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.

Harmony Holdings     Edu     Adesoye     Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye     Saliu Tunde Bello     Aisha Ahman-Pategi     Femi Agbaje     Abdulmumini Jawondo     Simeon Ajibola     Ademola Kiyesola     Dankaka     Moses Rahman Popoola     Eghe Igbinehin     Micheal Imoudu     Abdullahi Samari     Kwara State Fire Service     Isaac Aderemi Kolawole     Sheikh Ridhwanullah El-ilory     Aro Yahaya     Wahab Abayawo     Abdulmalik Bashir Mopelola Risikatullahi     Oko     Adamu Jemilat-Baki     Pakata Development Association     Makama Of Ilorin     Amina Susa\'a De Ahmed     Bolaji Nagode     Ahmed Saidu Rufai     Oni Adebayo     Trader Moni     Sam Okaula     Erin-ile     Olokoba     Kwara Politics     Abdulrasheed Akogun     Aso-ofi     Budo Egba     Riskat Opakunle     Jimoh Akani     Ella Supreme Tissue Paper     Olabode George Towoju     Ijagbo Health Centre     Olabode Towoju     Kale Bayero     Salihu Alhaji Musa     Academic Staff Union Of Universities     Maigidasanma     National Information Technology Development Agency     Shoprite     Share     Ajibike Katibi     Saheed Alakoso     Alore     Babatunde Ishola Babaita     Ayekale     Emmanuel Bello     Sulaiman Gado     Maimunat Oniyangi     Dumagi     Lawal Olohungbebe     Falokun-Oja     KFA     Abikan     Garba Dogo     Olaitan Buraimoh     Ilota     Ile Arugbo     KWASSIP     Ayinde Oyepitan     Alanamu     Simon Sayomi     Share/Tsaragi     Maimunat Oloriegbe     Theophilus Oyebiyi     Kwara Hotel     Kamaldeen Kehinde     Innocent Okoye    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Abdulwasiu Bolaji Adeyi     Alimi Abdulrazaq     Bankole Omisore     Mansurat Amuda-Kannike     Oro Grammar School Old Students Association     Tunde Saad     Ishak Mohammed Sabi     Dauda Adeniran Adeshola     Firdaos Amasa     NIRSAL     Simeon Sule Ajibola     Students Union Government     Gbugbu     Student Learning Support Helpline     Aisha Ahman Pategi     Fatimah Abdulkadir     Kola Shittu     Ayobami Akanbi     Opobiyi     Bamidele Aluko     Pacify Labs     Atiku Abubakar     Computer Based Test     Abdulrasaq Alaro     Kwara Basketball Association     Senior Staff Union Of Colleges Of Education     Aliyu Alhassan     Gbajabiamila     Shehu Salau     Abubakar Bature Sulu-Gambari     Iyaloja-General     IsDB     Bola Olukoju     Oyeyemi Olasumbo Florence     ASKOMP     Oko     Kwara State Council Of Chiefs     Maigidasanma     Sheikh Ridhwanullah     Jaiz Bank     Sa\'adu Salahu     Ebola     Suleiman Abubakar     Dagbalodo     Lafia Aliyu Korasabi     COVID-19 Palliatives     2023 Elections     Wahab Abayawo     Olusin Of Ijara Isin     MINILS     National Party Of Nigeria     Kamaldeen Gambari     Sheikh Hamzat Yusuf Ariyibi     Shehu Raheem Adaramaja     Christopher Ayeni     Gobir Organization Foundation     Abdulkadir Akanbi-Oke     Mansur Alfanla     Aliyu Kora-Sabi     Abiodun Jacob Ajiboye     Tope Daramola     Mahmud Ajeigbe     Mumeen Lah     Balogun Gambari     11th Galadima     Rasaq Jimoh     Chief Of Staff     Nnazua     Maryam Ado Bayero     Abdullahi Samari     Kayode Bankole     Kwara Polytechnic     Mohammed Ibrahim     Saba Jibril     Lola Ashiru     Mohammed Tunde-Jimoh     Ojo Isekuse