Nigeria’s cultural heritage, huge export potential – Ooni

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II, has described Nigeria’s cultural heritage as a huge export potential capable to igniting economic rejuvenation.

His Imperial Majesty said this during the celebration of Obarese and Oya deities at weekend in Ile-Ife.

According to Ooni, Nigeria festivals and heritage are not getting desired assistance from citizens of the country.
This, the first-class monarch, said was affecting the growth of the local festivals and culture in the country.

He expressed displeasure that foreigners were beginning to appreciate the Yoruba culture, mysteries and festivals than indigenes of the tribe.

He said, “Our heritage is so strong. All the things that we are celebrating may be strange to a lot of people living in Nigeria and Yorubaland but in the Western World, they don’t joke with them. All these things are so important to them. They traced the origin of mankind back to millions of years and all these facts are displayed in their libraries and museums. They believe in the potency and power of all these festivals. It is about time for us (Africans) to nurture what we have.

“We should celebrate what nature has given to us. Our culture is a very huge export potential and tourism is one of the biggest trades in the world. It is bigger than a lot of investments that you can think of because it has a lot of people’s movement. With tourism, people are able to establish a common heritage and ancestral background.”

Ooni called on government at all levels to improve the level of infrastructure, noting that government needed to support drive to project the Yoruba culture to the world.

He said, “It is about time for us to focus on tourism by improving our infrastructure and for us to package these entire heritages. Most of the heritage and festivals are very timely and yield benefits.

“Government should pay serious attention to our heritage. We are blessed here because our tourist centres and attractions are natural. We don’t need to create any form of artificial tourism. They are very natural tourism potential and that is why we need to displaying them. We hope that at one point, government will join us.”

The Obalejugbe of the source, High Chief Abiodun Akinrefon, declared that worshipping gods of rain in Ile-Ife would boost the economy of the community.

He acknowledged the Ooni of Ife for resusitating the dead deities in Ile-Ife, saying that Obarese is the custodian of rain in Ile-Ife.

According to him, as the priests went to make sacrifice to Obarese at Idi-Aje shrine, rain that refused to fall for long in the ancient city started falling with immediate effect.

The Obalejugbe ascertained that Ijugbe festival led to heavy rainfall in Ile-Ife and failure to celebrate the diety annually causes scarcity of rain which led to famine on the land, while small Pox will be rampant and cause death in the town.

Also, the High Chief Oyarekun Oyaro, the Balogun of Famia who doubles as Oya priest attributed the rain that poured to the spiritual performance of Oya festival in Ile-Ife.

Oyaro said that the invoked rainfall gave a landmark for the beginning of planting and plenteous harnest.

He admonished the citizenry to value their tradition and culture, adding that they all have important roles to play in the life of mankind.