Culture

Oba Olaoye appoints culture, tourism carnival committee

Published

2 years ago

April 30, 2024

A15-member committee to organise a culturally rich tourism event, aimed at highlighting the traditions and heritage of Ogbomoso town has been unveiled.

The committee was appointed by the Soun of Ogbomoso land, Oba Ghandi Olaoye.

During the inauguration of the committee at the palace in Ogbomoso, Oba Olaoye emphasised that the committee’s primary objective was to strategise and implement a wide range of events and activities.

These initiatives are aimed at fostering socio-economic growth, enriching cultural heritage, and drawing both local and international tourists to Ogbomoso land.

The monarch said the development was part of his 25-year development plan which aimed at transforming Ogbomosoland into a model city.

The committee headed by a former Special Assistant to the President on Media, Williams Adeleye, also have a former member of the House of Representatives, Segun Odebunmi; Oyo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade; Akinwole Akinwale; Bisi Michael; Oladejo Akanni; Nike Olugbodi; Kareem Adebayo; Fisayo Alabi; Tunde Ige; Samuel Bolanta; Janet Akintoyinbo; Victoria Olojede and others as members.

In his remark, the chairman of the committee, Adeleye, said, “Ogbomosoland is endowed with a unique and rich cultural heritage that, if fully harnessed, has the potential to transform the socio-economic landscape of the city.

“There is virtually no family compound in Ogbomosoland, from my little research, that has no unique tradition, be it Egungun; deity, ijala, Oroo, etc. Even Soun’s palace is a repository of a tourist site.

“In the creative industry, Ogbomoso men and women, old and young, are making their marks, making Ogbomoso proud in the money-spinning industry. Talk of Baba Lere Paimo (Ogbori elemoso) Kolawole Ajeyemi, Kunle Afolabi, 9ice, Laolu Gbenjo, Dunsin Oyekan to mention a few, are notable faces in the Nigerian creative industry. Our food, amala and gbegiri, eko yangan (Pap), bean snacks (Akara Ogbomoso), as well as our unique agricultural products (mangoro ogbomoso, cassava and cashew), are much sought after by people from other towns and cities across the country and in the diaspora.

“Organising cultural and tourism such as the one conceived by our revered King, has the potential of attracting local and foreign investors to tap into the inherent agricultural value chain thereby creating jobs and stimulating increased economic activities in our land.”

Related Topics:appoints culture Culture Featured Oba Olaoye

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Culture

WAKE UP! Art Exhibition Returns for a Second Act

Published

2 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

Mariam Balogun

The contemporary art and photography exhibition “Wake Up!” is back again for a second edition.

Curated by Awele Onwordi, Wake Up! 2 exhibition pays homage to the Nigerian youth and burgeoning street culture which many of its contributing artists reference in their works.

Also read: Five rising stars battle for 2026 Headies Next Rated

Titled “Young, Wild, Free”, the exhibition celebrates the creativity, resilience, freedom and cultural influence found in Nigerian youth.

Taking aim at societal issues and economic concerns, the exhibit reflects the youth and their refusal to compromise or bow despite all the challenges stacked against them while charting youth culture through art, music, fashion, skateboarding, photography and community.

The exhibition will be held, once again, at the Angel and Muse Gallery at 25 Sumbo Jibowu street off Ribadu Road off Awolowo Road in Ikoyi.

It will open on Saturday 5 September 2026 and will run until 11 September 2026
This second edition which focuses on celebrating, nurturing and exploring artistic practices rooted in youth and street culture will feature works from DENCITY and SUPERGLIDER HOUSE.

Exhibiting artists include Ajilore Kehinde – their work is deeply influenced by Nigerian street culture and works of other artists like Slawn, Peters Ejiro, etc, Chuka Onwordi – graphic designer who embodies themes of death, melancholy and beauty in his works, ZIDYEP – Abuja based creative whose works move between digital and physical spaces through art, graphic design and air brushing , Franklyn Okoye – graphic designer and artist whose works explore themes of identity and hyper-reality, Awele Onwordi – founder & curator of WAKE UP and multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans character art, creative logo design, album covers and more , Oluchi Kogolo – digital illustrator whose work explores street culture, personality and storytelling through a raw and playful visual style and Kozetuo Apeji – multidisciplinary artists who work explores experimental approaches to problem solving through both digital and traditional art forms.

Commenting on the exhibition in her curatorial statement, Awele noted that “despite economic instability, limited opportunities and socio-political challenges, Nigerian youth continue to shape culture through music, fashion, art, skateboarding, raves, photography and community.”

Also read: Five rising stars battle for 2026 Headies Next Rated

Continuing and harping on the raison d’etre of the exhibition she said, “Young, Wild and Free exists to celebrate Nigerian youth while also creating a platform that supports and amplifies them.”