The Oyo State Government has approved 13.579 hectares of land in Iseyin for the establishment of the proposed Aso-Ofi International Tourism Market, with the foundation-laying ceremony scheduled to hold during the 2017 Aso-Ofi Festival.
The State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun, disclosed this on Thursday during a ministerial briefing on the second edition of the Aso-Ofi Festival and Pacesetter Entertainment and Recognition Award (PERA), held at the Film Theatre Unit in Ibadan.
According to Arulogun, the proposed international tourism market will comprise 500 weaving sheds or workshops, 500 exhibition shops, a warehouse and what he described as Nigeria’s first indigenous textile museum. Other facilities planned for the site include a fire station, clinic and police station.
He said the initiative was part of the state government’s efforts to harness the economic opportunities associated with Aso-Ofi, particularly in trade, employment, tourism and textile production.
Arulogun explained that the Aso-Ofi Festival was conceived to showcase and celebrate the locally produced fabric, which had gained recognition beyond Nigeria. He said the festival had also highlighted opportunities for commercial activities, job creation, access to financial services and export.
According to him, financial institutions had begun engaging with weavers and marketers, while opportunities for exporting Aso-Ofi were also being explored.
The 2017 edition of the festival was expected to attract Iseyin indigenes living in Nigeria and abroad, as well as tourists and traders from within and outside the country.
The two-day programme was scheduled for Friday, September 15, and Saturday, September 16, 2017. Governor Abiola Ajimobi was expected to perform the foundation-laying ceremony for the Aso-Ofi International Tourism Market at the proposed site in Iseyin on Saturday.
Activities listed for the festival included a rally and carnival around Iseyin, Aso-Ofi arts and crafts exhibition, weaving competition, colloquium, musical concerts, cultural performances, an Aso-Ofi fashion show and an awards presentation.
There was also expected to be a parade involving the four zones of the Iseyin Weavers and Marketers Association and other stakeholders, with the events taking place around the proposed market site.
Speaking on the state’s approach to cultural tourism development, Arulogun said the ministry was operating an IPPP policy, which he explained as “Identify, Package, Promote and Partner.”
He said the ministry had created a database of cultural and tourism attractions across the state and was working to package and promote them while seeking partnerships with private investors because of limited public funds.
“We are now in the process of shortlisting companies for the Public Private Partnership engagement of our major cultural tourism sites,” he said.
Oyo Endorses PERA
On the Pacesetter Entertainment and Recognition Award, Arulogun said the state government recognised the contribution of the creative and entertainment industries to the state’s economy.
He said this informed the government’s endorsement of PERA, with Nollywood actress and Oyo State indigene, Bimbo Akintola, named as the award’s ambassador.
Chairman of the PERA Organising Committee, Mr. Rotimi Martins, popularly known as Alariwo of Africa, said the award was designed to bring together leading entertainment and business stakeholders from Oyo State.
Martins disclosed that 35 outstanding indigenes of the state were expected to be honoured at the event. He said voting was scheduled to run from October 1 to November 15, 2017, after which votes would be collated for the final selection.
According to him, the award night was scheduled for December 3, 2017, at Jogor Centre, Ibadan, under the theme, “Celebrating Excellence and Achievement in Oyo State.”
Chairman of the Aso-Ofi Festival Local Planning Committee, Mr. Adewuyi Kazeem, said the organisers were seeking greater international recognition for Aso-Ofi.
He commended the Oyo State Government for its support for Aso-Ofi weavers and efforts to promote the locally produced fabric.
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