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Areonakakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams, on Friday said that Olokun Festival Foundation (OFF) has impacted the South-West region positively in all areas. He made the assertions at the 20th anniversary of Olokun Festival Foundation held at the Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos.
The Yoruba generalissimo said the anniversary was unique because it coincided with the celebration of the ongoing Olokun Festival which began last Wednesday and with the grand finale fixed for next Wednesday in Badagry.
He stated also that the foundation established in 2002, had embarked on cultural promotion activities by using festivals to create wealth in all sectors, including the music and movie industries, arts, tourism and the hospitality business. These areas had received major boost through the festivals, he noted.
He explained: “Our content and activities in these festivals are fully ingrained in the spiritual realm. Each time, we celebrate any of the festivals, we create a window of opportunities for traders, local sellers, small-scale medium and big ones. We inject a lot of money into the economy and as such help to create wealth for the host towns or communities.”
The guest lecturer, Prof. Derin Ologbenla of the Department of Political Science, University of Lagos, spoke on the topic: “Elections and the Electorate in Nigeria’s Democracy.” While giving some insights into the roles of the electorate in Nigerian politics, he advocated an independent party citing President Macron of France for instance.
He applauded Iba Gani Adams for using the Olokun Festival Foundation platform to drive the cultural revolution project across the southwest. He praised the body for making all the South-West governors, traditional rulers, corporate organisations to support in ensuring that Yoruba culture and tradition are ingrained in the minds of the people.
He noted: “The best we can do for our race is to tap in the abundant tourism potential of the South-West by supporting organisations like the Olokun Festival Foundation in promoting the Yoruba culture and traditions.”
