The Ogbomoso Development Agenda (ODA), a group of concerned indigenes, has called on the organisers of the Ogbomoso Cradles Festival to redirect their energy towards infrastructural development, citing the town’s pressing needs.

In a statement signed by spokesperson Mr. Owolabi Ezekiel, ODA emphasised that the festival’s timing is inopportune, given the prevailing disunity among traditional rulers and the town’s economic struggles.

“The people of Ogbomoso need infrastructural development that directly impacts their economic and social lives. Bad roads, insecurity, and social ills plague our town, making this festival a needless extravagance.”

ODA criticised the festival’s prioritisation of non-native artistes over local talent, labeling it “capital flight.” “Monies paid to foreign artistes will be taken away, benefiting neither our local artistes nor our economic growth,” the statement noted.

The group urged the organisers to reconsider their approach, focusing on productive initiatives that would elevate Ogbomoso’s status as a well-developed town.

“We call on those behind this festival to think of turning around Ogbomoso’s fortune by making moves capable of putting our town on the list of well-developed reference points,” ODA’s statement concluded.