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.

Baboko     David Oyedepo     Aasiyat Bello Oyedepo     Kwabes     Omoniyi M. Ayinla     AIT Ilorin     Ayinde Oki     Alloy Chukwuemeka     Musbau A. Akanji     Mohammed Kamaludeen     AbdulHamid Adi     Kale Ayo     Olosi Of Osi     Zulkifli Ibraheem     IHS Towers     Umar Ahmed Gunu     IF-K     Oladipo Akanmu Tolani     HYPPADEC     Frootify     Prince Bola Ajibola     AbdulRaheem Ahmad Shayi     Tuesday Assayomo     Rotimi Samuel Olujide     MINILS     Sulyman Abdulkareem     Tescom.kwarastate.gov.ng     Kayode Yusuf     Idowu Aremu     Mary Kemi Adeosun     Atunwa     VADA     General Hospital, Offa     Kwara-SAPZ Project     Ilorin Talaka Parapo     Kwasu     Bello Bature     Aisha Abodunrin Ibrahim     Ilorin Innovation Hub     Binta Abubakar-Mora     Labaeka     Garba Ado Sanni     Habeeb Abdullahi Al-Ilory     Modupe Oluwole     Abdulrauf Aliyu     Adegoke Bamidele     Folajimi Aleshinloye     Shehu Adaramaja     Laduba     Turaki Of Ilorin     Ibrahim Oniye     Abiodun Abdulkareem     Kwara Apc     Mutawalle     Saka Onimago     Ayinde Oyepitan     Kayode Oyin Zubair     Sanitation Exercise     Kabir Shagaya     Bamikole Omishore     Ajakaye     Voices Of Tomorrow     Tunde Idiagbon Road     Okin High School     Femi Oladiji     Kwara State Fire Service     Muhammed Akanbi     Minister     Democracy Day     Yahaya Abdulkareem Babaita     Government Girls’ Day Secondary School Pakata     TIIDELab     Ajibola Saliu Ajia     Binta Sulyman     Oba David Oyerinola Adedunmoye     Adama Isa     Abdulfatai Ahmed    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Ibrahim Abdullahi     Lawal Arinola Kudirat     Roheemat Hammed     Face Masks     Joseph Yemi Ajayi     Hakeem Idris     Ilesha-Baruba     Babatunde Idiagbon     Fawenu     KFA     Afonja Descendants Union     Sai Kayi     Chief Imam Of Offa     Isaac Aderemi Kolawole     Split Diamond Interchange     Michael Ologundea     Kwara North     Association Of Kwara State Online Media Practitioners     Osuwa     Maigidasanma     Muhammed Taofeeq Abdulrazaq     Madawaki Of Ilorin     Ramadan     Neo Mundo Ltd     Mahmud Babatunde Baker     Kisra     Olatunde Oyeyiola     Idris Amosa Saidu     Alaaya     Ayotunde Emmanuel Alao     Village Alive Development Association     Rihanat Ajia     Kunle Suleiman     Monthly Sanitation Exercise     Federal Road Maintenance Agency     David Oyepinola Adedumoye     Sulyman Tejidini     Budo-Egba     Oko-Olowo     Borgu     Aiyedun     Dumagi     Isiaka Gold     Abdulrasheed Akogun     Ogbondoroko     Lukman Adeloyin     2023 Elections     Emir Of Kano     Idowu Laro     VADA     Kwara State Sports Commission     S.O. Opowoye     Muhammadu Gobir     Babaloja-General     Ajayi Okasanmi     Local Government Pension Board     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport     Ahmad Lawan     Kayode Alabi     Ibrahim Kayode Adeyemi     College Of Health     Yetunde Balogun     Erubu     Saad Omo\'ya     Saadu Yusuf     John Olajide Adedipe     Ahmed Bayero     Clement Yomi Adeboye     Abdul-Rasheed Na\'Allah     Www.Kwarareports.com     Adeleke Ogungbe     Federal Polytechnic Offa     NYSC     Kamaldeen Kehinde     Yusuf Abdulraheem     Leke Ogungbe     Emir Of Ilorin