Rite Foods Limited, Nigeria's leading food and beverage company, has strengthened its commitment to preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of its communities by partnering with the Ojude Oba Festival.
The Ojude Oba Festival, an annual celebration showcasing the vibrant dances, troupes, and gallantry of the Ijebu people at the King's Court, was held this year under the theme "Ojude Oba: Peace, Unity, and Harmony, Our Gifts" on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. This historic festival, spanning nearly two centuries, plays a vital role in fostering unity and peaceful coexistence in Ijebu-land.
At the Ijebu Ode Pavilion, where the festival took place, Mr. Ekuma Eze, Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Rite Foods, highlighted that the company's ongoing sponsorship of this cultural event reflects its dedication to upholding the traditions and legacies of the Ijebu people and strengthening the bonds that unite them.
"Rite Foods Limited will continually support worthy initiatives, like the Ojude Oba Festival, that represents cherished norms and values of the Ijebu nation, a collective endeavor of their tradition and cultural activities that bind them together. With a world-class factory at Ososa, in Ijebu-land, with many contributions to the development of the area, the company is committed to enriching the lives of the people in many ways, as demonstrated with the Ojude Oba sponsorship", he said.
Eze added, "We are excited to be in the vanguard of preserving the identity and civilization of the Ijebu people, and to refresh participants at the Ojude Oba festival with our array of unique brands comprising the 13 variants of the Bigi Carbonated Soft Drink, the Bigi Premium drinking water, the high-quality Sosa Fruit Drink with its five variants, the number one Fearless Energy Drink, as well as Rite Spicy Beef and Bigi Beef Sausage Rolls that are produced with the state-of-the-art infrastructure and modern technology."
While addressing the mammoth crowd at the Festival, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, said, "The festival is a bond that unites Ijebu people and will always be held as it is one of the traditions that dates back two centuries ago, and a reflection of the cultural ideals that advances the development of Ijebu-land, hence his administration's support to its observance."
This year's edition lived up to billings. The highlight was the age-grade "Regberegbe" parade that saw about 90 Age Grade performances both male and female march out vivaciously showing off their culture with music, dance, and bright outfits to pay homage to the Awujale of Ijebuland, and 25 families of warlords, showcasing their dexterity in a peaceful and orderly manner that depicts their experience in warfare.
The Royal Father of the day, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr) Sikiru Kayọde Adetọna, CFR, J.P, stated that the event which attracts the sons and daughters of Ijebu-land across the country, and in the diaspora, also boosts the tourism potentials of the land, as foreigners throng Ijebu-Ode annually to witness it, and help tell the good story of the area abroad.
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