Oyo State government has expressed support for the annual Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival, describing it as a perfect reflection of Governor Seyi Makinde’s tourism agenda, tailored to boost the state’s economy through cultural promotion.
The commissioner for Information, who is also the chairman of the Media Committee for the carnival, Prince Dotun Oyelade, stated this at a press conference held at the Palace of the Soun of Ogbomosoland.
Oyelade said the world should expect a better carnival this December, as deliberate efforts had been made for improvement.
He added that the media committee is poised to enlarge its scope of information dissemination across the globe.
According to him, the media sub-committee, through its activities, is already attracting more interest from black communities not only from Europe and the United States of America but also from Latin America and the Orient.
The commissioner for Information assured that the state government is in full support of the Cradles Carnival, considering its alignment with the administration’s policy to drive economic growth through tourism.
Speaking at the press conference, the Chairman of the Planning Committee and three-term House of Representatives member, Hon. Segun Dokun Odebunmi, described the carnival as one of the flagship initiatives of Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, Orumogege III, under the monarch’s 25-year development agenda for Ogbomosoland.
According to Odebunmi, the carnival was conceived to promote Ogbomoso’s rich cultural heritage, foster unity among its people, and project the city’s uniqueness to the world.
“Last year’s success inspired several communities across Oyo State. It also attracted the establishment of a campus of the Nigerian Academy for Cultural Studies (NACUS) and secured inclusion in both the state and federal cultural calendars,” Odebunmi noted.
Odebunmi assured that adequate security measures have been put in place, with a team of serving and retired experts overseeing surveillance and crowd management.
