Philadelphia, PA, June 5, 2025): On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the ODUNDE Festival in Philadelphia, the City Council of Philadelphia has honored Dr. Al-Hassan Conteh, the Ambassador of Liberia to the United States.
The recognition ceremony took place at the COMCAST Technology Center in downtown Philadelphia.
The citation honoring Ambassador Conteh, signed by Hon. Kendra Brooks, Councilmember-at-large, and Hon. Kenyatta Johnson, President of the City Council, was read by Mr. Stanley L. Straughter, a Board Member of the ODUNDE Festival. It stated, "The Council of the City of Philadelphia, the Mayor's Commission on African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs, and the African and Caribbean Business Council of Greater Philadelphia are pleased to honor and recognize Ambassador Dr. Al-Hassan Conteh of Liberia during his visit to Philadelphia for the 50th anniversary of the ODUNDE Festival."
The ODUNDE Festival, which has its roots in the Yoruba people of Nigeria, celebrates the cultures and traditions of the African Diaspora.
It generates over $28 billion in revenue for businesses in Philadelphia and is the largest African American street festival in North America, attracting up to 500,000 attendees annually.
Ambassador Conteh was honored alongside the ambassadors of Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, and Sierra Leone.
Before the ceremony, the ambassadors visited the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority and participated in discussions about the port operations led by Mr. Ryan Mulvey, Director of Government Relations.
They are also scheduled to take part in an African Business Round Table on June 6 at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a tour of Africa Town, led by Hon. Voffe Jabateh, Chair of the American Cultural Alliance of North America, before attending the 50th ODUNDE Festival in Philadelphia on June 8.
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