Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima is set to be the special guest of honor at the 2024 Ojude Oba festival, according to an announcement by the Chairman of the Planning Committee, Chief Olu Okuboyejo.
This year’s celebration, themed “Ojude Oba: Unity and Harmony, Our Gifts,” will take place on June 18, 2024, two days after Eid-El-Kabir.
Governor Dapo Abiodun and the Minister of Culture, Art, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa-Musawa, will also attend the festival, joining thousands of Ijebu indigenes from around the world. Speaking at a press conference held at the Awujale’s palace, Okuboyejo emphasized the significance of the vice president’s presence.
“Every edition of the festival necessitates the choice of a distinguished Nigerian as the Special Guest of Honour. The Festival Committee is pleased to inform you that we expect to host the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima as the Special Guest of Honour,” Okuboyejo stated. “He will be ranked among illustrious personalities such as President Olusegun Obasanjo, President Bola Tinubu, and former Senate President David Mark who have graced this event in the past.”
The Ojude Oba festival is a renowned cultural event where over 100 male and female age-grade groups, known as Regberegbes, pay homage to the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona. This tradition underscores the festival’s role in reinforcing cultural ties and celebrating the rich heritage of the Ijebu people.
The theme “Ojude Oba: Unity and Harmony, Our Gifts” reflects the festival’s evolving nature, as noted by Okuboyejo: “The theme is apt and relevant to the intent and purpose of the modern-day Ojude Oba, proudly reinvented, re-engineered, and internationalized by the Orisa ljebu, Kabiyesi Oba Adetona.” He further highlighted that the festival offers a platform for visitors to reconcile with God and reunite with loved ones.
In a related address, State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Olusesan Fabayi, affirmed the Ogun State Government’s commitment to co-sponsoring the annual celebration. “This year’s Ojude Oba promises to be more ostentatious, elegant, and exciting,” Fabayi said, urging stakeholders to collaborate in promoting the state’s festivals and cultural heritage.
