Says beauty pageants bring back lost glory of Yoruba race
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, yesterday, said that the recent development in Badagry could be attributed to the spiritual advantage of celebrating Olokun Festival ceaselessly for 22 years.

The Yoruba generalissimo, who stated this in Badagry during the grand finale of the Olokun Festival, also said that the Olokun Festival Foundation (OFF) had made significant efforts in promoting the cultural identity of the Yoruba race in the last two decades.

The royal father of the day, who is also the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Saka Adelola Matemilola, applauded the efforts of Adams for the new initiative, saying that the traditional institution under the Yoruba Obas will continue to support initiatives that are tailored toward the progress of Yorubaland.

In a related vein, Adams has said that there is a need for Yoruba people to continue to promote their cultural identity, which he said, became imperative as the new generation had been highly influenced by the Western culture.

Adams stated this, yesterday, during the Miss Olokun Beauty Pageant 2024, which took place at the Oodua House, Ikeja, organised by the Oodua Festival Foundation.

The Yoruba generalissimo, while giving the charge, warned that failure of one to believe in his or her identity and culture makes him or her inferior to other tribes, declaring that no culture is “even superior or higher than any other culture,” even as he equally noted that God, in His infinite mercy, did not create any human being to be inferior to others.

He reiterated the resolve to explore legitimate means that could sustain the credibility of the organisation to uphold integrity and be creative to do great exploits in the world.