FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Abuja, Nigeria – Friday 13/12/24 –
Military, Police, Paramilitary & Marching Bands play vital roles in providing regimental and ceremonial music for social, national and international events, and essentially in the promotion of national unity and peace. Being the most ‘colourfully costumed unit’ of their organizations, they signify beauty and ceremonial grandeur.
Significantly, Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary International Band Festival (AFOPPIBAF) was initiated and packaged by African Caribbean Network Foundation (ACNF) with commendations, to showcase creative display of military, police and paramilitary tattoos (regimental, dance, pipe & steel-pan bands) of the world in a competitive level, and to promote multilateral experience sharing, exchanges, and relations amongst the bands, while highlighting the new global trends in regimental tattoo and ceremonial bands performances.
Essentially, with the maiden edition initially scheduled to be hosted in Nigeria in 2019, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Police and Paramilitary Agencies requested for African Caribbean Network Foundation (ACNF) to first, coordinate and produce AFOPPIBAF NATIONAL FESTIVAL to create synergy and enable the Nigerian Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary Bands better prepare for the Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary International Band Festival (AFOPPIBAF).
Sequel to the above, the Unity Band Ensemble Orchestra of the Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary Bands was created by African Caribbean Network Foundation (ACNF) with the recommendation of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), thus paving way for the hosting of Unity Serenade Concert in Abuja on the 15th of September, 2022 by the Unity Band Ensemble Orchestra as a springboard to the promotion, and hosting of AFOPPIBAF NATIONAL FESTIVAL. The Unity Serenade Concert introduced the prestigious ‘AFOPPIBAF Symbol of Unity Award’ which was conferred on the CDS, Service Chiefs, IGP, and CEOs of the Paramilitary Agencies.
AFOPPIBAF National Festival is a historic festival aimed at celebrating the best of regimental tattoos and music by the Nigerian Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary Bands in a competitive, creative, and performing arts showcase, thus awakening the latent talent of the activities and services of these integral departments in the promotion of the values and virtues of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary Agencies, which has for long been neglected
AFOPPIBAF NATIONAL FESTIVAL is packaged to improve on and promote experience sharing, synergy, creativity, service deliveries, and new trends in military, police and paramilitary regimental tattoos and music performances, aimed at enhancing bonds and working relationship among the Nigerian Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary Bands.
Furthermore, AFOPPIBAF NATIONAL FESTIVAL will also enhance competitiveness through pair engagement; Showcase and draw attention to creative potentials of the military, police and paramilitary organs; Introduce the band corps to new trends and best practices in the creation, performance, and utilization of regimental and ceremonial music; and most significantly; Drum up support for national peace, unity, and harmony in Nigeria.
AFOPPIBAF NATIONAL FESTIVAL will present stunning ensemble of massed pipes, drums, march-past, parades, choreographies, and creative displays by the Bands of the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Correctional Services, DRTS (VIO), Immigration, Customs, Fire Services, Road Safety & Civil Defence Corps in a showcase of their musical dexterity, scintillating parades, creative drumming, and musical renditions in competitive and carnival like processions.
AFOPPIBAF National Festival will also feature a one day colloquium, packaged to add intellectual dimension to the festival and will be anchored on the theme: “Regimental & Paramilitary Music – New Trends & Best Practices”. The colloquium will feature ‘interactive sessions’ and ‘presentations’ by specialists in regimental and paramilitary music. The Colloquium will give an expose to the importance of music in military and paramilitary organizations; discuss instrumentation, new innovations, and current trends in Regimental and Ceremonial Music.
As we prepare to usher in the season of celebration and an exciting festival of ‘Nigerian Regimental Tattoos’, it is important to take cognizance of some of the benefits that the hosting of AFOPPIBAF National Festival has and will produce:
a) It boosted and strengthened the working relationship between the Band Corps with the creation of the Unity Band Ensemble Orchestra for the Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary Bands and the successful hosting of the Unity Serenade Concert, which introduced the prestigious AFOPPIBAF Symbol of Unity Award in 2022.
b) The hosting of AFOPPIBAF National Festival and Unity Serenade Concert necessitated the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to revive the Customs Band; the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCOS) to restructure their Band; the Federal Fire Service (FFS) and DRTS (VIO) to establish their own ‘Band Corps’.
c) This is the first ever festival bringing all the Nigerian Security Agencies together to celebrate and promote their Band Corps in a ‘ceremonial regimental tattoo culture’ under one platform.
d) It will showcase the creative potentials of the Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary Agencies while promoting careers in the Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary Band Corps for talented and desirous Nigerian Youths in music, creative, and performing arts, as the duties and services of the Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary Agencies transcend beyond protecting the territorial integrity of Nigeria, maintaining peace and internal security, and collecting government revenue to entertaining the people with the best of regimental tattoo and ceremonial music, which is not popular in these climes.
e) It will improve and promote synergy, harmony, interaction and working relationship among the Band Corps for states, national and international service deliveries.
f) It will enable the Band Corps to embrace new trends and best practices in the creation, performance, and utilization of regimental and ceremonial music for enhanced service deliveries as renowned Regimental Tattoo Officers from overseas will avail us their professional expertise both for the Festival Colloquium and Post Festival Training of the Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary Band Corps Officers.
g) It will create room for improved civil-military, police and paramilitary relations and enhance the eradication of the stereotyped fear of the ‘Officers’ of the Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary Agencies among the Nigerian populace, thus aiding the promotion of national unity, peace and harmony.
h) It will establish the name ‘President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’ in the history of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for posterity as a ‘National Pride’ and the first Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces under whose leadership the Nigerian Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary Bands successfully participated in under one platform captioned; AFOPPIBAF NATIONAL FESTIVAL.
i) There will be also be ceremonial decorations of AFOPPIBAF NATIONAL FESTIVAL Patrons & Matrons, complemented with conferment of the prestigious ‘AFOPPIBAF Symbol of Unity Award’ on distinguished Patrons who stand as Nigeria’s Symbol of Unity with their support of AFOPPIBAF FESTIVAL in celebration and promotion of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary Bands.
The ‘Theme’ of NATIONAL FESTIVAL is anchored on the song of Legendary Nigerian Musician; Late Sonny Okosuns (Ozzidi) titled; Togetherness…!, and is paraphrased Togetherness – Unity in Diversity, Our Strength..!
AFOPPIBAF NATIONAL FESTIVAL will also feature guest performances by invited military, police, and paramilitary bands from Africa, Asia, Caribbean, European, Latin America, and the United States of America.
AFOPPIBAF NATIONAL FESTIVAL will also feature ‘Special Tributes’ to distinguished Regimental Music Directors, Band Leaders, and Parade Masters of the various Nigerian Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary Band Corps, and Late AFOPPIBAF Coordinating Officials.
AFOPPIBAF NATIONAL FESTIVAL is officially coordinated and produced by African Caribbean Network Foundation (ACNF) in partnership with AfroNem Linx, and Klaymann & Greymann, and in collaboration with the Nigerian Armed Forces, Police & Paramilitary Bands to emphasize the significance of ‘Regimental Tattoos (Band Corps)’, while activating and stimulating positive multilateral exchange and relations on diverse levels with their ‘Sister Bands’ from across the globe.
In line with African Caribbean Network Foundation (ACNF) mantra of ‘Bridging the Afro-Caribbean Gap’, AFOPIBAF National Festival is packaged to ‘Bridge the Ever-Widening Gap’ between the civil populace, military, police and paramilitary organizations using the world’s most universal language for peace and celebration of unity that we all know as MUSIC, but in this stance, Music by Regimental and Paramilitary Band Corps sending messages of peace and unity in their deliveries.
This historic festival will feature Regimental Music Colloquium, Serenade, Street Parade, March-Past, Creative Displays, Drum-Battles, Band & Musical Contests, Dispatch-Riders Displays, Test Piece & Self Piece Competition, Calisthenics, Cultural Displays, Tributes, Prizes and Awards.
The festival’s Special Guests will include past and living military, police, and paramilitary leaders among which include – Commanders-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Service Chiefs, Police IGs, Customs, Immigration, Correctional Service, Fire Service, and Civil Defence CGs, and FRSC Corps Marshals.
Coordinator & Producer
The festival Coordinator and Producer, African Caribbean Network Foundation (ACNF), is the Caribbean regional multilateral non-profit and non-governmental organization established over two decades ago with her West African Regional Chapter established in Nigeria. African Caribbean Network Foundation (ACNF) was established to redress a further drifting apart of the two culturally linked regions, and build a bridge over the ever expanding fissure. African Caribbean Network Foundation (ACNF) has established itself as a leading regional umbrella organization for creating necessary multilateral contacts, forum for interactions, investment and resourceful partnerships, as well as initiating and coordinating socio-cultural relations and exchange programs for, and between the governments and peoples of Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and North America. African Caribbean Network Foundation (ACNF) core value is to activate and stimulate healthy, positive, productive, and peaceful coexistence, as well as mutually beneficial interactions on diverse cultural and social levels.
For Festival Support, Branding, Promotional Considerations, and Sponsorship details, please contact African Caribbean Network Foundation (ACNF) on Phone: 080-60186602, 081-78447727, 080-35896248, 081-31120311, Email: acnorg@gmail.com, and acnecowas@gmail.com.
Signed:
FOR AFOPPIBAF
Ambassador Justin Duru
Director General
