By Gabriel Olawale

The Aareonakakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams has given insight into the rationale behind the setting up of Olokun Festival Foundation that is championing the celebration of over 30 festivals annually across the South-west zone.

Speaking in Lagos at the 20th anniversary of the Foundation, Adams, who is the Chief Promoter, said that the journey began at a time when Yoruba race was losing touch with their culture and traditions.

He said: “The cultural revolutionary move that began exactly twenty years ago has been a blessing to the people of South West and Nigeria as a whole. Today, Olokun Festival Foundation is celebrating over 30 festivals annually across the southwest region.

“These include: Eledumare Festival in Lagos; Oodua Festival in Ile Ife; Oke Ibadan Festival in Ibadan, Oyo state; Osun Osogbo Festival, in Osogbo; Olumo Festival in Abeokuta; Aje Festival in Lagos; Egbe Festival, in Ibeju-Lekki; Ogun Festival in Ikorodu; Oya Festival in Kwara; Okota Festival in Arigidi Akoko, Ondo state and Ajagunmale Festival among others.”

He hinted that over the years, the Olokun Festival Foundation has been consistent in cultural promotion. 

His words: “Our organisation has drawn its appeal among cultural enthusiasts and traditional rulers who are the custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition.

“We will continue our cultural advocacy by telling those that are ready to learn from history that there is a difference between religion and culture. By all standard, religion is a way of relating and communicating with God while culture is totally a way of life. It is the symbol of our tradition as a race.

“It is very important to tell all our guests here that each time we celebrate our festivals, we invite erudite scholars, like Professors, Doctors and experts in the various fields of learning as our guest lecturers.

“The reason is to broaden our minds and knowledge scope about the festivals and other pertinent issues. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Olokun Festival Foundation, it is a thing of joy that we have used our cultural promotion activities to impact our society positively.

“In our efforts to promote tourism across the south west, we have opened up the tourism potentials of all the states in the south west. Olokun Festival Foundation has trailed the blaze that today many of our traditional rulers are now calling us to pilot the celebration of cultural festivals in their domains.

“The reason for the Olokun Festival Foundation ambassadorial awards is to encourage others to do more in promoting Yoruba culture and tradition using their various professions to drive the cause of projecting Yoruba race.

“Every year, Olokun Festival Foundation showcases the true identity of Yoruba race through the Beauty Pageant. An event that is designed to show the beauty, talents, and skills of some of our undergraduates in the Nigerian universities and other higher institution of learning.

“In our previous editions of the Beauty Pageant, Olokun Festival Foundation had given out star prize of a brand new car as gifts for the winners of the Beauty Pageant.”

Speaking on other lineup activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary, Adams said that the ancient town of Badagry will be agog for the concluding part on 25th and 26th October.

The guest speaker at the occasion and head of Political Science Department, University of Lagos, Professor Derin Ologbenla, who spoke on the topic, election and electoral process in Nigeria context, said that democracy in Nigeria still a work in progress.

Ologbenla said: “So many things are still a major source of concern in our journey to democracy. Most voters are not concern about political issues but rather concern about immediate benefit. The issue of godfather need to be checkmate through independent candidate.”

He commended some of the improvement recorded in the country electoral process through the commitment of INEC.