Tourism Authority To Promote Gelede Festival As National Event

BY GBODIYAN OLUWAKEMI KAREN, Abuja

The Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) has announced plans to partner with the Igbobi-Sabe Kingdom in Lagos to promote the Gelede Festival as a national cultural celebration.

The director-general of NTDA, Ola Awakan, made this known during a visit to the Igbobi-Sabe Kingdom in Yaba, where he was received by the Onisabe of Igbobi-Sabe Kingdom, Oba Owolabi Adeyemi Adeshina Adeniyi, alongside other traditional leaders.

The visit featured a cultural procession by the Gelede Masquerades, highlighting the community’s rich cultural heritage.

The monarch commended the NTDA boss for his efforts to promote Nigeria’s cultural heritage and expressed the kingdom’s willingness to partner with the agency in developing tourism.

He also highlighted some of the kingdom’s cultural assets, including the Gelede Masquerades and two ancient iroko trees believed to be over 250 years old.

Awakan, in his response, stressed the importance of storytelling in promoting tourism, noting that preserving and sharing the stories behind cultural symbols such as the Gelede Masquerades and the ancient iroko trees would attract both local and foreign tourists.

He also proposed featuring the kingdom’s tourism assets on the NITOUREY Project, a tourism streaming platform designed to showcase Nigeria’s tourist attractions.

The NTDA boss further visited one of the ancient iroko tree sites in Abule Ijesa, Yaba, where he noted that the site could qualify for UNESCO World Heritage recognition.

He urged the traditional ruler to work closely with the agency to develop the landmarks and strengthen Nigeria’s cultural tourism potential.