Ijakadi Festival: Lai Mohammed hails revival of centuries-old festival, promises support

Date: 2016-11-17

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has hailed the revival of the centuries-old ''Ijakadi Festival'' by the Offa Kingdom in Kwara State, assuring that the festival will be one of the beneficiaries of the training for festival managers being planned by the Ministry in collaboration with its partners.

The Minister gave the assurance in Abuja on Wednesday when he received a delegation of the Offa Descendants Union (ODU), which came to formally invite him to the festival, scheduled for Offa 29 Dec. 2016, on behalf of the town's monarch.

He said the decision to revive the traditional wrestling festival, which dates back to the 14th century, is in line with the ongoing efforts by the present administration to leverage on the creative industries in the diversification of the nation's economy.

Alhaji Mohammed said the festival has the potentials to attract domestic and international tourists to Offa, thus impacting positively on the economy of the town and the state.

''We will provide the enabling environment for the festival, as well as similar ones across the country, to achieve their full potentials,'' the Minister said, adding that he was ''humbled and honoured'' to receive the delegation that was led by ODU President, Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin.

While accepting the invitation to attend the festival, he commended the ''resilience, honour, principle and industry'' of the Offa people, saying the qualities are responsible for the uniqueness of the town.

Speaking earlier, the ODU President urged the federal government to support the festival to enable it achieve its full potentials and boost culture and tourism in the community as well as the entire Kwara State.

''We want the Ijakadi Festival to be included in the list of festivals being promoted by the Ministry because of its rich cultural content,'' said Alhaji Yasin, who noted that his delegation came to invite the Minister as a Special Guest of Honour.

While congratulating the Minister on the first anniversary of his assumption of office, the ODU President commended him for bringing to his new assignment the same passion with which he successfully carried out his responsibility as the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Ijakadi Festival, which was revived in 2012 after a three-decades lull, reinforces a tradition that encourages strength and determination, in addition to addressing the notion of equality among the indigenes of Offa.

Also on the ODU delegation were the 1st Vice President of ODU, Alhaji Bashir Adetokun Adepoju; the ODU Treasurer, Mrs. Mulikat Aliyu, and the ODU Secretary-General, Chief (Mrs) Wasilat Tinuke Macarthy,

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Habeeb Saidu     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Sheu Ndanusa Usman     Saliu Tunde Bello     Bola Olukoju     Isiaka Yusuf     Abdulganiy Abimbola Abdussalam     Donatus Ejidike     Sheikh Alimi     Mustapha Akanbi     Oni Adebayo     Trader Moni     Saka Saadu     Alabi Olayemi Abdulrazak     Photo News     Ibrahim Bio     Ibrahim Abikan     Mohammed Lawal Bagega     Kwara State Football Association     Prince Bola Ajibola     April 11     Naira Redesign     AbdulHamid Adi     Harrison Osauwagboe     Hameed Oladipupo Ali     Ado Ibrahim     Yeketi     Sola Saraki Educational Foundation     Tunji Olawuyi     Kale Kawu     Olota Of Odo-Owa     TIIDELab     Abdulrazaq Solihudeen     JAMB     Laolu Saraki     Tafida     Ajikobi     Esuwoye     Oja-Oba     Ilofa     Sarah Alade     Haruna Olawale Sulaiman     Orire     First Lady     Vasolar-Kwara Company Ltd     Tinubu     Muslim Media Watch Group Of Nigeria     Afolayan     Muhammed Mahe Abdulkadir     Lanre Jimoh     Ojo Isekuse     Rafiu Ajakaye     Jumoke F. Ajao     Sam Okaula     Ajike People Support Centre     Allocation     Falokun-Oja     Alagbado     Kola Bukoye     Jamiu Oyawoye     TESCOM     Iyabo Dupe Adekeye     Otuka     Idris Garuba     Bursary     Nigerian Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs     Okanlawon Taiwo     Iponrin     National Party Of Nigeria     Abdulkadir Jimoh     Ministry Of Women Affairs And Social Development     Ganiyu Taofiq     Just Event Online     Ayinde Oyepitan     Minimum Wage     Jeunkunu-Malete-Bani     Kwara Volleyball Association    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Salihu Ajia     KWASIEC     Mary Kemi Adeosun     Quranic Recitation Competition     Yahaya Oloriegbe     Oyelere Oyinloye     Chief Imam Of Ilorin     Lanre Jimoh     Jani Ibrahim     Ilorin West     Bashir Adigun     Simon Sayomi     Damilola Yusuf Adelodun     Obasanjo     Razak Atunwa     Bashirat Bola Bello     Ahmad Olayiwola Kamaldeen     Alfa Yahaya Road     Innocent Okoye     Ola Falade     Agboola Abdulraheem     Oke-Ogun     Adamu Atta     Azeez Salawu     Gani Saadu     Kwara 2015     Oro Grammar School     Laduba     Lanre Badmas     Iqra Books     Saduki Lafiagi     MMWG     Oloye     Savannah Centre For Diplomacy, Democracy And Development     Yusuf Abdulwahab     Hassan A. Saliu     Yemi Osinbajo     Radio SBS     Yashikira     Abdulganiyu Oladosu     Majlis For Sadaqah, Zakat And Waqf     Adijat Adebiyi     Kwara-SAPZ Project     Kayode Oyin-Zubair     Tunde Kazeem     Hamid Bobboyi     Kayode Yusuf     Nigerian Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs     Najim Yaasin     Ilorin Emirate     Oke Sunna     Yusuf Ali     Talaka Parapo     Moses Salami     Esuwoye     NIPOGA     3MTT     Elese Of Igbaja     Ronke Adeyemi     General Hospital, Ilorin     Aliyu Sabi     Abdulkadir Orire     Doyin Group     Olubukola Kifayat Adedeji     Earlyon Technologies     Abdulwahab Olarewaju Issa     Adama Isa     Wahab Kunle Shittu     Press Release     Oba Abu     Peter Amogbonjaye     Islamiya Abdulraheem     Oyin-Zubair     NURTW     Rotimi Atere     Suraj Tunji Oyewale     Laolu Saraki