The Oyo State government on Thursday, met egungun worshipers, known as ‘Alagbaas’ and other stakeholders, to set aside a day in the year for a uniform celebration of the egungun festival.
The state Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatunbosun, said that the new initiative is part of the present administration’s bid to set the tone for harnessing tourism and culture in Oyo State, under Omituntun 2.0.
In a parley with stakeholders, Dr. Olatubosun said that tourism has become a focal point of Governor Seyi Makinde’s Omituntun 2.0 Agenda.
He averred that the grand Egungun Carnival will herald the commencement of various egungun festivals across Oyo State.
Olatunbosun explained that a unified date for this cultural festival would further promote the state’s culture and boost the tourism potentials of the state, by bringing tourists from all over the world to witness the festival.
He further opined that the display by the various egungun worshipers would make the celebrations more attractive to tourists.
He said, “Oyo State, being the Pacesetter State, would be hitting the ground running on this dignified cultural propagation and promotion, thus writing history for others to follow.”
In their response, the ‘Alagbaas’ unanimously agreed to the concept, promising to work in synergy with the ministry to make the initiative a resounding success.
They also promised to rally their members to give unwavering support to the initiative and work assiduously towards achieving the desirable outcome.
The Egungun Festival is celebrated annually between June and July in Oyo State, to pray for peace in the land and entertain the people in a peaceful and relaxed manner.
