3,500 Nigerians In diaspora Came Home For Ojude Oba Festival – FG

The Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe on Friday declared that, the Ojude Oba festival remained a boost to tourism development in Nigeria.

Runsewe stated this in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state while delivering his speech at the 2023 Ojude Oba festival.

He disclosed that no fewer than 3,500 Nigerians living in the diaspora came back home to attend the Ojude Oba festival.

Ojude-Oba is a socio-cultural festival aimed at fostering religious tolerance and harmony, not only among Ijebu people, but also Ogun state residents and Nigerians in general.

The festival is a colourful display of the rich culture of the Ijebu people, particularly those from Ijebu Ode. The event is usually held three days after the Eid al-Kabir (Sallah) celebration, and it attracts lots of tourists, who come from different walks of life to have fun at the carnival-like celebration.

Runsewe explained that the Ojude Oba festival had remained a brand for Ijebu people both home and abroad, saying that the festival had continued to bring development and growth to the Ijebu community.

The director general noted that the festival had impacted positively on the socio economic growth of the state, adding that the festival had contributed immensely to development of culture and tourism in the country.

“Today marks a new brand for the entire Ijebu people both at home and diaspora . Ojude Oba has become a brand of developing culture and tourism in Nigeria.

“Yesterday, I was so happy that at the airport over 3,500 Nigerians came back home because of Ojude Oba festival . This has continue to make the festival a global one,” he said.

Runsewe, thereafter, described the Ojude Oba festival as the new brand of culture, experience and tourism of peace in Nigeria.

The director general of NCAC applauded the state for having a museum right inside the palace of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona.

He described Awujale as a great man of courage and capacity.

“Other states should take a queue from Ogun state that has a museum right inside the palace , it’s a unique thing that has happened to the state.

“The museum is of international standard”, he said.

Runsewe commended governor Dapo Abiodun for bringing investors to the state , adding that the state remained one of the most peaceful state in Nigeria for promoting peace, culture and tourism.

In his address, Abiodun described the Ojude Oba festival as a beautiful experience, a historic event of global reckoning.

The governor stated that the festival had brought about cultural values of ijebu people, saying it was a unifying factor to the entire Ijebuland.

“It is an opportunity to display our hospitality to the world. It promotes our tourism sector.

“We are going to look at having a state owned festival like this which will bring overall growth to the state,” he said.

Abiodun promised to continue to ensure that dividends of democracy cut across all the nooks and crannies of the state.

He also called on the people of the state to give maximum support to president Bola Tinubu, saying that the president had started on a good note with programmes initiated so far.

In his speech, the Special Guest of Honour, Dr. Clement Okeowo, the Chairman, Gibraltar Construction Company, noted that Ijebu people were known for promoting culture and also being industrious.

He used the occasion to call on the Federal government to fix the remaining portion of the Sagamu -Benin expressway especially Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode axis.

In his message, the Awujale explained that the atmosphere of peace being enjoyed across Ijebu community and Nigeria was a commendable feat, particularly in the face of current challenges experienced in the country.

Adetona called on the governor to fix dilapidated roads within Ijebuland, praying that God would grant the governor good health to continue to bring more dividend of democracy to the nooks and crannies of the state.

“Ijebu has never failed and we will not fail, this will not be our last celebration,” he said.