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.

Abdulraheem Olesin     Offa Grammer School     Abdulkadri Ahmad Alaiye     Frootify     Ayinde Oki     Ibrahim Abduquadri Abikan     Odogun Olushola Gabriel     Bamidele Adegoke Oladimeji     Mohammed Kamaludeen     Hydro-electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Zainab Abass     Ijagbo     Share/Tsaragi     Muhammadu Gobir     Wahab Agbaje     Oko-Erin     Saliu Oluwole     Kayode Oyin Zubair     Abdul-Rahoof Bello     Adedipe     Abdulrazaq Sanni     SUBEB     Farouk Salim     Oba Abdulkadir La\'aro     Olabimpe Olani     Boko Haram     Olusin Of Ijara Isin     Mike Omotosho     Ado Ibrahim     TETFUND     Yusuf AbdulRasheed     Olusola Saraki     Egbewole     Rihanat Ajia     High Court     PAACO-PCL Consortium     Waziri Yakubu Gobir     Mohammed Abdulahi     Sulyman Buhari     Surajudeen Akanbi     Afonja     Bature Bello     Babaloja-General     Coalition Of Kwara North Groups     Ramadan     Sai Kayi     Al-Adaby     Countryside Emerging Leaders Fellowship     Chief Of Staff     Jimoh Lambe Abdulkareem     Akorede     Afonja Descendants Union     Bola Magaji     Millennium Development Goals     Onilorin Of Ilorin     Ilorin Talaka Parapo (ITP)     Samari     SARS     Yusuf Amuda Abubakar     Shuaibu Yaman Abdullahi     Kehinde Boyede     Al-Hikmah Radio     Opaleke Bukola Iyabo     Mumeen Lah     Islamic Development Bank     Chartered Institute Of Personnel Management Of Nigeria     Isin     Kupchi Hosea Maxwell     Suraj Tunji Oyewale     Isiaka Alikinla     Medview Airlines     Bayo Ojo     Gobirawa     Sobi FM     Is\'haq Modibbo Kawu     Ilorin     Saheed Alakoso    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

National Pilot     Abubakar Abdulraheem     Ahman Patigi     Esuwoye     Yakubu Gobir     Senate President     Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency     Ahmed Dankaya     Gbemi Saraki     Tsaragi-Share     Valsolar     Marufat Oladosu     Tunji Arosanyin     Yahaya Abdulkareem     Hassan Saliu     Amusa Bello     Madawaki Of Ilorin     Saka Keji     Split Diamond Interchange     Oba-Solagberu     Oke-Ode     Musa Alhassan Buge     Mohammed Ghali Alaaya     Adamu Jemilat-Baki     Abdulrazaq Adebayo     Ilorin Talaka Parapo     Marafan Shonga     Kanu Agabi     Nigeria Customs Service     Kuliyan Geri     Emir Of Lafiagi     Amos Bajeh     Kayode Yusuf     Mohammed Yahaya Barki     Kwara Consultative Forum     Olatinwo     Ayobami Akanbi     Olusin Of Ijara Isin     Standard Organization Of Nigeria     Oloriegbe     Balogin Alanamu     Saka Aleshinloye     United Nigeria Airline     Yusuf Abubakar     Ibrahim Abduquadri Abikan     Umar Danladi Shero     Muyiwa Oladipo Kanu     Matthew Babaoye     UNILORIN Alumni     Isin     Ibrahim Abiodun     ARMTI     Seun Bolaji     Bola Sagaya     Kwasu     John Obuh     Lukman Adeloyin     Waziri Yakubu Gobir     Emmanuel Bello     Sanitation Exercise     Wahab Isa     Tanke Road     Omotoso Musa     Otuka     Elections     Ogbondoroko     AGILE Programme     Fola Consultant     Hakeem Idris     Kwara State Polytechnic     Saad Omo Iya     Noah Yusuf     Presidential Election     Raliat Elelu-Habeeb     Durosinlohun Atiku     Adamu B. Yaqubu     Abdulwasiu Bolaji Adeyi