As the arrangements for this year’s edition of Oluyole Festival reach the climax, the organizer, Filmtrique Media has unveiled an agenda for the epoch making, cultural and heritage promotional event.
Speaking with journalists in Ibadan at Arhheim, Kudeti Avenue, Onireke, Jericho, the festival convener and Chief Executive Officer of Filmtrique Media, Folarin Laosun, disclosed that the five days cultural and heritage promotional event is aimed at showcasing Ibadan to the world and why Ibadan city is important to the Yoruba community.
According to the organizer, Oluyole Festival 2023, which is the second edition, is billed to hold between Wednesday, November 29 and Sunday, December 3.
Highlighting the agenda for the event, the convener, Mr. Laosun, stated that the event will start with a visit to the Palace of the Olubadan of Ibadanland to pay homage and receive royal blessing from Oba Mohood Olalekan Balogun, Ali Okunmade II.
“The festival will hold for five days, day one, we will pay a visit to the palace of Olubadan, on the same day there will be art exhibition at night, already we are documenting a lot of stuffs regarding Ibadan that we are going to exhibiting on that day, we are going to show a mini documentary on day one.
“On Day two, there will be a seminar about the essence of Ibadan and why Ibadan is important to the Yoruba community and why we should preserve our culture and heritage.
“On that day, I will be screening my film, as well as opening a 48-hour film challenge, where filmmakers can apply and shoot anything that relates to Ibadan and win a certain prize, in which Foodco has agreed to give the winner a sum of N300,000 for that particular contest. On day three, we are going to have a football tournament, in which the winner will go with another N300,000, and a Golf tournament.
“On day four, we will be having a Golf Tournament and on Day five, we are going to have a carnival procession which is the most important for this festival, we are trying to seek support on how we can use Mapo Hall. Also, on the grand finale, we are going to have a special artist from Ibadan, who is willing to perform for us, once he confirms and we seal it, we will announce it. It is a five day event to bring Ibadan people together and celebrate its culture and heritage.”
While appreciating the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for the support, he called on the state Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde to fund the creative industry to engage more youths and make Oyo State an entertainment hub in the country.
Laosun, a filmmaker, appealed to the governor to fulfill his Omi-Tuntun 2.0 promise to the youth to make use of the tourism sector to drive the state economy.
“The main challenge for everybody is money because without money you can’t get anything done. But with the little resources I have and the connections I was able to put some contacts together. But I think the governor as well needs to do something because he said in his Omi Tuntun 2.0 that he is going to support the creative industry (Entertainment) and tourism.
“The governor needs to push more funds into this sector and help to develop the hidden treasures in Oyo State. And if the government did not empower the ministry, how can they work? They are doing their best, at least they are here today, they supported us in the way they can do but if they don’t have the capacity there is nothing they can do. So, everything still falls back to the governor, we have to appeal to the governor to please try and put the small funds into the tourism and entertainment industry because that is where everybody enjoys their lives.”
The representative of the state Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Alhaja Titilayo Lawal, expressed her joy that youths are taking interest in promoting the culture and heritage of Ibadan.
“I will just say that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is glad to be part of this epoch-making event that is Oluyole Festival 2023 because it has to be with our culture. As we all know that our culture is our heritage, and anything that is a heritage is one person’s identity. So, we are partnering with organizers of the Oluyole Festival this year by giving them an endorsement letter that can speak for them wherever they go, because we all know that the government’s endorsement will open doors for them.
“Though they have been doing it but without the government’s name it will serve as leverage for them to make people to partner with them. We want to say that we believe that this festival will be a continuous thing that as time goes on it will bring Ibadan to limelight again. We are happy that youths are now embracing our culture because before, youths didn’t really associate with our culture, but today we are indeed very glad to have this kind of festival happening in Ibadan, Oyo State.”
Alhaja Lawal noted that before the festival can be enlisted in the state cultural calendar just like we have in Twins Festival in Igbo-Ora, Sango Festival in Oyo, Aso-Oke Festival in Iseyin and Iyake Festival, there is need to study the progress of the festival for some years and the outcome of the study will determine the step.
In his submission, a committee member and Mogaji of Ile-Nla, Labiran in Ibadan, Chief Olajuwon Subair-Adelokun, said that the essence of the festival is to bring out the cultural essence of Ibadan and taking back the core values which we have been losing over the years due to civilization.
The youngest Mogaji in Ibadanland disclosed that he joined the course basically for the promotion of culture and heritage of Ibadan and to bring in more youths, encouraging them to become cultural and heritage ambassadors of Ibadan.
Packaged by Adekunle Adegboyega
