Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, will lead top dignitaries to the 2015 edition of the Oronna Ilaro Festival themed ‘Festival of Achievement’ later this year.
Some of the top personalities expected to grace the occasion include Aliko Dangote and both federal and state lawmakers.
The weeklong festival kicks off from November 14 to 22, 2015 and will culminate in a grand finale on Saturday November 21 at Asade Agunloye Pavilion, Empire Field, Ilaro-Yewa with support from Dangote Cement in Ibeshe and MTN Nigeria Limited.
Chairman of the planning committee for the fourth year running, Kayode Odunaro, said the over two decades annual cultural festival, which was endorsed as a tourism festival on national tourism calendar by Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) in 2012, is celebrated in honour of the legendary warrior Oronna as a unifying developmental platform for the display of cultural practices of Ilaro and Yewa people of Ogun state.
Among the regular activities highlighting the festival are road show/street carnival, tributes to Oronna and other deities, Egungun and Gelede Masquerade display, Sisi Ilaro cultural beauty pageant, Poosu Night in celebration of food tourism and the all-white attire Onigba Aje ceremony.
Others are a three day medical check-up programme, Festival 50 kilometre race, Jumat and thanksgiving service as well as the grand finale where over 70 clubs and societies will pay homage to HRM Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, the Olu of Ilaro-Yewa and paramount ruler of Yewaland.
Just like in the 2014 edition, sons and daughters of Ilaro and Yewaland in the Diaspora as well as other foreign tourists from United Kingdom, USA and Barbados with cultural origin traceable to Ilaro-Yewa are participating in the festival geared towards eco-tourism.
Amosun, Dangote, Lawmakers For Oronna Ilaro Festival https://t.co/OUWy48aK7H