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.

Ibrahim Abduquadri Abikan     Yoonus Lawal     James Ayeni     Olam Food Ingredients     Awodun     Adewuyi Funmilayo     Aliyu Umar     Kwara 2015     Musa Aibinu     Mumeen Lah     Mahmud Babatunde Baker     Yahaya Jibril Usman     Kwara State Television     Umar Sanda Yusuf     Muhammad Mustapha Suleiman     Alfa Modibo Belgore     Kwara State Infrastructure Development Fund     Baakini     Societe Generale Bank Of Nigeria     Emir Of Yashikira     Stephen Fasakin     Hamid Bobboyi     GAMA     Sarafadeen Kayode Akorede     Saba Mamman Daniel     Donatus Ejidike     Saka Keji     Nigeria Computer Society     Kwara Consultative Forum     Tafida Of Kaiama     Daud Adeshola     Raji Ayodele Kamaldeen     Mohammed Ghali Alaaya     ER-KANG     Patigi Regatta     Aliyu Sabi     Opaleke Bukola Iyabo     AGM Professional Services     Shola Odetundun     Abdulazeez Arowona     T And K FOODS     KWACOBPA     Durosinlohun Kawu     Oke-Ode     Suleiman Ajadi     Olaiya Lawal     Mukhtar Shagaya     Pakata Development Association     Muhammad-Mustapha Suleiman     Muhammed Aliyu     Mashood Abdulrafiu Agboola     Waheed Ibrahim     Sulyman Age AbdulKareem     Bluenile Associates     LEAH Charity Foundation     Moshood Kashimawo Abiola     Kwara State Government     Mamman Saba Jibril     HICA     Hijaab     Shuaibu Yaman Abdullahi     Abubakar Baba Sulaiman     Aliyu Alhassan     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     Belgore     KWASIEC     Akume     Ike Ekweremadu     Titus Ashaolu     Jimoh Akani     Habeeb Abdullahi Al-Ilory     Ayotunde Emmanuel Alao     Shehu Jimoh     Yoonus Kola Olatinwo     Sun Qing Rong     Abdulrazaq Solihudeen     Temitope Ogunbanke    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Onilorin     Oluwole Dupe     RTEAN     Mutawali Of Ilorin     Katibi Ibraheem Adeola     Shonga Farm Project     Mufti Of Ilorin     Abubakar Kawu Baraje     Tunji Ajanaku     Abdullahi Imam Abdullahi     Mustapha Akanbi     Rebecca Olanrewaju     Garba Ayodele Wahab     General Hospital     Rafiu Olasile     Ajia-Bako     Gbemisola Saraki     Fatimat Saliu     Kwara Apc     Muhammad Fawaz Abubakar     Kola Ologbondiyan     Buari Edun     Amule     UNILORIN Alumni Association     Hameed Oladipupo Ali     Saraki     Hamidat Sulyman-Yusuf     Dan-Kazeem     Mary Kemi Adeosun     ARMTI     Hassan Abdulazeez Elewu     Musa Yeketi     Toyin Olayinka Tejidini     Yusuf Ibitokun Sherifat     Ibrahim Kayode Adeyemi     Ilorin Talaka Parapo (ITP)     Iliasu     Ajakaye     Kwara State Television     Suleiman Yahya Alapansapa     Magaji Are     Umar Danladi Shero     Lola Ashiru     COEASU     Micheal Imodu-Ganmo Road     Centre For Peace And Strategic Studies     MAI Akande     Student Learning Support Helpline     Curfew     Abdulraheem Olesin     Segun Adeniyi     AbdulRahman Saad     Yusuf Lanre Badmas     Lai Mohammed     Babatunde Idiagbon     Senate Presidency     The Herald     Ishola Moses Abiodun     Ibrahim Taiwo     Kubra Kazum     Kwara Liberation Group     Labaeka     Moshood Kashimawo Abiola     Salman Alada     Shao     College Of Health     Raliat Elelu-Habeeb     Busari Alabi Alausa     Ajike People Support Centre     Minimum Wage     Olatunji Bamgbola     Funmilayo Zubair     Alimi     Funmilayo Isiaka Oniwa     Coronavirus     Dorcas Afeniforo     Ileloke