The governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun has been berated over failure to sustain the generally accepted African Drum Festival initiated by the immediate past governor in the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, as part of efforts to promote culture and tourism.
A Polytechnic lecturer, Dr. Shola Adeosun, made this position known recently in Abeokuta while speaking with Tropic Reporters correspondent, he lamented the dearth of political will to promote cultural heritage,
Adeosun opined that such festival could have been sustained by the incumbent administration to grow local economy, generate income for infrastructural development and to also improve the state’s culture and tourism.
He however called on the state government under the Dapo Abiodun – led administration to develop template to grow local economy so as to increase the state’s internally generated revenue.
He said, “”During the last administration under the leadership of Senator Ibikunle Amosun he made all effort to come up with a concept of ‘African Drum Festival ‘ that were used to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the state”.
“This initiative enabled people from all parts of the country, and beyond to actively participate in on yearly basis to the extent that it improved the economic activities in the state, lives of individuals and also served as additional source of revenue generation (IGR) for the state throughout the Amosun administration “.
“We expected that the current administration under Prince Dapo Abiodun to equally retain African Drum Festival to grow local economy, generate income for infrastructural development and to also improve the culture and tourism sector of the state economy “.
“Meanwhile, apart from the African Drum Festival, there are certain area in the state that has been neglected over the years such as the Tongeji Island in Ipokia, this is another big area that the state government needs to invest in to raise the state’s desire to compete with other nations of the world with attractive tourist sites”.
“We were thinking that the present administration will retain African Drum which was an initiative of Amosun’s administration and equally tag on the Tongeji Island, as another source of income generation to the state”.
“The government needs to take the issue of culture & tourism as a serious matter, and develop a template to improve the sector”.
Dr. Adeosun submitted that total neglect of culture and tourism sector is one of the main reason why Ogun State is having difficulties implementing infrastructural projects in the state.
“Total neglect of culture and tourism is one of the main reason why the state is having problems of inadequate funding to implement most of its projects and payment of salaries”, he added.
“It is advisable for this government to refocus and re-strategize on the issue affecting the culture and tourism”, he concluded.
Meanwhile, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun on 6th July, 2019, when the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi visited him in his office at Oke – mosan, Abeokuta, promised to make the annual African Drum Festival bigger and better.
Abiodun also said afrobeat music would be incorporated into the festival.
He said, “Ogun State has been hosting the drum festival. We are going to take it a step higher;we are going to have the drum and afrobeat festival. It is going to be a bit bigger than the drum festival.”
Abiodun also said the state government had allocated 30 hectares of land for the Creative Arts Village.
The governor also said efforts were on to build a 15,000-seater conference hall for those in the music industry to showcase their talents.
Two years down the line, there seems to be uncertainty over the sustenance of Africa Drum Festival, the annual celebration initiated by the immediate past Ibikunle Amosun’s administration to project and promote the rich cultural and tourism potentials of Ogun State and Nigeria to the rest of Africa.
It would be recalled that the fourth edition of the festival was last held on 30th of April, 2019 Inside 10,000 capacity seater amphitheatre at Oke-Ilewo Ibara area of Abeokuta, towards the end of the Amosun’s administration
But the present administration till this moment is silent on the fate of the festival, as nothing on ground to demonstrate the readiness of the government to sustain the hosting of the annual cultural exhibition of different types of drums, which has become the toast of drummers across Africa and tourists who travel to Nigeria to catch fun, watching the rich display of drummers on the continent
The festival has been of huge economic benefit to the state and makers of popular local fabrics “Adire” and “Kampala” who used to make good sales during the festive period
Also the executive bill proposed by the Amosun’s administration titled” Ogun State Centre for African Drum Festival Law, to provide a legal framework for establishment of a centre for the festival, is still at the second reading stage since 2019 before the State House of Assembly
Also the inherited uncompleted 10,000 seater amphitheatre designed for celebration of the festival, located near the newly built high rising regional office of Guaranty Trust Bank in Oke-Ilewo Ibara Abeokuta, has been abandoned.
