Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival: Best thing to happen to homeland in recent decades – waking the giant (2)
By Palace Team
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Ogbomoso is ecstatic about this year’s Cradles Carnival because of the many hopes it holds, this arises from the experience of the first edition in 2024.
In the first series of this article published Saturday, some of the gains of the carnival were highlighted including its historical significance, creating renewed obsession for Ogbomoso, forging of unity, inspiring a prosperous Ogbomoso, talents discovery and was concluded with a submission that the carnival is indeed nudging a sleeping giant to wakefulness.
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I want to explore the gains furthermore. One thing is clear, the carnival holds much hope greater than what can be imagined or contemplated. There are countries in the world whose economies are built on tourism and are marvelously buoyant and thriving. Tourism is magical. It’s thus vintage Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III to have conceived and unfolded this carnival within a year of his ascension to the throne.
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Carnival that unlocks global visibility
With the Cradles Carnival, Ogbomoso has attained greater heights, greater visibility on the globe. That is something awesome. It’s now on the calendars of the Federal Government as it’s listed by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and of the Oyo State Government. MTN and other conglomerates are becoming partners, Ogbomoso is getting reviewed globally, carnival-wise, tourism-wise. More people are getting to know about Ogbomoso. It has made the city gained remarkable visibility worldwide, which is a good development as it stands us in a good stead for development in diverse ways.
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Infrastructure boom
With a major carnival like that a boom in infrastructural development is expected. It will be a catalyst for road developments, siting of more hotels, markets, and so on. This is already manifesting. As the carnival gains in strength and momentum the needs for various infrastructure will be made manifest in accordance with the saying that “necessity is mother of invention.” As an instance, the carnival is certain to in the future makes establishment of a standard carnival venue and other allied facilities inevitable. Also, the carnival is stimulating indigenes in the diasporas (every location beyond Ogbomoso’s physical borders) to think home and return home in Decembers, that definitely will make some of them crave and embark on acquisition of private properties including residential homes and others. We are all living witnesses to how the carnival has inspired a modern Aso Ofi weaving centre in the city as well as the rehabilitation of the ancient weaving centre at Fedegbo area.
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The carnival is provoking pride
As an indigene or resident, one is inspired to beat his or her chest that l am an Ogbomoso or related to Ogbomoso because of the carnival. Such feeling provokes motivation for seeking progress of the community.
It inspires reconnection with our roots – culture and tradition
The Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival has inspired rediscovery of our roots. Aso Oke is regaining its popularity, so also Egungun festival, forgotten cuisines, Ekun Iyawo, hunters’ renditions etc are undergoing revival and that will come with benefits moreover in the face of repackaging in alignment with modern trends.
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Development of tourist attraction centres
Soon the need to invest in and develop tourist centres in Ogbomoso zone will arise. And tours to these heritage sites will get incorporated into the schedule of activities. ogbomosoinsightonline.com recently highlighted some of these places including the Ansogun Stone at Iresaadu (the site where a warlord, Ansogun turned into stone out of anger, a fate suffered by his soldiers and war slaves too), Iresaapa Sinkhole (saucer-shaped hollows in the earth holding water and whose depth is unknown. In local language the formation is called Ajindorun), Gbonka Horse Hoofprint at Osupa-Orile (Gbonka Ebiri, a war general of the old Oyo Empire under Alaafin Sango, after vanquishing Timi and the legendary Sango, reportedly galloped to areas around Osupa-Orile, where he disappeared into the ground and the hoof print of his horse is preserved till today), abandoned Eku Dam, which has the potentials of being developed to hold boat regatta, among others. As the carnival gets more entrenched some of these places will gain attention and weaved into the five-day event.
Excitement, colour, radiance, elegance
Every December now, Ogbomoso wears a new bright look characterized by excitement, parade of colours, radiance, grandeur, elegance, beauty – an eye-catching and eye-pleasng panorama. That is another benefit of the carnival.
Boost to philanthropism and other gesture of kindness
The carnival is igniting more acts of philanthropism. Indigenous people and friends of the town are now seeing the need to hold eleemosynary gesture in December during the festival. I have heard of philanthropists who because they are coming for the carnival are eager to commemorate it with such acts like widowhood and youth empowerment programmes, free health programmes etc.
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Concluding thought
The opportunities inherent in the carnival are limitless, it holds a major key to unlocking the potentials of Ogbomoso in different areas. Oba Olaoye has impressively proven he is an innovator, a creator, and a pioneer of great legacies. He awesomely birthed a programme that is becoming a fancy of the world. A visionary Oba, he has sparked a revolution, touched off a giant leap that is changing the narrative of Ogbomoso and is waking the giant.
Ogbomoso is incontestably a giant, aggregating its potentials and looking at its scope of resources encompassing human, land, spread, historical antecedents, valiant spirit and so on. But it had long slid into a state of inertia and now it is being activated.
The giant is being woken, the Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival must cruise, must grow bigger and better. It must continue.
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