Osun digs up new tourism site, as Ooni launches Olojo festival

In a bid to making Osun State one of the tourism havens in Nigeria, the Ooni of Ile-Ife, HRM Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has unveiled the Olojo Festival Logo to kick start the activities of the 2016 Olojo Festival.

The festival which was launched in Ife, Osun State over the weekend, witnessed dignitaries all over country, storm the Ooni’s Palace in celebration.

Olojo is one of the oldest festivals in Ife and celebrated all over Yorubaland as Ogun, the god of iron, noted for creativity. It is perhaps the most famous of the festivals in Ile-Ife which echoes.

According to Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola while speaking through the Director General of Economic Development and Partnerships, (OEDP), Dr. Charles Diji Akinola, the festival will reinforce the notion of Ife as a foremost cultural centre.

“At the risk of sounding like an ethnic supremacist, I want to bring forth the words of a writer who argued that the Yoruba are the most culturally successful people in Africa. This is also the theme of Prof Abiodun Adetugbo’s seminal essay titled ‘Yoruba continuities in the Diaspora’ where he detailed how Yoruba language and culture spread around the world through slavery and migration and how these are remarkably distinct in their new environments. It is therefore in order that we project Olojo, Iwude, Obanta and other festivals in Yorubaland that will project our culture. Our Kabiyesi should therefore be commended for this initiative.

But beyond cultural projection, there is the economic imperative of culture foremost of which is tourism. We can build a thriving economy around our culture and monuments. The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Jerusalem and Rome are distinct economies that sustain these countries”, Akinola said while delivering the Keynote address.

In 2014 alone, France topped the chart of tourism sites when it received 83.7 million tourists. She is closely followed by the United States with 74.8 million.

Others are Spain with 65 million, China 55.7 million, Italy 47.7 million, Turkey 39.8 million, Germany 33 million, UK 32.6 million, Russia 29.8 million while Mexico made the last of the top 10 with 29.1 million.

This generated an income of $177.2 billion to the United States to top the big earners chart, distantly followed by Spain with $65.2 billion. China is third with $56.9 billion while France earned $55.4 billion from tourism in 2014.

However, London is the most visited city with 18.82 million visitors and raked in the most revenue with $20.2 billion in 2014.

“We can tap into the Yoruba Diaspora population and make them to come to Ife on an annual pilgrimage. If we get this right, this alone is enough to give Osun a buoyant economy and make her one of the richest in Nigeria”, Akinola added.

While addressing guests at the launching put together by the festival developer, Ayo Olumoko, HRM, Oba Idowu Adediwura of Iremo Quarters and Ile-Ife Chairman and festival advisory committee to Ooni, said the rebranding of Olojo festival is basically to conceptualize a new dawn in the history of Ile-Ife especially as it relates to the beginning of human existence.

According to him, the unveiling of the Olojo Festival logo is to signify the commencement of the 2016 edition of the Festival which is the 1st edition since the ascending to the throne of his forebears by His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, The Oonirisa of Ile-Ife who is the world’s Ambassador of peace and Unity.

The logo of the Olojo Festival is made of the Aare Sacred Beaded Crown, appearance of the new dawn-‘Ojo’, Ile-Ife, the Ori Olokun insignia, year 2016,colour purple and the red ribbon.

Capping the speeches, Oba Adeyeye Oginwisi, Ojaja II, the Oonirisa of Ile-Ife, “God has blessed Ife with so much and one of such blessings is the laughing of the Olojo festival. A new dawn has come to Osun, ” he said.

Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was then handled by Chief Magistrate Lekan Ijiyode.