Festivals

Former President, Obasanjo, endorses Cultural Oneness Festival

Published

2 years ago

June 28, 2024

Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has extended his endorsement and support for the upcoming 2nd edition and beyond of the Cultural Oneness Festival powered by The Taste Of Afrika.

The iconic endorsement which took place in Abeokuta, the capital city of Ogun State, marked a significant moment for the people of Ghana, Africa and Diasporans as they prepare to celebrate unity in diversity through the Cultural Oneness Festival.

The Taste Of Afrika delegation was led by His Royal Highness, Nandom Naa Professor Delle, President of Nandom Traditional Council, Tengol K. Kplemani, the CEO of The Taste Of Afrika, had collaborative discussions with Chief Obasanjo regarding the Cultural Oneness Festival initiative.

The former Nigerian leader, who assured of his support for the Festival, also expressed optimism about the enormous benefits the good people of Ghana, Africa and the rest of the world will gain from the project if given the needed push, support and recognition.

“I am very happy to see my brethren from Ghana embark on this massive project to promote culture arts and tourism in Northern Ghana and beyond via Cultural Oneness Festival.

“Today, I can assure you that I am into this project fully and I Olusegun Obasanjo endorse it. Ghanaians should expect to see me at the event in Northern Ghana”, Obasanjo stated.

Kplemani thanked the former Nigerian leader for his support and endorsement of the Festival.

“Chief Olusegun Ogunboye Obasanjo’s support is a tremendous honour. It highlights the Festival’s mission to promote unity and diversity through cultural exchange and continental visibility for economic empowerment,” Kplemani stated.

Obasanjo’s endorsement underscores the Cultural Oneness Festival’s pivotal role in fostering cultural understanding and strengthening social cohesion among Africans.

Scheduled to hold from 13th to 16th November 2024 in the heart of Northern Ghana, the Cultural Oneness Festival promises to be a vibrant showcase of cultural heritage and communal harmony.

According to the organisers, participants can look forward to cultural roots tours, musical performances, fashion and art exhibitions, interactive workshops and an array of interactive experiences that celebrate the African community.

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Culture

OLOJO….Ile Ife’s September Gift To Culture

Published

57 minutes ago

October 5, 2026

Mariam Balogun

By Halima Adaba,

It was a featubal if the people. It was for the anciebt town of Ile Ife, which the Yoruba race refards as the Source.

Also read: Olojo Festival 2026: Ooni Urges Leaders to Prioritise Citizens

And ut was a festivsl for the King, Arole Oduduwa, Oonirisa, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.

And so between September 24 and 28th 2026, the annual featuval dazzjed in all its white glory.

Tge Monarch paid the traditional ancestral homage and offered propitiation as part of the sacred rites of the Olojo Festival.
It was a powerful expression of Yoruba heritage, spirituality, and enduring tradition.

Call it a collection of beautiful moments, faces, colours and cultural expressions.

Every frame tells a story.

Every face carries the energy.

Every moment keeps the heritage alive.

Undoubtedly one of the most sacred cultural celebrations in Ilé-Ifẹ̀. It marked a day associated with creation, thanksgiving, ancestral heritage, and the sacred appearance of the Ooni of Ife wearing the revered Aàrẹ crown.

There were also the devotees of the famed god of thunder – Sàngó who were hardly conspicuous at the festival.

Many other traditional groups came out with candor, showing a powerful expression of Yoruba cultural identity, spiritual devotion, and respect for the ancient traditions of Ilé-Ifẹ̀.

Devotees of Sàngó bekieved the ‘appearance’ of the god of thunder on Seotember 26th could be understood as a symbolic meeting of ancestral heritage, spiritual devotion, and the celebration of creation.

It was a moment when the sounds of drums, chants, and traditional praise poetry brought the history of the Yoruba people to life.

Although Olojo is closely associated with Ogun, the god of iron, and the sacred traditions of Ile-Ife, the presence of Sàngó devotees reflected the rich diversity of Yoruba spiritual heritage.

Also read: Olojo Festival 2026: Ooni Urges Leaders to Prioritise Citizens

As a participant enthused at the festival, “To witness Sàngó Olúkòso emerge on Olojo Festival day is to witness a living expression of history, identity, and ancestral pride.”