From Debra Ajulo,Ilorin
The convener of Kwara Festival, Mr. Kolawole Opeyemi Ridwan Ashipa has said the desire to have a unifying festival that will promote the state and her rich cultural heritage birthed the forthcoming Kwara festival.
In an exclusive chat with News Hub Mag! Ashipa lamented that Kwara state is blessed with many talented artistes but the slow pace of entertainment in the state made most of them run to Lagos for greener pastures.
“You will agree with me that entertainment is somewhat backward in this state and so the need to enlighten our people that entertainment has nothing to do with religion is important.
“Being an entertainer does not stop you from performing your religious obligations but some of our people are not aware of this and it has affected the rate at which entertainment goes on in this state.
“I believe we can make Kwara our own Lagos; we have a lot of talented artistes that are from Kwara but the lack of a conducive atmosphere made them to move to Lagos and they are there making the state proud and also contributing to the economy of the state while Kwara is left like an orphan.
“It is my strong believe that we can make Kwara our own Lagos,” he said.
He stated that the festival will help bring all Kwara artistes together under one umbrella to showcase the state’s common heritage and tradition.
Speaking further, the convener said, “I believe Kwara is ripe enough for her own festival. We have fantastic cultures and traditions that can be showcased to the world.
“Also some Kwarans dont even have knowledge of our culture so this will help them to know more and get more information about cultures and traditions in the state.
“Ílorin Dubar is for Ilorin people, Ijakadi is for Offa people, Patigi Regatta is for the people of Patigi and so on but this is an umbrella for all Kwara festivals to be showcased. It is a platform that will feature all the elements of festivals of different cultures in Kwara state so that people will know more about those cultures and festivals.
“This does not mean that these festivals will not continue but rather Kwara festival will only promote the festivals and allow more people to know about them.”
On the benefits of the festival, the convener explained that the festival will further benefit the people and even the state as a whole as there will be increased activities in the state. He said government will also benefit as the increased number of people will boost the economy.
According to him, there will be increased tourists since there is no way one can talk about festivals without featuring tourism. He noted that tourist sites like the Dada pottery, Owu Waterfalls and others will receive increased patronage during this festival due to influx of people into the state.
The two day event is expected to kick off on November 16, 2019 with sporting activities in the morning which will be followed with a rally from five points and terminate at Kwara Hotels.
The cultural activities will hold at Kwara Hotels with royal fathers in attendance. Activities on the day include fashion fair, talent fair and cultural fair. The second day of the festival will be award night to appreciate those who believed in the vision for the project.
