Festivals

Obaseki Declares Open 2023 Edo Festival Of Arts, Culture

Published

3 years ago

December 18, 2023

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, at the weekend, declared open the Edo State Festival of Arts and Culture (EdoFEST), pledging to sustain efforts to reposition the State as the preferred destination for arts, culture and tourism.

Obaseki, while declaring the week-long event open at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, urged residents to be part of the event lined up for the festivities.

He said, “The Edo State Festival of Arts and Culture (Edofest) is a one-week programme. This is an annual event celebrated at this time of the year. It’s all part of the festivity in the State as several activities have been lined up for the enjoyment of all.

“There are a lot of cultural and entertainment activities, food, site visitation and a lot more activities that will keep us all busy, particularly those of us in the Diaspora that will be visiting home this Christmas.

“I formally declare open the 2023 Edo State Festival of Arts and Culture. Enjoy yourself while the festival lasts.”

In her welcome address, the Commissioner for Arts Culture and Tourism, Uyi Oduwa-Malaka said the festival is a yearly event that showcases businesses, talents, the hospitality sector, trade/investment opportunities, food and cultural appreciation for sustainable economic development.

She said the festival has assumed a rising profile of cultural rediscovery since the past seven years of Governor Godwin Obaseki “who can be tightly dubbed a patron of the arts.”

She said, “The last seven years has seen a renaissance not only in bronze casting, sculpting, woodcarving but also vibrant and inspiring leaps in the visual arts and creatives, entertainment, film production, creative innovations, paintings, and photography, among others.”

Related Topics:Edo Festival Of Arts Featured Festivals Obaseki

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Culture

OLOJO….Ile Ife’s September Gift To Culture

Published

3 hours 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.”