Ogun State festival :Ojude Oba Festival Fosters Unity and Economic Growth.

 

Ojude Oba (The King's Forecourt) is an ancient festival celebrated by the Yoruba people of Ijebu-Ode, a major town in Ogun State, Southwestern Nigeria. This annual festival usually takes place the third day after Eid al-Kabir (Ileya), to pay homage and show respect to the Royal Majesty, the Awujale of Ijebuland. It is one of the most spiritual and glamorous festivals celebrated in Ijebuland and generally in Ogun State as a whole With great success, the annual Ojude Oba Festival, a colorful celebration of Ijebu culture and custom, recently came to an end. Thousands of people attended the festival, which featured exquisite traditional clothing, enthralling dances, music, and breathtaking equestrian exhibitions. The festival demonstrated how local companies, service providers, artists, and artisans from Ogun, Lagos, and almost every other state in South West Nigeria can be empowered by cultural traditions to generate economic prosperity.

Invoking the festival's potential for both social and economic development through tourism, Ogun State His Excellency  Governor Adedapo Abiodun, MFR, pledged to take the Ojude Oba Festival to a worldwide level. He sees the festival becoming included as one of the events supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and becoming a regular feature on the global tourism calendar.

About thousand of people from all  over  Nigeria commemorate Ojude Oba, which translates to "king's fore-court" in Yoruba. Those of Ijebu descent in particular, as well as individuals from Yoruba background in general, traditionally celebrate this event with pomp and splendor.

The event brings in tourists and traders from all across Nigeria and the diaspora, which helps Ijebuland, Ogun State, and Nigeria flourish, according to Ladi Balogun, Group Chief Executive of FCMB Group Plc, in his message of goodwill. The CEO of FCMB Group encouraged the residents of Ijebu to seize the opportunity presented by the festival to celebrate their unity and to use it as a platform for future growth and an inspiration to their children.

Ninety Regberegbe groups participated in this year's Ojude Oba celebration, a notable increase from the 76 that attended in 2023. This increase is indicative of a rise in social cohesion, which is important for fostering harmony and harmonious cohabitation in the society.

source : 

punch newspaper

wokipedia    

Linda keji blog