Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, the Olowo of Owo, declared on Thursday that the Igogo event, the town’s annual traditional event, will bring at least 500,000 tourists to Ondo State each year.
The first-class monarch stated that the annual celebration would bring in 500,000 tourists, which would have a significant positive economic impact on the old city and the state as a whole.
This was said by Oba Ogunoye at a news conference on the 2023 Igogo Festival at his palace in the state’s Owo, Owo Local Government Area.
The monarch expressed hope that the festival would open up wealth creation avenues, upscale the small-scale businesses of cloth weaving and artistries, and promote overall uplift of the socio-economic development of Owo. He noted that during his reign, innovative measures had been added to the annual Igogo Festival to attract tourists.
He said, “As you are aware, Igogo Festival is the most celebrated in Owo Kingdom. Its celebration features pomp and pageantry each year. Through the festival, we hope to see this historic town come alive with vibrant events that will draw tourists and boost the local economy.
Our objective is to inspire the event to generate an annual economic effect of $1 billion. We take its effect and target extremely seriously. Our sons and daughters in the diaspora are currently in discussions to examine the low-hanging commercial fruit and benefits that the event heralds for the growth of our people’s economy.
The Igogo Festival aims to see a rebirth in terms of content and package under my watch to draw over 500,000 people annually at its peak.
My goal is to enhance the Igogo Festival’s processes and activities in order to give it a 21st-century perspective. In order to do this, several free events will be added to the 2024 Igogo Festival celebrations when they are announced today.
The Olowo said that the Oroshen Beauty Pageant Competition will be added to the Igogo Fetival starting in 2024, where a queen would emerge and receive a luxurious award following a procession of beauties demonstrating Owo food, clothing, hairdo, and dancing moves.
According to him, the Igogo Festival Market had been added to the festival in the form of a trade fair. He explained that the market would afford individuals to exhibit assorted goods and services of the ancient town. In addition, Oba Ogunoye hinted that he had added Owaloko to the annual festival, where the Olowo would be seated in all of his splendor and royalty to interact with his subjects, guests, tourists, and well-wishers in a public setting. The occasion would give the monarch the chance to bless the people of Owo and express gratitude to everyone for taking part in the festival.
He urged visitors from all over the world to feel at ease and take advantage of the Owo people's hospitality during the 17-day celebration, which he called the biggest and oldest cultural festival in Sub-Saharan Africa’s history.
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