The Federal Government Endorsed Oronna Ilaro Festival 2015 begins today with a Road Show around the town of Ilaro Yewa and other Yewa communities in the environs.
The weeklong festival starting from today will culminate in a grand finale on Saturday November 21 at Asade Agunloye Pavilion, Empire Field Ilaro- Yewa with Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the governor of Ogun state as special Guest of Honour.
The chairman of the Grand Finale of the festival is Barrister Biyi Otegbeye, the Managing Director of Regency Alliance Insurance Plc while other top dignitaries expected at the occasion includes Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Senators and other federal and state lawmakers.
The Chairman of the planning committee for the fourth year running, Chief Kayode Odunaro said the over two decades annual cultural festival which was endorsed as a tourism festival on national tourism calendar by Nigeria Tourism Development
Corporation (NTDC) in 2012 is celebrated in honour of the legendary warrior Oronna as a unifying developmental platform for the display of cultural practices of Ilaro and Yewa people of Ogun state.
Among the regular activities highlighting the festival are tributes to Oronna and other deities, Egungun and Gelede Masquerade display, Sisi Ilaro cultural beauty pageant, Poosu Night in celebration of food tourism and the all-white attire Onigba Aje ceremony. Others are a three day medical checkup programme, Festival 50 Kilometer race, Jumat and Thanksgiving service as well as the grand finale where over 70 clubs and societies will pay homage to HRM Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, the Olu of Ilaro-Yewa and paramount Ruler of Yewaland.
As in last year, sons and daughters of Ilaro and Yewaland in Diaspora as well as other foreign tourists from United Kingdom, USA and Barbados with cultural origin traceable to Ilaro-Yewa are participating in the festival geared toward eco-tourism.