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Tag: Olojo

Elite runners to grace Ile-Ife’s Olojo 5km race tomorrow

The ancient city of Ile Ife, revered as the cradle of civilization, will host the first ever Olojo Festival 5km Road Race tomorrow, drawing the best of Nigeria’s distance running talent.

The race is part of the iconic Olojo Festival, a celebration of creation, renewal and the spiritual authority of Ile Ife in Yoruba cosmology.

Among the top contenders is Nyango Gyang Boyi, Nigeria’s standout distance runner of the year.

Boyi made headlines in February at the World Athletics Gold Label Lagos Marathon, finishing eighth overall with a time of 2:25:41, one of the fastest marathon times by a Nigerian in over a decade.

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His performance earned him a $4,000 prize and an additional ₦2 million as the first Nigerian to cross the finish line.

Also competing is Raymond Iliya Gyang, who boasts a lifetime best of 14:47.26 in the 5000m and is tipped as one to watch in the race.

On the women’s side, Blessing Shambor Solomon, winner of Nigeria’s inaugural cross country race in 2023, is set to challenge for the Olojo 5km crown.

Solomon holds a 5000m best of 17:16.35 and clocked 2:55:10 in the marathon at this year’s Lagos Marathon.

She faces stiff competition from Charity Agofure, who has broken the 18 minute barrier in the 5000m, and David Abiye Joy, a multiple 10km road race champion including the Lagos Women’s Run.

Former African Games champion and Nigerian hurdling legend Taiwo Aladefa emphasized the race’s broader purpose.

“We want to unearth talents that can be groomed to stardom just like we too were scouted and groomed to become African champions and Olympians and we believe we have to start from somewhere,” said Aladefa, adding organizers are not only interested in organising a race but also in nurturing discovered talents to become successful.

“We have discovered towns in Osun state where we can nurture the talents discovered and we are alerting the Athletics Federation of Nigeria to the fact that there are fantastic places in Osun State like Iba, where distance runners can be camped and trained to international stardom,” she added.

The Olympian highlighted Iba Town, a historic Yoruba community in Ifelodun Local Government Area, as a potential training hub, adding the town is located at approximately 394 meters (1,293 feet) above sea level.

“Iba town offers moderate altitude conditions ideal for endurance training,” she said.

Race director, chief Tony Osheku believes the presence of Nigerian elite athletes at the Olojo 5km road race will serve as motivation for local athletes based in and around Ile Ife.

September 24, 2025
Olojo Festival: Need to conserve cultural heritage

Mindful of the boundless contributions cultural heritage could make in economic development of any country, the Osun State House of Assembly, under the leadership of Hon. Najeem Salaam, has advocated the preservation and full development of historical and cultural heritage of Yoruba land.

The Assembly, which described the measures as fundamental to resolving the current economic quagmire, made the call in a statement signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye to congratulate the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and the people of Ife land on the celebration of this year’s Olojo Festival.

It said there were lots of untapped potential in the cultural heritage of Yoruba land that could be developed to drive as well as unleash economic development of the zone.

The Assembly regretted that the heavy reliance on oil has prevented the country from concentrating and diversifying other sectors of the economy such as tourism.

“There are several hidden treasures in the cultural heritage of the people of Nigeria, especially in Yoruba land, that have been left untapped and under-developed.

“This inaction of ours has contributed to the pains of economic recession when there was fall in the price of oil that we focus on, because the country had no alternative of economic development to fall back on.

“No doubt, we are very rich in culture, tradition, heritages and festivals that can be developed to serve as long-term solutions to economic quagmire in this country, but we are not paying serious attention to them.

“In Osun State for instance, we are blessed with cultural heritage such as the Olojo Festival. Olojo has the potential to engender cultural pilgrimage, especially for the black in the Diaspora

“Other landmarks such as Oranmiyan Staff and Oduduwa Shrine, among others in Ile-Ife; Osun Osogbo Festival and Grove in Osogbo; Olumirin Waterfall in Erin-Ijesa; Kiriji Memorial War Site in Imesi-Ile and many more all over the state are notable tourists’ attraction worthy of development.

“These potential have the capacity to create jobs for youths, enhance their creativity and sell the tourism potential of the state to the world for self-sustaining economy”, it said.

Noting that though the government of Osun State under Governor Rauf Aregbesola has invested much in the tourism sector, the Assembly said there was the need for greater partnership between the state and the Federal Government towards making the tourism sub-sector more attractive.

Congratulating Oba Ogunwusi and the people of Ile-Ife on the Olojo Festival celebration, the Assembly urged all stakeholders to support the monarch and the government towards making the festival more attractive.

October 26, 2016
Ogunwusi performs first Olojo festival

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, at the weekend, performed his first Olojo festival since ascending the stool last November.

Amid jubilations from indigenes, Oba Ogunwusi, who wore white robes and shoes, moved out of the palace around 4.30pm to Oke Emese, where he performed some rites before wearing the Are crown.

It is a special crown made of 151 items, which the monarch uses only once a year during the festival.

Before the ooni began his trip to Oke Moogun, his messengers, wielding canes, performed the symbolic sprint three times to clear the route the monarch would pass through.

From Oke Emese at 5pm., the ooni emerged wearing the Are crown holding a white dove, amid prayers and several gunshots.

As he began the journey to Oke Mogun and Idi Aje – two major ports of call during Olojo festival – rituals were done and prayers were said for the peace of Yoruba race and Nigeria.

On the procession of the ooni to Oke Mogun were Ife chiefs, priests and members of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) as well as indigenes and tourists from different parts of world.

A palace source, which said that the Are crown weighs 100 kilogrammes, said the last Ooni, Oba Okunade Sijuade, owing to his advance age in the last three years of his reign, did not wear the crown during the celebration of Olojo festival.

Olojo Festival, which holds yearly, is a major cultural celebration in Ile-Ife to mark the creation of the universe.

October 17, 2016
ANTP to perform at Olojo Festival

THE Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has set the stage for his first celebration of the annual Ile-Ife traditional Olojo Festival aimed at boosting the nation’s tourism-generated income. He has given the nod to the Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP) to perform at the festival.

At the three-day Olojo Festival 2016 tagged, ‘Community Festivals: a veritable avenue for boosting domestic tourism’ in December, there will be a command drama performance from foremost Yoruba dramatic artistes under ANTP.

Oba Ogunwus said that theatre artistes are moral teachers saddled with the responsibility of moulding character, shaping lives and bringing lasting peace to the society through their lesson-filled drama stories.

Addressing the artistes in his palace where they had gone to introduce the association’s newly elected officers as directed by him, the Ooni said the artistes should focus on unity and selflessness towards harnessing their rich potentials without leaving room for pirates to take undue advantage of their collective and individual works.

The ancient belief of the Ifa oral tradition is that the Aare crown is very heavy and it is believed that the Ooni of Ife is spiritually empowered to wear it during the Olojo Festival, as the crown is too heavy for him to bear on any other day.

Appreciating the Ooni, National President of the Association, Chief Jimoh Aliu (MFR), said that the ANTP would always partner with local and foreign counterparts to contribute its quota to the uplift of Nigeria’s tourism industry. He added that ANTP is ready for cultural exchange programmes with other countries to create awareness on “our rich culture and tradition via stage performance and film exhibitions.”

Besides the national president, the new officers as introduced to the Ooni are: Deputy President, Rasak Oyadiran, Vice President (North), Mariam Aponbepore Bakare, Vice President (South), Biodun Adekanbi, General Secretary, Alhaji Yahaya Adetunji, Treasurer, Bola Obot, Financial Secretary, Adewale Elesho, Internal Auditor, Bolanle Adeniran, Organising Secretary, Olanrewaju Ayodele, Publicity Secretary, Benjamin Adekunle, Welfare Officer, Fatimah Afunku, Chief Whip, Tajudeen Gbadamosi, Ex-Officio, Salaudeen Azeez.

The national appointments are: Chief Special Adviser, Alhaji Kareem Adepoju (Baba Wande), Special Adviser (Special Duties), Chief Oyewole Olowomojuore (Baba Gebu), Special Adviser (Screen Craft), Chief Eddie Ugboma, Special Adviser, (Stage Craft), Prof. Kola Oyewo, Special Adviser (Inter Association Matters), Prince Saheed Balogun, Special Adviser (Media), Chief (Mrs) Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu, Patron & Chief Legal Adviser, Chief Afe Babalola, Special Adviser, (Legal Matters),Barr. Femi Falana,ANTP Lawyers, Barrs. Olawale Omoloye, Abdul-Hameed Gambari, Ag. Chairman, Elders Council, Chief Oluseyi Adelesi, National Director, ANTP Troupe, Prince Jare Adeniregun and National Choreographer, Akeem Ogunde

October 8, 2016
Ooni unveils new Olojo logo

THE Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has unveiled a new logo for the Olojo festival. This is part of the efforts to re-package the Olojo festival and make it a spectacle capable of attracting tourists from all over the world.

The Ooni gave the nod to Infogem Limited as the festival consultant and marketers. The Ooni said Nigeria is rich in culture and as a people, Nigerians must make efforts to preserve and exhibit their culture.

He said:“Our culture is stronger than our religion. If you look at a typical Yoruba man, either Christian or a Muslim, when it comes to culture, he puts religion aside. Our culture is stronger than religion.”

He spoke further: “I went to the United States of America with some traditional rulers a couple of months ago. We were warmly welcomed because of the richness in our culture and heritage.

“ What they said was that most of our leaders had been coming, but nobody had portrayed our culture like we did. It is very important for us to show the richness of our culture and heritage because our culture is symbolic to us.

“Our culture is linked to nature. That is the reason we need to portray it the more. That is the only way development can be fostered. That is the only way this country can be properly developed. If you go to every part in this country, irrespective of our diversity, and you look at the source, the depth of our culture, you realize that we need to uphold it for it not to go away.

“We need to keep it alive. I will give you another good example. In the northern part of the country, we have Muslims mostly. But if we are talking about the culture of the Hausa and Fulani, they put religion aside. Religion stays, but culture is stronger . So, my advice is that we should redefine and rebrand our culture and tradition. That is the only way development can be fostered.”

Ooni has done three key things to position Ile Ife as a tourist destination in the last one year.

He said: “For a place to develop as a destination, hotels must spring up. The visitors would also buy consumables from the hotels.

“The government can focus on taxes. What I am saying is that the resort is linked to movement . On a daily basis, this palace hosts an average on two to three thousand people and it is increasing. So, every weekend in Ile-Ife now, all the hotels are very busy.

“ Gradually, what we now want to do is clean the city, make sure the environment is neat. So, it is part of our initiative. Unveiling the logo again, Olojo attracts crowd, and the crowd is running into millions, from 500,000 and above.

“ So, the statistics have not been there, but this year, we are going to take the statistics. After that, we will now create a proper environment. When people move to place, that is when they see potential , if they need to invest in agriculture.

“ The movement that drives people first is tourism and I think we should focus on that. Unveiling the logo is linked to the tourist centre we are building, and every other thing we are doing.”AC

September 17, 2016