Ojude Oba Festival
EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Nigeria government has described the annual Ojude Oba Festival as a platform for fostering the unity of the country as well as one of the country’s tourism potentialities.
The Minister of Culture, Arts and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa- Musawa, said this on Tuesday, at the 2024 edition of the festival at Awujale’s pavilion, Ijebu-Ode.
The festival’s theme is “Ojude Oba: Unity and Harmony, Our Gift.”
The Minister of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy, represented by the Director of Cultural Agencies and Heritage, Dr. Ben Ugo Anama, stated that the Federal Government aims to have the festival recognized by UNESCO, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
She highlighted the ministry’s goal to generate over $100 billion from tourism by 2030, emphasizing its potential to diversify the economy away from oil dependence.
Musa-Musawa underscored the ministry’s commitment to collaborating with stakeholders to promote and protect Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage, in line with the “Destination 2030” vision.
“This vision harnesses the potential of arts, culture, and the creative economy to drive economic expansion. Our ambitious goals are designed to significantly boost GDP by 2030,” she said.
She concluded that the Renewed Hope Agenda demonstrates a strong commitment to economic diversification beyond oil revenue.
Musa-Musawa rejoiced with the sons and daughters of Ijebuland over the success of the festival and the good image it had given the country over the years.
She said that she had observed that the festival had not received any elements of UNESCO approval as one of its approved festivals.
The Minister said that the status of a festival like Ojude-Oba, with its profound impact on the tourism sector, deserved to be listed by the international body.
She, however, vowed to activate all the processes to get this done without further delay.
Ojude Oba Festival
Also Speaking at the event, Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, hailed Ojude-Oba and described it as a festival that had given Ijebuland and the people of Ogun a distinct identity.
Abiodun said that the festival had also become a catalyst for the development of Ijebuland and this underscored the essence of preserving the rich cultural heritage.
The governor, while rejoicing with the sons and daughters of Ijebuland over this year’s celebration, promised to partner with the Federal Government to develop the festival and make it a global tourist attraction and destination.
He added that the theme of the celebration was quite apt, as unity and harmony remained the bedrock of any thriving society.
He called for a more united force to lift the country out of its present woes.
The Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, as the chief host of the event, welcomed over 100 age-grade groups of males and females (Regberegbes), all dressed in attractive and impressive attire. These groups came to pay their annual homage to the traditional ruler.
Additionally, horse riders from the warrior families of Ijebuland were present to entertain the attendees with various acrobatic displays on their horses, adding to the festivities.
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