The Oyo State government has inaugurated a 10-man organising committee for the 2024 World Sango Festival, holding in the state in August.
The state Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatubosun, inaugurated the committee on Tuesday, ahead of the festival.
Recall that UNESCO recognition and inscription of the Oyo Sango Festival in the lists of World Heritage has ranked Oyo State as a giant in the tourism industry.
The 2024 Sango Festival, which will be held in Oyo Town in August, is expected to attract over 15,000 local and international tourists.
Olatubosun acknowledged the contributions of two individuals, Mr. Emmanuel Odekanyin, representing the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and International Cultural Relations Department, Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy Desk, and Dr. Paula Gomez, the Cultural Ambassador to the Alaafin of Oyo.
The commissioner expressed his appreciation to the two individuals for their efforts in securing UNESCO’s approval for the World Sango Festival last year.
Olatubosun urged the committee to show respect to the memory of the founder of Sango promotion, the late Duro Ladipo, by including his family members in the planning process.
He also emphasised the importance of attracting international audience by ensuring the festival meets international standards.
He counseled the committee to accord great respect to the Sango worshippers they will be interacting with and respect their culture.
The commissioner tasked the committee with securing sponsorships, promoting the festival locally and within UNESCO-member countries.
He charged members of the committee to find a safe and appropriate venue and identifying cost-effective solutions that could enhance the festival’s value.
The festival will be a week-long and some of the activities included a symposium with a distinguished speaker, various Sango performances, entertainment and parades.
The committee, headed by the General Manager of the Cultural Center, Ibadan, Chief Mrs Olayinka Adedeji, co-chaired by Dr Gomez, comprised stakeholders and officials of the state Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
