Culture Is Currency, Festivals the Mint – Abiodun Declares at Ojude Oba (+photos)

BY TAYO MABEWEJE

ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA – At the confluence of heritage and hope – where colour, culture, and community converge in rhythmic harmony – Governor Dapo Abiodun has redefined the Ojude Oba Festival as more than a celebration. To him, it is “a living flame,” preserving the soul of the people while illuminating their collective path toward a more vibrant future.

Describing culture as both compass and catalyst, the governor declared: “Our cultural heritage is a powerful tool for national development.”

He noted that festivals like Ojude Oba are no longer just seasonal events – they are “engines of economic motion,” “gateways to global visibility,” and “repositories of our cultural capital.”

Speaking beneath the regal skies of Ijebu-Ode, Governor Abiodun affirmed the festival’s alignment with his administration’s broader vision: “This celebration aligns seamlessly with our ‘Building Our Future Together’ agenda. Festivals like Ojude Oba are critical in promoting the local economy, attracting global visibility, and strengthening our cultural capital.”

He likened Ogun’s cultural heritage to “a golden thread woven into the fabric of our state’s development,” with Ojude Oba standing as “a powerful symbol of communal harmony where faith, tradition, and modernity coexist under a single banner of identity.”

Elevating the festival to the status of a living, breathing legacy, he said: “Ojude Oba has grown into a living heritage – a torch lighting the way in an era marked by fragmentation and flux. It is a vibrant fulcrum of a beautiful culture – our pride, our value, and our continuity.”

Reflecting on this year’s theme, ‘Celebrating Our Roots, Preserving Our Future’, Abiodun called it “a declaration of intent, a compass pointing us to remain grounded in our values even as we reach for the stars.”

The governor highlighted the festival’s intergenerational appeal and its evolution into a platform for youth inclusion and diaspora engagement: “Ojude Oba has succeeded in capturing the imagination of our youths, both at home and across the seas.” Yet he was also pragmatic: “This festival has outgrown this place, and we must do something about it.”

Describing Ojude Oba as “a dynamic entity of tourism, youth engagement, and entrepreneurship,” he pledged to scale its reach and reimagine its infrastructure for broader international attention. “This is no longer just a gathering,” he asserted. “It is a platform – an emblem of Ogun’s potential and Nigeria’s cultural wealth.”

Concluding with imagery that fused tradition with economic relevance, Governor Abiodun declared: “Culture is currency, festivals are the mint, and the people are its custodians. Ojude Oba is no longer just a celebration – it is a cultural lighthouse, guiding our people with pride, drawing the eyes of the world with dignity, and illuminating the path to our shared future with the

*Tayo Mabeweje, Media Consultant to the Executive Governor of Ogun State.