Mohammedmade the remarks at the grand finale of the Osun-Osogbo Festival, saying that development of the sector would make it more attractive to both local and international investors.

The minister was represented at the festival by Mr Folarin Coker, the Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, NTDC.

Mohammed said that the federal government would tap into the rich cultural heritage of the Osun-Osogbo Festival, which he said, had been recognised as UNESCO world heritage.

“The uniqueness of this festival is that it attracts local and international devotees of the Osun goddess and it promotes commerce for indigenes and innovative entrepreneurs.

“It has now evolved into an international festival, which we hope with our support, will grow stronger in years to come.

“Our cultural festivals, like Osun-Osogbo, are symbolic for their spiritual, religious, communal and commercial nature.

“And, culture is increasingly an important element of the tourism product in our modern society.

“Our cultural tourism can help reinforce identities, enhance cross cultural understanding and preserve the heritage and culture of an area.

“Cultural tourism can also have positive socio-economic impacts as witnessed in the annual celebration of the Osun-Osogbo festival.

“Our cultural heritage is a tool of peace and development, but it must stand on a strong foundation of shared responsibility.

“When people, who are united by culture see themselves as instruments of collective actions in protecting and preserving their cultural sites and festivals, they invariably create a sustainable base for development to thrive.

“At the federal level, we are committed to developing our domestic tourism assets.

“And, it is quite obvious that the Osun-Osogbo Festival is a national tourism asset for the attainment of our domestic tourism objectives,” he said.

In his remarks, Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State, called on devotees and worshipers of the Osun goddess to exploit the spiritual angle of the festival to collectively pray for the peace and security of the state and country.

Oyetola, represented by the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Adebisi Obawale, also urged the devotees in the state to see the festival as an avenue for preaching peace and harmony to others.

“We should be cooperating with other faith to engender religious tolerance and ensure the peace and progress of Osun,” he said.

The festival ended with fanfare, as traditionalists and cultural groups, were paying homage to the host, Oba Jimoh Olaonipekun, the Ataoja of Osogbo.

Meanwhile, thousands of worshippers, devotees and tourists at the grand finale of the Osun-Osogbo festival, on Friday ignored the mandatory wearing of nose marks and social distancing as part of the COVID-19 protocols.

The worshippers and the visitors violated the COVID-19 safety protocols.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, had said  that as part of efforts to control crowd during the festival, government made arrangement for live transmission of the festival.

Obawale, also said virtual platform would be put in place for people to watch the festival without necessarily being at the grove.

In spite of the arrangement made by the state government to streamline the festival to discourage large crowd at the groove in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, large number of visitors were still trooping into the groove.

Source: NAN

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The festival is an over 600 years old international heritage cultural tourism event celebrated as the annual sacrifice to the Osun River goddess.

A statement released by the Managing Consultant to the Osun Osogbo Festival, Toye Arulogun, on Monday said that the Ataoja of Osogboland, had announced that the two weeks long festival would commence on Monday the August 2, 2021 with the traditional cleansing of the town called ‘Iwopopo’, which is followed in three days by the lighting of the 500-year-old sixteen-point lamp called ‘Ina Olojumerindinlogun’.

The statement further disclosed that Monday, August 9, 2021 is scheduled for ‘Iboriade’, a unique assemblage and display of the crowns of the past Ataojas of Osogbo, for blessings, explaining that the event would be led by the sitting Ataoja of Osogbo, the Arugba, Yeye Osun and a committee of priestesses.

According to the statement, “Friday 13th August will witness the grand finale which is the sacrificial offering by “Arugba” at the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

“Other activities of the festival which are of immense benefit to the tourism sector of Nigeria include Ifa Arugba, Orun Odo, Ajigun, Ifa Agbalu and Ifa Dida.

“The Osun Osogbo Festival is the biggest annual religious festival among the Yoruba people and serves as a strong unifying factor for indigenes of Osogboland, during which irrespective of the different social, economic, religious and political convictions of the people, they all come together annually to celebrate the festival.

“During the 2021 edition of the Osun Osogbo Festival, local and international worshippers, devotees, spectators and tourists will observe all COVID-19 protocols as was done during the pomp, pageantry, drumming, singing, dancing and celebrations of the 2020 edition,” the statement added.

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Falodun who played host to officials of the marketing firm of Osun Osogbo festival 2019, Esquire Global, also gave the readiness of OSUCCIMA to collaborate with the Osun State Government, Osun State Heritage Council and the marketing firm in their quest to have a successful Osun Osogbo festival this year and trigger entrepreneurship and job creation.

The Lead Consultant of Esquire Global, Mr. Tunde Muraina, in a statement issued in Ibadan,  the Oyo State capital on Sunday,  quoted Falodun as explaining that the vision of the collaboration was to leverage on the Osun Osogbo Festival platform to boost job creation, entrepreneurship, commerce and business in Osun State.

He disclosed that OSUCCIMA had introduced a product named Community Day Cultural Festival for Employment and Job Opportunities, noting that the product would include Virtual Expo, Virtual Job and Global Trade Mission to the annual Osun Osogbo Festival.

He added that that would be a continuous collaboration as sponsors and exhibitors would be able to showcase their products and services at a virtual exhibition booth, stressing that stakeholders would connect, collaborate and promote both live and on-demand anytime and anywhere for jobs and business opportunities.

He stated further that eZ-Xpo as a solution provider would join forces with OSUCCIMA to provide a series of e-tools to situate the Chamber of Commerce system within the context of the 21^st century digital economy through virtual trade show technologies.

He also pointed out that community leaders, party leaders, diaspora, industry leaders, entrepreneur and investors that could not attend the festival to participate would connect remotely on their device to save cost and travelling time.

He added that the telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria, GrandOAK, Coca Cola, Adron Homes and Property, Bovas and Company Limited, were among corporate organistations and institutions that had given their support to the 2019 edition of the festival, just as the pre-festival events begin on Monday, August 5, with “Iwo popo”, the traditional cleansing of the town.

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The walk was a carnival procession of stakeholders in Osogbo to herald the 2019 Osun Osogbo festival.

The Governor of Osun State, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, leading the walk from Better Life through Ahmadiya; Oja Oba Junction;  Obate; Sabo Junction; Balogun Agoro; Isale Aro; Jolayemi; Isale Osun to the Ataoja palace, said the state government would provide adequate security during the celebration of the festival.

He assured that the government would continue to support and enhance the quality of Osun Osogbo festival and bring in more people to participate.

A statement issued in Ibadan by the lead consultant to Esquire Global, the official marketing company of Osun Osogbo festival 2019, Mr. Tunde Muraina, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, quoted Oyetola as disclosing  that record showed that the festival attracted different people from near, far and wide and in the diaspora.

He noted that the government had brought new tourist product, Karaole Odua, which would be used to bring Yorubas in the diaspora to Yorubaland so that they would come home to know their source.

Oyetola who was represented by the supervisor in charge of the Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism Ministry, Dr. Obawale Adebisi, said, “our effort is to plan strategically to bring them (Yorubas) home on annual basis between 10 and 21th of August during the celebration of Osun Osogbo Festival. It will enhance the quality of Osun Osogbo and bring in more people to partake.”

He reiterated that he would drive the state economy with tourism and his administration would continue to take active part in the annual Osun Osogbo festival and other festivals, stating, “what we are doing today is to ensure that we give necessary support to the community and we also get maximum support in return for government programmes and policies.”

“The festival every year brings millions of Naira to Nigeria. Though not directly to the purse of the state government but we are planning on capturing more data and register participants so that it can bring in revenue to the purse of the state government,” he said.

The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, while receiving the participants of the walk at his palace, said the insinuation that Osun deity had been sold was fallacy, explaining that the Walk for Osun was to create awareness for the people that the Osun Osogbo festival 2019 was around the corner.

Oba Oyetunji said: “Usually, the celebration of Osun Osogbo festival commences by cleaning of the town called Iwopopo whereby citizens of Osogbo and tourists gather to do the task. But this one is a special occasion, special in the sense that it is awareness to the public that the alleged stolen spirit of Osun is a fallacy. Osun deity remains there and we started this year’s own with Walk For Osun, where everyone regardless of the ethnic group came to me and we moved round Osogbo to tell people that Osun remains where she is.

“Osun Osogbo is a very significant festival. There is the involvement of UNESCO, which has made the site a World Heritage one. This places Osun Osogbo on the world map as a tourism destination and the federal, state and local government have shown enthusiasm in promoting Osun Festival. The state government is nearer to me and the celebration of the festival is not done only by the Ataoja, its custodian, and its people but in collaboration with the Osun State Government and they have been upright.”

The managing consultant of the firm managing and marketing the festival, Mr. Toye Arulogun, on his part  commended the federal and the state governments for their relentless efforts of improving on the security situation in the country, pointing out that the insecurity was not terribly bad as being painted.

Arulogun said that the Walk for Osun was an element of contemporary that was introduced into the celebration of the festival this year, explaining that, “today, thousands of people walked with us to herald the celebration of 2019 Osun Osogbo festival. The walk signifies peace and unity between different ethnic groups. What we are bringing in is an element of contemporary, as we cannot do anything about the tradition.”

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The supervisor in charge of the Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism Ministry, Dr. Obawale Adebisi, made the pledge over the weekend during a courtesy call on him by the newly appointed marketing and event management consultant for the 2019 edition of the festival, Esquire Global, representatives of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, NTDC, and National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria.

While receiving the delegation, Dr Adebisi stated that the state government was committed to partnering with individuals who were ready to promote the growth of the state.

He said Governor Gboyega Oyetola promised during his electioneering campaign to make the state a tourists destination.

He commended the management of Esquire Global for their efforts in marketing and promoting the Osun Osogbo Festival, assuring that the state government would give the firm, the necessary support to make the 2019 edition a success.

According to Adebisi, “Osun Osogbo is our pride. We want to sustain the reputation and commercial viability of the State of Osun State as a cultural enterprise destination. We will therefore continue to seek and partner with anybody, group or firm that will promote and develop tourism in the state. We are impressed with your firm’s efforts so far on the 2019 Osun Osogbo Festival and we look forward to having a rewarding relationship.”

Speaking on behalf of Esquire Global, the Managing Consultant, Mr. Toye Arulogun, promised that the firm would ensure that it sustained the traditions of the festival, inject fresh ideas and attract people from around the globe that would ensure the success of the 2019 edition of the world heritage, tourism and cultural fiesta.

He stated that the firm’s objective was to position Osun Osogbo as a global festival with the unique attributes of myth, mystery, heritage, cultural tourism and traditional festivities with inherent economic potentials for the State of Osun.

“We are desirous of sustaining Osun Osogbo Festival as an international cultural tourism brand in partnership with the state government. The support of the State of Osun is therefore crucial to the success of this year’s edition, as we jointly promote, preserve and sustain the uniqueness of Osun Osogbo Festival,” Arulogun added.

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