Tag: Lagos at 50

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, in this lecture to mark 50 years of the creation of Lagos State, harps on the need to take culture seriously as a way of promoting tourism and enhancing the commercial viability of Lagos State.  Edozie Udeze reports.

The colloquium was titled; Tourism potentials in Yorubaland:  Landmarks, cultures and history.  It was delivered by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi in Lagos last weekend as part of the activities to mark the 50 years of the creation of Lagos State.  Beyond the historical excursion into the facts and figures that led to the ancestral foundation of Lagos as a town, the gathering which took place at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, were taken into the traditional role of Yemoja as the Yoruba goddess of fertility and purity by the National Troupe of Nigeria.  Through their dance, this was clearly demonstrated.

Before the Ooni mounted the podium to deliver his lecture, the Troupe welcomed the gathering with Iba, homage to the Oba.  In it was also espoused Yemoja, a dance that is not only dear to the heart of the Ooni, but which also spells out the intractable role of Yemoja, the river goddess that bestows purity and fertility on the womenfolk.  The dance was not only performed with grace and glamour, it equally showed the role played by other gods in the ordinances of the world.

As Funmi Abe, the lead dancer took the crowd through the names of orunmila, obatala, esu and other complementary gods that help in the re-ordering of the earth, most of the traditional rulers in the hall nodded their heads in acclaim.  The drummers held on with frenzy as the dancers swayed slowly and methodically to the yearnings of Yemoja.

Adorned in dazzling white costumes, the symbol of Yemoja, the female dancers displayed the evocative powers of influence exercised by Yemoja over women.  In all, the idol, the symbol of the goddess was placed on stage for all to see.  The dancers invoked it; appealed to it and cajoled it to come awake for the good of the people.  The dancers proved that the gods are not yet done with humanity.  The dance, in the reckoning of the Artistic Director of the Troupe, Akin Adejuwon, was to show that no society exists in a vacuum.  Some ancestral powers must have played prominent  roles in its existence.

In his lecture, the Ooni paid everlasting tribute to Olodumare, the author and finisher of our lives for being the only one who is, who was and who will forever hold the universe together.  “God is He who is, who was and who will forever be”, he began, as the crowd cheered and applauded.  “Therefore all glory, honour and adoration are ascribed to Him.  No other one can ever take over from Him.  Why I am happy today?  This is so because this gathering has the current generation, the older generation and the generation yet to come.  The greatest thing that has brought us together that is more forceful than religion is our tradition and culture.  It is very important and therefore we have to uphold those things that keep us as one.  It is indeed paramount for all of us to safeguard our heritages and ensure we pass them on to the next generation.”

For the Ooni who is the numero uno of the Yoruba culture, It is time for people to know the story of Lagos; how it came to be.  “It is good to be here today to celebrate Lagos at 50.  However, we have to begin now to grasp the cultural ideals that make us who we are, if not we are bound to forget.  Often, when we resort to this, people tag us idol worshippers and all sorts of negative things.  But no, it is not so.  We merely hold on to what God has given to us.  Who can oppose nature?  Who can query God’s gift to mankind?  Olodumare has bestowed humanity with all sorts of cultural values and therefore we cannot challenge Him.  Our God is Olodumare.

“It is for His abundance of gifts of nature and culture that we are here today.  He is the owner of nature and He has lesser gods and goddess that help Him to reorder the world.  These gods are all messengers and angels of God Almighty.  Now, this takes us to the history of how Lagos was founded by our ancestors.  It is due to their roles that we are here today as Lagos has come to be the most accommodating and peaceful and friendly state in Nigeria.  It is not only commercially viable, if I didn’t come here to Lagos, I don’t think I’d have been made the Ooni of Ife.  Lagos made me who am today,” he said.

The Ooni who was made an Oba last year, then traced the history of Olofin Oodua who was sent out from the palace in Ife to go found the city of Lagos.  “It was the role of Olofin Ogunfunmire that gave birth to Lagos.  Initially, he did not have children and the gods decreed that he could only have offspring if he was asked to leave Ife.  He was a prince of the kingdom.  He was therefore asked to pack a few things to set sail to whenever his boat could anchor.

“With his entourage, he left Ife, with the blessing of the chiefs.  It was for him to establish yet another kingdom.  He got to a place called Olokun in Eko, that is Isheri-Olofin.  There, he settled down with his family and began to make glasses.  And today the making of glasses is originally traced to the Yoruba traditions.  We are the first to start the making of glasses and fibre.  Even what I am wearing today on my neck as a traditional ruler has its origin in that tradition.

“From that point at Isheri, he also established the Awori settlement.  And that is why Lagos is peopled more by the Aworis and the people of Olofin.  In fact, the entire Awori clan live in Lagos because this is their original place of existence.  These are some of the landmarks of our cultures that we should not forget.  And so whilst the Olofin settled and began to expand into the hinterland, the Edos of Bini also came in.   However, together the two cultures later merged or met to form the totality of Eko.  From Iddo, the development continued until it clustered at Ojuelegba.

“It was Odun-elegba before time, because the ancestors blessed the spot as a beehive of commerce and social activities.  Ojuelegba is a blessing so ordained by our ancestors and that is why Lagos beckons on everyone without discrimination.  Ojuelegba is synonymous with celebration, very cordial to people in Lagos.  Today, Olokun the god of wealth domiciles there and so Lagos has come to be the centre of life, where one can make and create wealth.  It is the centre of commerce.  It is here that you can come with nothing and go home with plenty.  You cannot pass through Lagos without being successful and it was the prayer of our ancestors that has made it so.

“In the first place, it is not only Lagos that has water or being surrounded by water.  Yet it is the greatest commercial spot in the country.  Eko oni baje o.  Therefore, let us not throw away our culture.  It is good to educate our people about it.  In fact, it is the bedrock of our education.  This is why I am challenging both the minister and the commissioners in-charge of culture to sit up.  It is time to promote culture and turn it into a tourism commodity for all to savour and sample.  It will help in terms of social justice, equity and development.  I came to Lagos with nothing but left with my basket full, running over with bountiful and plenty riches that made me who I am today” the Ooni intoned to the general clamour of the people.

In his response, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated that in this time of global oil glut, culture has come to represent an avenue for the government to explore resources for the nation.  “In this time when there is fall in oil prices, the next credible option to explore is culture.  Arts is rich in revenue and we have to exploit that now”, he said.  “We have chosen to diverse the economy and culture is our next destination.  It has been spotlighted by this government and so we will give it all we have to ensure that tourism also prospers.  Now, countries like Ethiopia and Kenya have more UNESCO cultural sites than Nigeria.  It is time to look into those sites that we can develop to exploit and explore culture and tourism.  These include Nike Lake, the Mambila Plateau, Ife Royal palace, Oba of Benin palace and so on.  Today we have only two UNESCO sites and it is not enough,” he said.

According to the Minister, tourism and culture can be used to create jobs for the youths, improve the security situation in the country and generally keep people off the streets.  “It is a veritable commodity for the economy.  And it will generate hundreds of thousands of jobs for the people.  Therefore, attention has to shift to fashion, Nigerian fashion, in its colourful epitome.  The film industry is there which has even contributed largely to the nation’s GDP.  The creative sector generally has to be promoted the more now for the good of the nation” he presented.

Other cultural troupes that entertained included the Foot-prints of David and the Badagry dance troupe.  With them, it was no more in doubt if culture can generate attention and keep people on their toes.  With their colourful costumes and elegant dance styles, the cultural groups made it clear that it was time to see dance as one of the veritable commodities to shore up the GDP.

In continuation of activities to mark the fifty years of the creation of Lagos State, last week, a lecture titled, Lagos at 50 celebration – Hidden cultures and Multiple Identities in Lagos, was delivered by Dr. Wale Adeniran.  Adeniran is the director of the UNESCO – designated Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU) based in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.  It was also an opportunity for Nigerians to watch the outstanding performances of the National Troupe of Nigeria and the Gelede dance troupe from Badagry.

Most of all, the director of the National Troupe, Akin Adejuwon, used the opportunity of the occasion to explain the Troupe’s deep involvement in the celebration and why it is imperative to use cultural dances to register the place of Lagos in the annals of Nigeria.  As the Orunmila Hall of the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, came alive not only with the exposition of hidden treasures in the state, different cultural groups mounted the stage to showcase the profundity of cultural dances in making the society a more lively place for all.  The different masquerades that appeared on stage were there to add colour to the esplanade.  Masquerades can also become tourism materials.

To this end, Adejuwon said, “It is not easy to attain fifty years and for the state to also be in a celebration mood.  It is because Lagos is kind of gateway in Nigeria.  In the history of Nigeria, therefore, it has played a wonderfully important role because it is the first point of contact to so many other cultures in and out of Nigeria.  The powers invested in Lagos both culturally, economically and otherwise, have been driving Nigeria today.  Because of that, when the state now attains fifty, it is worthy of celebration.”  To him the role of the National Troupe as the apex cultural outfit of the nation is to help sensitize the people and use performance theatre and dance ensemble to point a way forward.

He explained further, “in my mandate at the National Troupe, if you go to the historical level, you will realize that the creation of the Troupe itself was primarily to entertain Nigerians and promote our different cultural heritages.  It developed from the kind of thing that generated from Lagos State.  Herbert Ogunde, the pioneer director of the Troupe was an icon and epitome of performing arts.  He toured the nation and made a business of performing arts.  His audience was hugely concentrated in Lagos.  It was from here, he more or less, sprouted to other parts of the country,” Adejuwon said.

Therefore, it is time now to reinvigorate the spirit of awareness through this involvement.  “Lagos State, like I have explained to Professor Wole Soyinka and the Minister of Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed should be the number one state to enjoy this interface between the Troupe and the Lagos at 50 celebration.  This is why we’re involved in any way we can in order to play up the role of performing arts to make the anniversary colourful and outstanding.”

In it all, the role of the Troupe is bi-focal.  In the first place, Soyinka happens to be the chairman of the celebration and therefore his first attention should be in the cultural elements of the anniversary.  He loves it when people look back to appreciate their heritages.  You can’t do without recourse to your inheritance, tangible or otherwise.  So involving the Troupe in this regard makes it more permissive and widely engaging.  Having tagged the celebration the IBILE celebration to accommodate all the five zones of the state, it is now clear that the performances will be carried out from one zone to the other.  “Ours is to heighten the cultural contents of the IBILE,” Adejuwon further noted.  “However, our involvement in the colloquium is part of the second level of the show.  This is also very close to Soyinka’s heart because he is a cultural and dramatic art scholar.  The Troupe is also involved in order to show Lagosians and indeed Nigerians that essentially, culture is part of the hidden treasures of the state.”

These treasures can be tapped to earn revenue for the state.  They are also tourism commodities if properly developed.  Even in the face of the dwindling fortunes of most states, a state like Lagos can use its proximity to the borders to cement more love and attract tourists to the state.  This is why the colloquium was necessary for the purposes of proper enlightenment.

As activities to mark the fifty years of the creation of Lagos State take off, Professor Wole Soyinka, Chair of Lagos at 50 celebration, last week, invited the National Troupe of Nigeria and the Footprints of David, to spearhead guerrilla dance-dramas in different parts of the state.  It was a way of sensitising the public and bringing them into the mood to commence this momentous event.  Edozie Udeze, who watched the shows, reports.

“Here comes the efficacy of street theatre,’ so screamed one of the female spectators who watched with keen interest while the combined troupes of the National Troupe of Nigeria and the Footprints of David performed at Ikeja last week.  The performances which spread to different parts of Lagos State were to usher in programmes to commence the celebration of Lagos at 50.

The idea of kick-starting the celebration with guerrilla theatre was mooted by Professor Wole Soyinka, Chairman of Lagos at 50.  For the public to get to know that something very important was about to take place in Lagos State, Soyinka invited the Footprints of David and the National Troupe of Nigeria to sensitise the general public on the need to be prepared for more actions that would take place subsequently.

The dance dramas which took place at different locations in Lagos started from the main gate of the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja where the two troupes proved their mettle.  As the excited crowd gathered to watch and be a part of this one month show, the apex dance troupe of Nigeria, took to the stage with Ajoyo, a brand new dance ensemble.

Ajoyo is a dance-drama piece eulogising celebrations and inviting everybody to be a part of it.  In it the dancers beckoned on the people to come out in the open and join hands to make Lagos an Eldorado.  ‘Let the beauty of dance permeate the people.  Let the people dance, sing and celebrate for Lagos State is 50’,  one of the songs re-echoed.

As the dancers chanted and re-enacted some of the local songs known in the state, some people in the crowd joined to praise the achievements of the state and wishing it to attain more heights soon enough.

Adorned in very local Yoruba costumes, depicting the deep cultures of the people, the dancers displayed dances cutting across the different parts of Yoruba land.  Ajoyo is now a symbol of love: it epitomizes progress.  It reaches out to people telling them to be of good cheer.  The songs indeed permeated well into the foyers of the Alausa secretariat and forced many civil servants to stop and watch.  Some also sang along.

As they did so, they truly identified with the prospects of the state and what it means to the entire nation called Nigeria. Lagos symbolises peace and unity.  The dancers showed that theatre is no longer a mere gimmick.  It is now a means to attain change; to redraw people’s attention to the nitty-gritty of culture as a means to reach out to the grassroots.  The resonating voice of Funmi Abe, the lead singer of the National Troupe equally arrested the interest of the big and the mighty.  Not even the drummers could let go.  As the sounds reverberated, more people gathered, sang and became merry.

The gathering soon snowballed into a mini-festival.  The mood was sombre; the atmosphere was truly apt and captivating to usher in the real Lagos at 50.  And when the train finally moved to the under bridge, Ikeja roundabout it was then that the real scenario of a carnival erupted.  With the police in tow to give maximum security to the dancers and their convoy, both guests and spectators were well-assured to watch the shows without rancour or apprehension.  It was the spectacular outing of the Footprints of David’s young dancers that did the most magic.  They gyrated, did acrobatics and thrilled the people.

Young and ever rearing to go, these crop of dancers electrified the Ikeja under bridge  arena with the most exciting dance steps and movements in contemporary act.  Their displays attracted wonderful comments from many people who confessed that they had never witnessed such dances before.  One lady by name Agnes, said, “this is good.  I mean for us to be allowed to watch these children free of charge shows that Lagos State is the New York of Nigeria.  I have been hearing of Footprints of David and I am now watching them here free of charge.  It is indeed amazing”, she enthused.

In justifying why the National Troupe of Nigeria was involved in the show, Arnold Udoka, the director in-charge of Dance-drama of the Troupe, said “It is to bring dance as drama closer to the people.  It is to show that it is the people who drive culture.  This dance is for them; it is for the people.  It is also to show that Lagos is the melting-pot of Nigeria and here is where you have the best of cultural displays”.

Udoka who stood in for the director of the Troupe, Akin Adejuwon explained that the dances were chosen to make Lagosians feel a sense of belonging and be part of the August celebration.  “The idea is all-encompassing – culture, dance, drama, celebrations and all, to open people’s mind to the importance of the number, fifty.  Fifty years is a mile stone.  It is time to reflect and recount.  It is time to take stock; time to look into the place of culture in what we do and say.  Dance forms an important aspect of our lives as you can see from the huge crowd that have been coming out to watch us dance and perform.  It is this concept that made Professor Soyinka to suggest the idea and then we were made to key into it.  This is why we have to move to other sensitive and strategic places in the state to do more shows”, Udoka said.

On the second day, the train moved to Allen roundabout where the crowd surged on in their thousands.  Being a public holidays, it was easier for the performances to last longer.  Passers-by abandoned their daily chores to stare and cheer.  When it was over, one man who had been so engrossed by the spectacle, exclaimed, “oh what a show.  What a free entertainment to spice the holidays.  God bless the Troupe”.

At the Maryland roundabout, the traffic build-up could not allow for a proper ambience to display the dance to the fullest.  Motorists hooted their horns impatiently while they stole glances at the shows.  It was here that the Footprints of David moved a bit into the crowd to solicit for acclaim.  The people yelled and cheered and clapped.  It was time for the dancers to prove that dance is a profession worthy of emulation.

When it was time to move to Ojota bust-stop some of the crowd decided to follow.  And indeed their decision paid off well.  The Ojota crowd seemed to be the largest.  The dances took place right on the elevated pavement of the Kudirat Abiola Road.  There, practically every other action was halted just to watch these wonderful dancers and drummers.  The loud echoes of Eko Akete reverberated and sent signals to many.  Lagos State has come a long way to be the hub of the nation.  It is time to make more and fresh strides.

Through the rich cultures of Lagos State, the people have been brought into the proper mood for more ceremonies for the 50 years anniversary.  In Footprints of David, for instance, the special focus is on children to enable them see and showcase different aspects of life.  Indeed Footprints of David were made to take care of the children arm of the festival.  This was why Soyinka mandated them to ensure that they use this occasion to ginger the interest of children in the areas of dance, drama and drumming.

This was why the songs and the accompanying dances appealed to many of the spectators.  It was really a sight to behold, for in all these, the various dancers were able to use dance-drama to cement love and diffuse ethnic dichotomy in Nigeria.