*Iyalaje Oodua hosts economic summit, exhibitions, music fiesta
*Excitement as 4-day event begins Feb 25 in Ile-Ife
In what can be regarded as a major festival that commands attendance from Oduduwa race worldwide, including Yoruba sons and daughters from different walks of life, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, will on Friday, February 25, declare open the 2022 Aje Heritage & Economic Summit to begin this year’s edition of the annual Global Aje Festival.
Ooni’s Spokesman and Chairman of Aje Festival Media Committee, Otunba Moses Olafare, stated this in a statement made available to TheIdeal last night.
Olafare added that the Iyalaje Oodua Worldwide, Princess Toyin Kolade, who also doubles as Global Ambassador of Aje Festival, is leaving no stone unturned as she has been coordinating the Aje Festival Committee in order to ensure the success of the festival.
According to Olafare, the Aje Festival 2022, a 4-day event festival, which would hold in phases, will begin with the Aje Heritage & Economic Summit slated to hold at the Ojaja Arena inside the Ife Grand Resort in Ile-Ife where Aje Festival Exhibition will also be unveiled to run daily for four days.
He also disclosed that Saturday, February 26 and Sunday, February 27, will be for Aje Music Fiesta and Aje Movie Screening while Monday, February 28 is slated for the grand finale of all the activities lined up for the 2022 Aje Festival.
The Ooni’s Spokesman also acknowledged the efforts of the committee members for their relentless efforts, assuring that this year’s edition tagged “Aje Festival Reloaded” promises to be a tourists delight, investors delight and above all —full of education and entertainment.
He said, “Aje Heritage & Economic Summit comprensively highlights the investment environments, investment policies, investment projects and products from all Oodua states in the South- West of Nigeria. The event will also attract chambers of commerce from across Oodua-land to conduct investment briefings.
“Together with other members of the Aje Festival Committee, the trio of Yinka Odeajo (Event & Planning), Duchess Bolaji (Committee Secretary) and Otunba Ayo Olumoko (Sponsorship & Promotions) are sleeplessly working to organize a summit that offers optimum opportunity for business people at home and abroad to get a first hand information on the investment climate in Oodua-land, offering them one-stop shopping services for multilateral investment cooperation, thereby helping them select from the wildest range of investment projects and business partners.”
The statement reads in part, “The final part of the Annual Aje Festival 2022 holding on Monday February will be in 3 sessions; The first traditional procession of Aje Olokun by the women of Woye Asiri from Ilero, Osangangan Obamakin’s compound to pay traditional obeisance to the Ooni at the Ile-Oodua Palace, from where they will proceed to the Aje Temple located right inside ancient Ejigbomekun market also known as Oja Ife.
“Afterwards, the Woye Asiri women will then leave the Aje Temple for the Yeyemolu Sacred Well Water located within the Ooni’s Palace for further spiritual rites.
“The peak of all activities for the day is the iconic procession of Aje groups which would be led by the Arole Oduduwa, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, in company of members of the Ife Traditional Council, monarchs across the world and the Iyalaje Oodua, Princess Toyin Kolade, among many others.”
Inviting stakeholders to the event, Olafare then said, “Ooni Ogunwusi hereby invites the entire lovers of culture and tradition globally to the Annual Aje Festival under the able coordination of the Aje Global Ambassador, Princess Toyin Kolade, the Iyalaje Oodua Worldwide. She is leaving no stone unturned for a good festival. She has been working day and night to coordinate the Committee and all machineries put in place by the Arole Oduduwa for a successful edition of Aje Festival.”
