By Rotimi Ige

Copyright tribuneonlineng

The 2025 MTN-backed ‘Bole’ festival drew a massive crowd to the Yakubu Gowon Stadium between September 6 and 7, as thousands of residents, visitors and tourists converged in Port Harcourt for the ninth edition of Niger Delta’s signature celebration of roasted plantain, fish and native pepper sauce.

The festival recorded a significant increase in attendance, capping two days of performances, competitions, and brisk trade by food and non-food vendors. Despite light showers shortly after the opening, activities quickly resumed, with long queues at bole stands serving signature roasted plantain alongside different sizes of fish, while stalls selling clothes, jewellery and shoes did steady business.

The Regional General Manager, South-South Operations, MTN Nigeria Ifeanyichukwu Udom, described the sponsorship as part of the brand’s ongoing push to meet customers where they are and showcase new products. “We continually find ways to coordinate with our customers and support the enablement of their lives, dreams, and aspirations. If you look at this place today, our network is on point, 101%. We have a lot of content creators here because we provide an enabling platform, solid for connectivity via our Mifi, 5G devices, and others, they are able to connect. People are able to create content that is engaging and to let people know about the Bole festival that is ongoing, as well provide an opportunity for us to meet with our customers. Bole festival is now an international event, gathering momentum at every edition. I believe the next edition will be better, if it’s not, then something is not right.”

Competition segments drew loud cheers. The winner of the men’s dance competition, Fat Director, said, “I am excited because I was born to be a winner, I love to win. God has created me to be winning and till the next life, I will still be winning.”

In the women’s category, Ogbeifun praised the experience and connectivity at the venue, “The MTN network is good here, I have been experiencing seamless network connection, it’s very strong.

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Bole festival is not just about roasting or grilling plantain, but a tradition that brings people together, ignites and reignites friendship, network people and more.

Attendees travelled from within and outside Rivers State. First-timers, Princess Green and Onyejieme Chidinma said it was their first experience at the Bole festival and that they were getting the vibe. Lagos-based businessman Ebisan Atsemudiara, who arrived on the eve of the last day, said: “Port Harcourt is an amazing city, the people are just full of life. This is my second time here in Port Harcourt, and it’s so different from the last time. We are just arriving but I can already tell the atmosphere is filled. Looking forward to eating some good bole.”

Beyond the colour and music, the festival’s cultural and socioeconomic impact continues to expand. Conceived to showcase a local delicacy “in the Riverine way,” it now preserves culinary heritage across ethnic groups while generating revenue through tourism, food sales and wider trade, providing income for local and visiting vendors alike. Organisers say the event fosters unity, bringing people together despite economic and security challenges, and “connecting yesterday and today.”

With larger crowds, more games and stage performances, and stronger vendor participation, the 2025 edition showcased the Bole Festival’s evolution from a local food fair into an international carnival, and reinforced MTN’s role in keeping Port Harcourt’s most beloved cultural export firmly in the spotlight.