The Aare of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has commended the Osun government for promoting culture and tourism in the state .
By Joshua Oladipo
The Aare of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has commended the Osun government for promoting culture and tourism in the state .
Adams, who made the commendation on the sideline of the grand finale of Osun -Osogbo festival on Friday, in Osogbo, said more efforts was needed to project the yoruba culture to the world.
He commended the organisers of the 2024 Osun-Osogbo festival for their efforts and selfless sacrifices towards making the “global event” a huge success .
According to him, the state government has demonstrated love for culture and tourism by providing the enabling environment for the festival.
” I commend the state government for supporting the the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji and the worshippers in making the global event a remarkable one .
” We need to do more to promote yoruba culture to the outside world.
” The numbers of tourists present here today is encouraging and we are proud of our culture,” he said .
Adams called for the support of all stakeholders in the tourism sector to promote yoruba cultural and traditional values.
NAN reports that the event, which started on July 29, is expected to end with a young maiden, Arugba ( a virgin female girl), with a calabash on her head as a symbolic sacrifice to the river goddess.
The Osun-Osogbo festival, whose history dates back to many centuries, is usually celebrated in a Grove outskirts of Osogbo.
It is among the last of the sacred forests that adjoined the edges of most Yoruba cities before extensive urbanisation.
In recognition of its global significance and cultural value, the Sacred Grove was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
For the people of Osogbo land, the festival represents traditional cleansing of the town and cultural reunion of the people with their ancestors and founders of the Osogbo Kingdom.(NAN)
