Osun Osogbo Festival: Economic downturn takes toll on celebration

AS traditional worshippers and adherents of Osun River converged on the Osun Osogbo groove to celebrate this year Osun Osogbo festival, the current economic meltdown almost robbed the shine off the popular festivity, which is dedicated to river goddess.

Though masquerades, traditional religion heads and royal fathers, paid homage to the Ataoja of Osogboland, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun at the Osun-Osogbo groove during the grand finale of the event on Friday, the festival, that usually draws tourists and other categories of people did not record huge number of crowd compared to previous years’ celebration.

Tribune Online reliably gathered that the current economic downturn, plaguing the country may have taken its toll on the cultural and traditional celebration.

It would be recalled that the annual event was almost marred by the outbreak of Ebola virus diseases in. 2016 as Osun State government barred foreign tourists from the festival.

However, despite the fact that there was no threat of Ebola, this year, the usual fanfare and excitement were not as pronounced against the expectation of many that thronged the UNESCO designated centre.

Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, who was represented by his Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr Simeon Obawale maintained that the state is blessed with different tourism sites, saying that Osun-Osogbo festival was a festival that stands out among others, as it attracts tourists within and outside the state and country annually.

While facilitating with the Ataoja of Osogboland, Oba Olanipekun for a successfully hosting this year’s festival, the governor lauded natives and residents of Osogbo for creating an atmosphere of peace which allows for the hosting of the festival.

The host of the festival, Oba Olanipekun expressed happiness over the success of the festival, noting that impressive turnout of dignitaries, both from Nigeria and abroad was an encouraging development.

He commended Aregbesola and Senator Babajide Omoworare, who represents Osun-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly for their immense support towards the success of the festival, in their capacity as the grand patron and chairman of the occasion.

In his remark, Omoworare said the law establishing the Nigeria Tourism Development Commission (NTDC) would be reviewed so that the tourism potentials in the state and country at large could be developed.

He affirmed that Osun State government had laid a solid foundation by investing so much to develop the more than 200 tourism sites in the state, and that with the review of the laws establishing the NTDC, the state will reap the rewards of its investment.

He observed that countries like Ghana and South Africa had been reaping form their tourism sector, contending that Nigeria, with population of over 170 million people can also develop the tourism sector to serve as good source of foreign currency generation.