday in Port Harcourt that participants in the cultural festival had started arriving to register for the festival.

He said that the first few days of the festival would witness arrival and registration of participating groups from different States across Nigeria.

The Commissioner said that the festival was not only for Rivers cultural groups but for all cultural groups across Nigeria.

Also the state Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mrs Tonye Oniyide, noted that Rivers’ culture would be exposed and showcased to the entire world through the NAFEST programme.

She stressed that the programme would also show that there was adequate security in Rivers.

Meanwhile, participating groups from the various states are converging on Port Harcourt and as well registering for the festival.

The festival is expected to boost the economy of Rivers within the period as business operators are full of praises for the government for organizing the programme.