After a week of fun-filled entertainment and rich cultural displays that kept visitors spellbound, the Odi Ogori-Ba-Uge International Festival finally came to an end at the weekend, with organisers appreciating the huge turnout.

The week-long Odi Ogori Ba Uge Festival took place in the historic town of Odi, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, nestled in the heart of the Niger Delta. It is notable for the army invasion of 1999, which resulted in hundreds of lives lost and the destruction of homes. The festival concluded with the famous Odi Beach carnival.

The festival, which attracted both local and international tourists, featured a variety of entertaining events, including the Love Boat, cultural performances, dances, and more.

The Planning Committee Chairman, Dr Ebikise Stanley Udisi, who spoke on behalf of the committee members and the Amanaowei, the council of chiefs and people of Odi, appreciated the public for their support and participation, which contributed to the successful hosting of the 2025 edition of the festival.

The Odi Ogori Ba Uge is a famous annual social-cultural festival in Odi, which is celebrated to commemorate the killing of a wild and ferocious supernatural buffalo that once terrorised, killed and kept the people of Odi in bondage for five years.
According to Udisi, who spoke with The Guardian, when the said buffalo was killed on the 27th of July 1957, the indigenes of Odi rolled out their drums to celebrate victory and freedom from the killer beast.

“It has therefore become an annual event which has innovated and displayed the uniqueness and creativity in the Ijaw culture with a blend of western shows and displays. It is one major festival recognised and recorded in the National and Bayelsa State calendar of festivals, which attracts multitudes of people within and beyond the Niger Delta, in tourism and peace-building,” he said.

This year’s event, the 68th edition in the series, was described as the best since its inception by the planning committee chairman. He acknowledged the state Governor, Douye Diri, and others who contributed to the festival’s success.

He also appreciates the following persons for their financial and other support: Engr Gesiye Asamaowei, fmr Speaker of the Bayelsa House of Assembly, RT Hon Tonye Emmanuel Isenah, and APC stalwart Engr Prince Preye Aganaba, among others.