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.

Kwara Basketball Association     Abdulganiyu Oladosu     Olanrewju Okanlawon Musa     Ilorin Durbar     Abdulrazaq Aiyelabegan     Chief Imam Of Lafiagi     Wahab Olasupo Egbewole     Ibrahim Mohammed     Pilgrims Board     Abdul-Rasheed Na\'Allah     Osinbajo     Forgo Battery     Ajibike Katibi     Sulu Gambari     Atiku     Ella Supreme Tissue Paper     Raimi Iyanda     Lola Ashiru     ITP     Mohammed Saidu     Kwarareports     Laolu Saraki     Oasis Muslim Care Foundation     General Hospital     Yusuf Ali     Aisha Buhari     Ahmad Fatima Bisola     Pakata     Abdulfatai Salman Baakini     Oloriegbe     Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq     IYA YUSUF     Abdulahi Abubakar Bata     Amusement Park     Kwara Polytechnic     Baruten     Federal Polytechnic Offa     IDPU     Harmony Holdings     Binta Abubakar Mora     IHS     N-Power     Daud Adeshola     TVC Female National Debate     Mahfouz Adedimeji     Opolo Global Innovation Limited     Valsolar-Kwara Company Limited     Teachers Specific Allowance     Kwara Hotel     Saba Mamman Daniel     Jimoh Akani     Salaudeen Oyewale     2017 Budget     Ibrahim Gambari     Yoonus Lawal     Moshood Kashimawo Abiola     Iyabo Dupe Adekeye     Abdulrahman Abdullahi Kayode     Kwara Consultative Forum     Rotimi Samuel Olujide     Salau Kabiru Abdullahi     Ahmad Belgore     Rachael Obisesan     Olokoba Abdullahi Ayinla     Tunde Akanbi     CKNG     CLAY POT     SARS     Ilorin Anchor Men And Women     Gbugbu International Market     Moses Afolayan     Kisira     Shururat Olatinwo     Ilorin Talaka Parapo (ITP)     Suleiman Mora Omar     Adeleke Ogungbe     Lawal Arinola Kudirat    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Razaq Atunwa     Mohammed Lawal Bagega     IHS Towers     Ilorin Metro Park     Kayode Zubair     Moro     Ajibike Katibi     Nurudeen Muhammed     Valsolar Consortium     Ganiyu Abolarin     Ambassador Kayode Laro     Oniwasi Agbaye     Bashirat Bola Bello     IYA ALFA NLA     Ubandawaki     Colleges Of Education Academic Staff Union     ER-KANG Mining     David Oyepinola Adedumoye     Minimum Wage     Bayo Mohammed Onimode     Lanwa     Jide Oyinloye     Aliyu Alhassan     AbdulKareem Yusuf Danhawa     Abdulrazaq Sanni     Madawaki     Abubakar Suleiman     Kulende     Isin     Dan Iya     Kayode Ishola     Haruna Olawale Sulaiman     Wahab Egbewole     TESCOM     Kwara State Geographic Information Service     Pategi     Abdulsalam A. Yusuf     Doyin Awoyale     Kubra Kazum     Lanre Jimoh     Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning And Empowerment     Bola Olukoju     IHS     John Obuh     Earlyon Technologies     Durbar     Toyin Abdullahi     Timothy Akangbe     Ajike People Support Centre     Charcoal     Saka Saadu     Patience Jonathan     Mujtabah Bature     Abiodun Oyedepo     Isa Aremu     SARS     Jawondo     Sobi     Oyedepo     Aminat Omodara     Rebecca Bake     State Bureau Of Internal Revenue     Eghe Igbinehin     Abdulrauf Yusuf     Apado     April 11     Lawal Jimoh     Pilgrims Board     Wasiu Odewale     Yunus Oniboki     Hassan Taiye Salam     Mohammed Lawal     Razak Atunwa     Saliu Oluwole     Funmi Salau     Ishak Mohammed Sabi     Jumoke F. Ajao