Reports from Osun Osogbo Grove

By Wale Ojo-Lanre

Crowd at the groove

THE grand finale of the Osun Osogbo International Festival which took place at the Osun groove last Friday 31 August, 2007 recorded landmark improvement and made a clear departure from the past.

Not only did the festival attract distinguished Nigerians from different parts of the country, the packaging and organisation was also something to write home about.

Though, the traditional rites and procession were done according to “how our great grand fathers did it,” other side attractions, crowd control and groove arrangement were clearly improved upon. Also, it must be noted that these changes blended well with the change in time of celebration. In the past 10 years, the grand finale had been held in the first Friday of August instead of the last Friday according to this year’s celebration.

As earlier mentioned, the traditional procession of the Arugba, the Yeye Osun and the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi III to the shrine in the groove was done amidst heavy drum beating, songs, dancing and cane-wielding young men beating hell out of one another.

Eminent personalities
This year’s Osun Osogbo was not a local affair as it attracted distinguished Nigerians from different parts of the country. Leading the eminent Nigerians was the President, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua who was represented by Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, who was accompanied by Dr. Joe Eboreime, DG, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, while Barrister Olusegun Awolowo, Chairman, Abuja Tourism Development Board, was accompanied by Mallam Abdullahi Idris, Director, ATDB.

All the way from Ekiti State, Engineer Olusegun Oni led a solidarity team to Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who was a perfect host, while Otunba Subomi Balogun, Chairman and CEO FCMB chaired the event.

Heavy turnout
This year’s Osun-Osogbo witnessed a massive turnout of domestic tourists who are majorly from Nigeria. From an amateur calculation, this year’s crowd tripled last year’s.

Few foreign tourists
Though there was heavy turnout of Nigerians, there was dearth of foreign tourists. Unlike last year when white people were many, those who witnessed this year’s were not up to 100.

According to Chief Mrs. Idowu Margaret Fabiyi, CEO, WEBISCO, “the reason for the few numbers of foreign tourists was the change in date. You know these tourists always mark their calendar at the beginning of the year, so the change in date affected them all. Some of whom we were bringing had to cancel their booking and hotel arrangement after learning about the shift in date of celebration.”

She enjoined that there should be early notice whenever there is going to be a shift in the date of celebration.

OPC phenomenon
If there is one group which has brought sanity, safety and decorum to Osun-Osogbo festival, the OPC, under Otunba Ganiyu Adamolekunaisododo (the man who prevents men from becoming lawless) is it. As his name signifies, Otunba Gani Adams deserves an award for putting a stop to cases of pilfering, stealing and molestation which were hitherto the case before members of OPC started attending Osun-Osogbo festival.

This year was even different as OPC security outfit, well kitted, (though without arms) but well dressed in black and white uniform paraded and ensured that peace reign.

Crowd control
The attempt at crowd control at the groove for effective consumation of the festival was near perfection this year. Thanks again to members of the OPC who manned the inner entrance to the groove. The organiser created an entry and exit routes which were decently manned by members of the OPC. This prevented the hitherto crowdy entry point.

Also, only the governor, Kabiyesi and few exhibitors were allowed to take their vehicles inside the groove. Thus there was enough space for the crowd to mingle and enjoy the sceneries.

New roof over the old palace
Also the old palace, the first palace of Ataoja located in the groove had its roof blessed with new raffia and palm frond.

NTDC makes waves
Yes. The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, was at the groove as usual. This time, the corporation, apart from mounting exhibition at the NTDC House inside the groove, organised a multi-media displayed of tourism sites in Nigeria to visitors.

The NTDC group led by Mr. Bade Adaralegbe distributed souvenirs, caps, t-shirts, key holders, on which Osun-Osogbo was printed to visitors free.

The history of the rise and rise of Osun Osogbo festival in the recent time can not be complete without a conspicuous chapter devoted to NTDC which has according to its chapter kept on promoting the festival and calling the attention of the world to the extent of it being today declared a World Heritage Site. Kudos NTDC.

Grand Oak and Seaman Royale
Apart from MTN, another corporate entity which contribution to the success of Osun Osogbo 2007 is Grand Oak. This company was in Osogbo vending Seaman Royale to visitors with free sampling.

The duo of Bolaji Alalade and Femi Olayemi ensured that majority of tourists had a taste of the Seaman Royale.

MTN adds glamour to Osun-Osogbo 2007

By Wale Ojo-Lanre

MTN platform

IF any corporate entity deserves to be given an award for being genuinely committed to the Concept of Corporate Social Responsibility, (CSR) as related to the Osun-Osogbo festival, MTN is it.

The South-African company which commenced business in Nigeria some years ago has proved to the whole world that a company need not be indigenous before being socially responsible to customer friendly.

MTN, one recalls, poked its nose into Osun-Osogbo in 2006, when INFOGEM, the Marketing Consultant to Osun Heritage Council owned by Mr. Ayo Olumoko persuaded it to have a shot at sponsoring the festival. Being the first attempt, MTN then injected over N2 million into the festival, without blinking an eye.

To some, the amount was a paltry sum which commanded to scathing remarks instead of commendation for the gesture. For there is no obligatory compulsion that MTN should sponsor the festival as it is not part of its Memorandum of Understanding signed between it and the Federal Government. Even if there is no semblance of this, it is not by force that MTN should sponsor a particular festival.

But being a highly responsible corporate entity and socially patriotic, the MTN management never allowed the scathing criticism to dim its plans for the festival. Rather, the management, in consultation with INFOGEM, evaluated and assessed the socio-cultural and economic impact of the festival to the people of Osun State in particular and Nigeria in general with a view to correlating the festival with its social inference, traditional relevance, touristic aspiration, cultural rejuvenation and economic empowerment.

Thus making it an all-inclusive social-cultural and economic gathering taken far beyond the mere traditional routine of going with reveries to the groove and come back dancing, making merry. The outcome of the consultation was a strategic sponsorship package which gulped up to N35 million and of which the events cut across all social strata and beneficial tributaries of Osun Osogbo festival.

Thus, the two-week long events of the Osun-Osogbo festival derived ample reinforcement from MTN in terms of financial commitment, direct sponsorship of programme, branding of the city, endorsement and economic empowerment. MTN’s hand was visibly seen at the football match competition, African Beauty Pageant, Carnival Nite, Ayo competition, the Olagunsoye Golf Tournament and .... awareness by placing adverts in newspaper and electronic medium.

According to Mr. Ikechukwu Kalu, MTN General Manager, Consumer Service, “MTN sponsorship of Osun-Osogbo is not all about getting more mileage or creating more market or awareness. It is majorly about associating with the aspiration of Nigerians not for ceremony sake only but for locating a meeting point for social activities and economic empowerment. “For in MTN, we play down on the amount of money we commit on projects like Osun-Osogbo or other festival, rather we lay emphasis on value creation and efficient service delivery.”

And at Osun Osogbo 2007, MTN indeed created and delivered value for the worshippers, tourists and visitors. If not for MTN’s sake, the festival would not have enjoyed the quantum of reveries and pomp which it witnessed as there was high value added to each of the event which made the festival evergreen.

Putting it strongly, Chief Mrs. Bola Magaret Fabiyi, CEO, Webisco Travels and Tours, the organizer of African Beauty Pageant, one of the event that made Osun Osogbo tick noted in her speech at the commencement of her show: “I have to thank the MTN for sponsoring this beauty beauty pageant. For the first time in many years, a sponsor has come to support WEBISCO in ensuring that visitors to Osun Osogbo enjoined their stay and have access to varieties of programme.”

As expected, this year’s African Beauty Pageant was better packaged and organised with tangible prizes won by the contestants all provided by the MTN. MTN's sponsorship of Osun Osogbo 2007 injected quality, added colour, improved the glamour, refined the outlook and ensured active participation of many who were attracted by the massive publicity it splashed on both the print and electronic media for the festival.

And the people of Osogbo were not ungrateful for this kind gesture as displayed by Osogbo’s symbol of authority, Oba Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi; the Ataoja of Osogbo in his comment while receiving MTN blackberry from Mr. Abiodun Odejayi, Senior Manager, Regional Marketing Operations, Marketing and Strategy Department.

The 2007 Osun Osogbo International Festival was made more memorable by the involvement and support of MTN, of which we are very grateful and pray that the company will continue to grow and soar in all its business operation. While TTH says Amen to Kabiyesi’s prayer for MTN, it enjoined the company to continue to identify with peoples’ customs, cultural values and touristic aspiration.

Although without MTN’s involvement, the Osun Osogbo would have come and gone as usual but its involvement significantly made a big difference.