Culture

Ooni of Ife Praises Ola Awakan’s Tourism Appointment

Published

11 months ago

October 11, 2025

Ooni of Ife praises Ola Awakan’s appointment as DG of NTDC, saying his creativity and cultural passion will boost Nigeria’s tourism and youth empowerment

Ooni of Ife praises Ola Awakan for his appointment as the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), expressing confidence that his leadership will revitalise Nigeria’s tourism industry and promote the country’s rich cultural heritage.

Also read: Ooni of Ife Predicts New Dawn at Olojo Festival

In a statement issued by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Moses Olafare, the Ooni, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, described the appointment as a testament to President Bola Tinubu’s recognition of youthful brilliance, innovation, and cultural passion as vital tools for national growth.

The monarch commended Awakan’s long-standing contribution to cultural promotion and storytelling, noting that his deep involvement in Nigeria’s major festivals demonstrated his commitment to heritage preservation.

“As a dynamic Nigerian youth, a seasoned broadcast journalist, cultural ambassador and advocate of tourism development per excellence, Ola Awakan has consistently shown an uncommon talent for storytelling, heritage promotion and festival visibility,” the Ooni said.

He added that Awakan’s participation in festivals such as Osun-Osogbo, Olojo, and Aje reflected his devotion to preserving Nigeria’s indigenous traditions and using them as platforms for social and economic empowerment.

The monarch encouraged Awakan to use his new position as an opportunity to shape tourism policies that would reposition Nigeria as the cultural capital of Africa, stressing that cultural tourism could become a major source of national revenue.

Ooni urged the DG to promote Nigeria’s festivals and heritage sites to global audiences while creating opportunities for young people through arts, crafts, and cultural entrepreneurship.

“Nigerians and indeed the international community are looking forward to the wonders he will perform in transforming our festivals into world-class spectacles, thereby generating pride, jobs and prosperity,” the monarch said.

He also commended President Bola Tinubu for entrusting the NTDC leadership to a visionary young Nigerian, saying the appointment aligns with the government’s commitment to culture, creativity and tourism as engines of unity and growth.

Also read: Ooni of Ife Olojo Festival 2025 Prayers Inspire Hope

“The President’s decision reflects his commitment to building a future where culture, tourism and the creative economy stand as pillars of national unity and economic advancement,” the Ooni concluded.

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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.”