On 9 September 2023, the Abuja Nigeria Lugbe Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hosted a community music festival. The interfaith event highlighted soloists, choirs, dancers, and musicians from religious and community organizations throughout the Abuja area. The focus of the event was to foster religious tolerance and love in the Abuja community and to introduce the Church of Jesus Christ by sharing musical talents. The festival included performances by local, traditional performers presenting dances and songs in their local dialect.
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Lugbe-Music-Festival
Missionaries from the Nigeria Abuja Mission at the Lugbe Music Festival in Abuja, Nigeria, on 9 September 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
The event featured performances by the Abuja Chorale Society, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps Band, the Nigerian Air Force Band, the Fiddlers Music Consort, the Festival of Praise Orchestra and Chorale Society of Abuja, and the Protestant Church Choir, all local community and religious groups.
The event was hosted by the Abuja Nigeria Lugbe Stake Choir, with the the Abuja Nigeria Mission Choir and the Gwagwalada Ward Cultural Group, also representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Also performing was Tee Roy, a local gospel artist and member of the Church of Jesus Christ.
The activity offered Church members the opportunity to share their own songs, talk about the Church and share their ways of worship.
Missionaries from the Abuja Zone of the Nigeria Abuja Mission also attended the event and shared information about the Church at booths. The festival also gave local Church members the opportunity to showcase other Church programs, such as seminaries and institutes, BYU-Pathway Worldwide, the Gathering Place, self-reliance and family history.
President Dennis Ocansey and Sister Rita D. Ocansey, mission leaders in the Nigeria Abuja Mission, also attended the event with their missionaries.
“It was great seeing missionaries, members of our Church and community members of many faiths in our dedicated meetinghouse, singing and building faith-filled relationships one with another,” he said of the festival. “The two most important commandments as taught by our Savior — to love God and to love our fellow man — were truly demonstrated during these wonderful performances.”
At the conclusion of the program, the participating guests were given awards for their willingness to share their talents with the community.
