Olokun festival seeks to promote Yoruba cultural heritage, says Yeye Lara Fanimokun

The Oluase Olokun Worldwide and convener of the Olokun Festival Lagos 2021, Yeye Lara Fashola-Fanimokun, has disclosed that the festival aims to celebrate Yoruba’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage.

Yeye Lara Fanimokun

She noted that the event is being planned by an 18-member committee adding that COVID-19 protocols would be observed.

According to her, the event is held annually in celebration of the Yoruba people, most especially, the Olokun Orisa deity of great wealth and economic growth.

She disclosed that event would be held at the Monarch Event Centre Lekki Lagos and is strictly by invitation.

The Royal father of the day, she said, is Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. She added that cultural enthusiasts from Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Cuba, United Stares of America, United Kingdom and different part of Africa would be in attendance.
Fanimokun stated that the arrival of such enthusiasts from the diaspora would contribute positively to the development of tourism in the country, adding that there would be music, food and cultural display of all sorts, with performance at the event by the goddess of drum, Ara, Ajijobata of Africa, Qdot, House of Dance Nigeria, among others.

On August 28, she said activities would be opened to the general public, noting that devotees of Olokun would hold a procession to the beach to celebrate and make offerings to the deity of wealth and economic growth. She disclosed that there would also be praises to Olodumare.

While praising efforts of Lagos State government at improving the tourism sector, the convener advised parents to identify with their culture and traditions in order to inculcate such in their children not allow the values to go into extinction.

Fanimokun said: “We are nobody without our culture and traditions. Unfortunately, many parents do not speak their languages to their children. Of course, these will go into extinction if it continues this way. We should promote our culture and traditions by impacting these in our wards right from young age, so that when they grow into adulthood, they will be proud of who they are. Be proud of who you are, let people know who you are and address you as such. As a people, we need to showcase and be proud of our culture.”