Culture

Ogbomoso cradles carnival: Soun calls for unity to boost global recognition

Published

2 years ago

October 8, 2024

The Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, emphasised unity among Ogbomoso indigenes to make the community a recognised global tourist and investment hub.Speaking at the Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival fundraising event, he highlighted the festival’s potential to showcase Ogbomoso’s culture and economic assets, positioning the region as attractive to investors.

The Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, Soun Orumogege III, has called for unity and collaboration among Ogbomoso indigenes.

His goal is to transform Ogbomosoland into a globally recognised hub for tourism and investment. Speaking at the fundraising dinner for the Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival, held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Oba Ghandi explained that this cultural event aims to unite Ogbomoso people and showcase the region’s economic potential to the world.

Also read: Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival committee to unveil logo Sept 12

The Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival is not just a festive celebration; it is also a strategic initiative to bring the community together.

The carnival is designed to highlight Ogbomoso’s rich cultural heritage and expose its vast economic resources to investors.

Oba Ghandi praised the global influence of Ogbomoso indigenes, noting their bold, enterprising nature and their contributions wherever they reside.

He stressed that cultural events like the carnival can foster a sense of community and encourage more people to reconnect with their roots.

The monarch further urged the people of Ogbomoso to collectively capitalise on the region’s abundant resources to promote economic growth and elevate Ogbomosoland’s profile on the global stage.

He expressed gratitude for the continued support from the community, assuring them that, with their cooperation, significant progress would be made.

Prince William Adeleye, chairman of the planning committee, echoed these sentiments. He emphasised that the carnival’s dual purpose is to celebrate local culture and position Ogbomosoland as an appealing destination for investors, particularly in agriculture, real estate, ICT, and manufacturing.

He encouraged both indigenes and visitors to participate by showcasing their products and services through exhibitions at the carnival, stressing that this was a unique opportunity to attract investment.

With attendance from key figures in various industries, including engineering, healthcare, and military leadership, the event was a resounding success.

The message of unity and action to harness Ogbomosoland’s potential resonated throughout the evening, setting an optimistic tone for the future development of the region as both a tourist attraction and an investment hub.

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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.”