The Osun-Osogbo Festival is celebrated yearly in the month of August
and attracts thousands of Osun worshippers and spectators from far and
near. The 2015 Osun Osogbo Festival will kick off from the 9th of
August while the grand finale holds Friday, August 21. This was
disclosed by the Chief Festival Consultant, and the Managing Director of
INFOGEM, Mr Ayo Olumoko at the Festival Programme Unveiling which held
at the Institute of Directors Nigeria (IoD) office situated at 53,
Glover Road Ikoyi, Lagos.
Osun
Osogbo Festival is a period of stocktaking and assemblage of all sons
and daughters of Osogbo land, and most especially, Yoruba speaking
people, both in Nigeria and in the Diaspora. Olumoko, while briefing the
media, expressed that various sponsors who have been co-opted in the
celebration of the Festival are gearing up to make the occasion an
eventful and memorable one. He said the cultural festival, which is 600
years old, has a two-week programme, which commences with the
traditional cleansing of the town called ‘IWOPOPO’ which is followed by
the lightening of the 642-year-old points lamp three days after called
‘OLOJUMERINDINLOGUN’.
According to him, this will be followed by
‘IBORIADE’ four days after, which is the assemblage of all the crowns of
the past rulers for the blessings, adding that the Festival’s grand
finale will showcase the cultural procession of the people to the Osun
Groove. Olumoko disclosed that the Osun Groove was enlisted officially
as a World Heritage Site by United Nations Educational Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Durban, South Africa on July 15,
2005. He said to get the UNESCO attention, the National Museum, Federal
Government and many others had to be drafted and co-opted into the
Festival, as the endorsement of IoD has also been secured. He added
that to gain the international prominence, the INFOGEM came in as the
official consultant of the Festival in 2002, and since the recognition
by the UNESCO, the Festival has gained international prominence the
world over, as the Festival Programme Unveiling keeps being moved from
one venue to the other. Olumoko said further that in a couple of months
to come, OsunOsogbo Festival will be listed on the Nigerian Stock
Exchange (NSE).
He explained that the reason the festival will be
listing on the NSE is because it (the Festival) is consistent, a
Nigerian product which generates revenue, and which other festivals
look up to as a yardstick to develop. “If our cultures are well
developed, our IGR will grow, tourists will be attracted and by this we
will have more players,” says he. Present at the Festival Programme
Unveiling.The selected sponsors for this year are the Nigeria premiere
brewery, Nigerian Brewery Plc (Golberg brand) for the third year
running, Grand Oak Ltd (Seaman’s Schnapps, Royale), KASAPREKO (Alomo
Bitters), IoD and UNESCO among others.
Some of these sponsors while
responding at the forum expressed that they will all be available to
add glamour to the occasion with the presence of their brands. In the
words of the Senior Brand Manager, Seaman, Amuwo, “Seaman will be at
the groove to be part and parcel of the blessing that the people of Osun
will partake of”, while the Marketing Manager, KASAPREKO, Adekho, said
his organization will bring “Alomo Bitters” to the event, as the
Corporate Communication Manager, Nigerian Brewery Plc Olowokemi,
expressed that his organization will do a lot to uplift the town of
Osogbo and will create a beer village in Osogbo, involve in
entertainment and increase trade.
The origin of Osun Osogbo Festival
can be traced to the legendary encounter between the early
settlers/founders of Osogbo with OsunOsogbo deity. In about 1370 AD, the
founder of Osogbo, Oba Gbadewolu Larooye and the great hunter
Olutimehin settled in the sacred Osun forest to establish the kingdom
and actualize a pact of association and togetherness with the River Osun
deity. The festival is to retain the African and traditional heritage
of the Osogbo people.The festival is one that brings to bear the
cultural pride and traditional legacy of the Osogbo people. In the age
of globalization, so many people have lost their communal identities
due to lack of preservation of cultures and traditions that will always
appeal to our uniqueness as Nigerians from different traditional
societies. It has become essential to keep the momentum of this kind of
traditional festival in order to preserve our unique identities and
still maintain our affinity to the values and traditions of our
ancestors.The festival is a big legacy and inheritance to Africans Most
Oriental countries for example China, etc are great today because they
refused to dispose their cultural uniqueness. There are other issues
that have made them great but the preservation of their culture is one
of the outstanding reasons. The festival is one of celebration,
traditional cleansing of the city and cultural reunion of the people
with their ancestors and the founding fathers of trhe osogbo kingdom
The organisers of the 2015 Osun Osogbo also added that participants
from 11 countries would attend the 2015 edition of the festival slated
to begin on Aug 9th.The listed countries include Trinidad & Tobago,
Austria, Philippines, Brazil, France, Cuba, Germany, South- Africa,
Ghana, Kenya and Uganda.Mr said that the reason for the incrementhi was
due to the mass publicity given to the festival this year. More
participants indicated their interests to attend this year’s events
because we do not have any cases of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)
challenge the countryfaced in 2014.The participation by these countries
would strengthen their cultural relations with Nigeria and enable
citizens of those countries to know and understand the Nigerian
culture.The festival will attract more tourists into Osun in particular
and Nigeria in general thereby increasing commercial activities and
foreign exchange earnings.Mr.Olumoko speaking on securityarrangement
said that the state government and the organising committee have a
working relationship to ensure maximum security in the state before,
during and after the festival.
"Osun is a peaceful state. The state government is at the fore-front of
security matters. The safety of indigenes, visitors and tourists is
paramount to the government and the oga nicers," he said
Below are pictures from the previous festivals and the Osogbo Sacred Groove
credit: loretravels.blogspot.com
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