The grand finale of the Federal Government endorsed Oronna Ilaro Festival comes up on Saturday, November 22 at the Asade Agunloye Pavilion, Yewa Empire Field , Ilaro.

The climax of the week long cultural tourism event will have Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the governor of Ogun state as the Special Guest of Honour while the Director General of Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation Mrs. Sally Mbanefo and Alhaji Aliko Dangote are  Special Guests of Honour .

Other important dignitaries expected at the occasion are Sir Kessington Adebunkola Adebutu, who is the chairman of the Grand Finale as well as other top state and federal government functionaries.

The Chairman of the planning committee, Chief Kayode Odunaro said the over two decades annual cultural festival which was endorsed as a tourism festival on national tourism calendar by Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) in 2012 is celebrated in honour of the legendary warrior Oronna as a unifying platform for the display of cultural practices of Ilaro and Yewa people of Ogun state.

Tourism activities

*Ilaro indigenes at one of the past editions of the festival…

Earlier in the week the whole Ilaro community had kicked off the festival with a road show/street carnival and various cultural and tourism activities like tributes to Oronna and other deities, Egungun and Gelede Masquerade display, Sisi Ilaro cultural beauty pageant, Poosu Night in celebration of food tourism, a three day medical checkup programme, Festival 50 Kilometer race   and  the all white attire Onigba Aje ceremony.

At the grand finale over 50 clubs and societies will pay homage to HRM Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, the Olu of Ilaro-Yewa and paramount Ruler of Yewaland.

As in last year, sons and daughters of Ilaro and Yewaland in Diaspora, as well as other foreign tourists from United Kingdom, USA and Barbados with cultural origin traceable to Ilaro-Yewa are participating in the festival geared toward eco-tourism.