VON Partners National Museums To Promote Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove

Voice of Nigeria, VON, has reiterated its readiness to strategically position and promote Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove in South West Nigeria and other national monuments across the country to be more prominent on the global tourism map.

The Director General, Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace said this in Osogbo during a courtesy visit to Osogbo Sacred Grove as part of his tour of VON Southwest Zonal Office.

The DG said promoting important tourist sites and other unique cultural aspects of the Nigerian people is in line with his vision of fostering partnership and promoting Nigeria’s heritage.

“When we talk about shaping narratives, Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove is a World Heritage Site endorsed by UNESCO as one of those products Nigeria can export to the world; of course, it is not a new brand, it is impossible for anyone interested in tourism not to know about Osun Osogbo Grove.”

“But we need to be deliberate and intentional in shaping our own narratives. Voice of Nigeria will continue to create awareness about this important site and escalate it in all our eight languages of broadcast”.

According to Ndace, Voice of Nigeria is not just the authoritative platform mandated to project Nigeria’s image to the international community, it is a medium for aggregating and telling Nigerian and African stories to the world.

The DG stressed the need for renewed partnership between the media and public institutions like the National Commission for Museums and Monuments in telling the good stories emanating from Nigeria and curate important cultural artefacts of the Nigerian people.

He said: “Voice of Nigeria is the only public platform that is to focus on international broadcast and has the mandate and vision of our founding fathers to shape positive narratives about Nigerians and Africans.”

Ndace called on the media to amplify and propagate what defines Nigeria’s uniqueness and the peculiarity of its diversity as well as its various and beautiful stories.

He said: “We must understand, especially those of us in the traditional, public and private media organizations, that we are in the age of mis-information, dis-information, fake news and sometimes outright lies about our country, our people, our culture and continent; therefore as journalists, we have the responsibility to create believable, truthful and timely narratives about our country.”

In his own remarks, the Curator and Site Manager, Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove, Mr Joseph Aworeni expressed his gratitude to the DG for choosing to partner with the National Commission for Museums and Monuments.

Aworeni said the Osun Osogbo Sacred Groove was listed the second World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the year 2005.

He explained that the Grove covers about 122,000 hectares of natural tropical rainforest and is home to lots of animal species, more than 400 medicinal herbs and a hub for the celebration of Yoruba culture.

“Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove is the only place in the southwest, where the culture of the Yoruba people is well represented. The Yoruba people have many deities which are all represented at the Grove.

“The Grove usually welcomes thousands of devotees, tourists, traditional worshippers and culture enthusiasts from around the world whenever the Osun Osogbo festival is being celebrated,” he said.

The visit ended with a grand tour of the core and important areas of the sacred Osun Osogbo Grove, underscoring the partnership between Voice of Nigeria and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments.

VON DG Seeks Collaboration With Royal Fathers On Culture Promotion

As media organisations are focusing in shaping Nigeria narratives, traditional institutions are being urged to use their position to projecting Nigerian rich culture to the world.

Voice of Nigeria DG, Malam Jubrin Baba Ndace similarly called for greater collaboration between VON and traditional rulers, particularly in Southwest Nigeria for the promotion of indigenous festivals and other cultural activities.

He emphasized the key role of the traditional rulers in projecting the nation’s narrative to the world.

Baba Ndace said his visit to Osogbo was in line with the mission and vision of Voice of Nigeria which necessitate the VON team to work in partnership with the people of the state in uplifting Nigeria tourism status and escalate it to the world.

The Director General described Osogbo as the Cradle of Yoruba culture, saying, the annual Osun Osogbo festival which celebrates Osun, the goddess of fertility and which has been endorsed by UNESCO as a world heritage site needs to be further projected on the world tourism map.

VON as Nation’s mouth piece

The DG who highlighted VON’s status as the only medium in the country with the mandate to carry out international broadcasting, stressed its capacity to positively project the Nigerian positive stories.

He reiterated VON’s readiness to strategically position and promote festivals and other cultural activities of the Yoruba people to make them more prominent on the global tourism map.

“Voice of Nigeria was established by the wisdom of our founding fathers because of the special place of Nigeria in Africa and in the world; and since independence, VON has remained focused in shaping the positive narratives about Nigeria and Africa.

“VON has unapologetically showcased the various exciting and vibrant Nigerian cultures to the world.

“VON is the only station that broadcasts in eight different languages of Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, English, French, Arabic, Fulfude and Kiswahili, telling mainly Nigerian stories.” he said.

Choice of Osogbo

Mallam Ndace said he was on a drive to reposition VON for greater effectiveness, hence his tour of the Southwest Zonal Office in Osogbo to see how his vision could be better achieved.

He explained that the location of the Zonal Office in Osun State was due to its strategic place in the history of the Yoruba people and the beautiful cultural narratives that emanate from there.

“Since my assumption of duty as the DG, I have been focusing on repositioning Voice of Nigeria, and part of my drive is to go down to meet with my staff and colleagues who are in the zonal offices within Nigeria and especially in Osogbo the Southwest Zonal office because of the historical position of the town.”

“The town is not just for the Yoruba race, it is for the entire people of the world. I decided to visit you and I have also visited important places like the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove endorsed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2005.”

The DG assured Oba Oyetunji of the availability of VON’s platform to promote the traditional institutions of the town and all other unique cultural activities of the people.

He said the purpose of such a collaboration would be to tell the good stories emanating from the state and also to present Osogbo as a tourism hub that people around the world would want to come and experience.

“I’m determined with my team to be deliberate and intentional about sharing good stories about Nigeria and Africa and the only way we can do it is to say that if you come to Nigeria and you come to Osogbo there is something special you can see.”

He also lauded the DG’s effort to reposition VON as well as his commitment to promoting the culture and traditions of the people of Osogbo.

Oba Oyetunji prayed for the success of the DG, the Minister of Information, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigeria as a whole.
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