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.

Saudat Abdulbaqi     Tosho Yaqub     Abubakar Abdulraheem     Kwara State Branch Of The National Library     Kwara Teaching Service Commission     CUTI     Tescom.kwarastate.gov.ng     ARMTI     Isiaka Alikinla     Sobi FM     Salman Jawondo     Afolabi-Oshatimehin     KW-GIS     Tunji Ajanaku     Afeyin-Olukuta     Ajase-Ipo     Abdul Jimoh Mohammed     ER-KANG     Balogun Fulani     Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital     Erubu Oba Zubair     Islamiya Abdulraheem     Sulyman Age AbdulKareem     Lukman Adeloyin     Chartered Institute Of Personnel Management Of Nigeria     Suleiman Alege Kuranga     CCB     Esuwoye     Tanke Flyover Bridge     High Court     KWASEIC     Olateju Lukman     Mohammed Kamaludeen     Rebecca Olanrewaju     Shuaib Abdulkadir     Ibrahim Gambari     Funmilayo Isiaka Oniwa     Babaloja-General     Abdulkareem Alabi     Opaleke Bukola Iyabo     Maigida Soludero Transit     Salman Alada     Makama Of Kaiama     Bashir Adigun     Eghe Igbinehi     Olohungbebe     New Nigeria People’s Party     Osuwa     Justina Oha     Prince Mahe Abdulkadir     Universal Basic Education Commission     Ibraheem Abdullateef     Kwara 2015     KWASAA     Wahab Abayawo     Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning And Empowerment     Logun     Sola Saraki University     Ahmed Bayero     Fatai Adeniyi Garba     Yetunde Balogun     Abiodun Musa Aibinu     Mohammed Tunde-Jimoh     Kehinde Boyede     Samuel Adedoyin     Fulani     Hamza Usman     Clement Yomi Adeboye     Sarakite     Valsolar Consultoria     Nigeria Governors\' Forum     Ilesha Gwanara Road     Abraysports FC     Omupo     Ibrahim Abdulkadir Abikan     Olaoye B. Felix     Abdullahi Saadudeen Alikinla    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Congress For National Consensus     Babata     Taofik Abdulkareem     07039448763     Adanla-Irese     Sheikh Ridhwanullah     Kwara United     Al-Hikmah Radio     Iyeru Grammar School     Amasa     New Nigeria People’s Party     Olayinka Olaogun     GGDSS Pakata     Mohammed Lawal Bagega     AbdulGaniyu Kareem     Dunmade     Amina El-Imam     Yakub Lai Gobir     Waziri Yakubu Gobir     Bola Tinubu     Mohammed Yisa     Henry Makinwa     Amada Jidda     Ahmed Dankaya     College Of Arabic And Islamic Legal Studies     Ndama Al-hassan     Bukola Ajikobi     Oasis Muslim Care Foundation     Aminat Omodara     Abubakar Lah     Salman Suleiman     Abdulazeez Arowona     Yusuf Ibitokun Sherifat     Olupako     Hauwa Nuru     Ajeigbe     Makama Of Kaiama     Olomu     Kamaldeen Ajibade     Gamji Members Association     Hikmah AbdulKareem     Share/Tsaragi     Abubakar Kawu Baraje     ER-KANG     Taofik Abdulkareem Babaita     Overland     Lafiagi     Abdullahi Adisa Akodudu     Sarah Jubril     Adebayo Salami     James Ayeni     Soffiyyallah Kamaldeen     AbdulKareem Yusuf Danhawa     IYA ALFA NLA     Shettima     Micheal Imodu-Ganmo Road     EndSARS     Abdulrahman Abdulrasak     Mutawali     Kwara Pdp     Mogaji Aare     Colleges Of Education Academic Staff Union     Paul Olawoore     IDPU     Abubakar Ndakene     Ibrahim Oloriegbe     Ajike People Support Centre     Jamiu Oyawoye     Abdulazeez Uthman     Basit Olatunji     Oba Abdulkadir La\'aro     Owo Arugbo     Oko-Erin     Abdulmumini Jawondo     Musibau Akanji     Kassim Babamale     Iyiola Oyedepo