The Oyo State Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs Dolapo Dosumu has urged Oyo State government to embark on programmes that will promote the Yoruba culture and values that is gradually going into extinction.
Mrs Dosumu stressed this while receiving the Special Adviser to the oyo state Governor on Culture and Tourism, Hon. Ademola Akeem Ige in her office.
According to her, “our culture has degenerated to the level that it is being seen as an offence for any children speaking Yoruba language either in the school or at home, while many youths don’t know much about our culture and value. This has been a source of concern to us because there are a lot of things we are missing out.”
“Culture is a way of life of the people. It is what they believe in, their norms, practice and what depicts who they are. Yoruba language has so many things embedded in it that can promote the development of the State and our country. Yoruba language is synonymous with good orientation with respect for the elders, respect for value of human lives and hard work.”
“It is disheartening that all these are gradually eroding away in the name of westernization and this should be of serious concern to everyone in Nigeria including Oyo State to take urgent steps towards saving our culture from going into total extinction.”
Mrs Dosumu further charged the youths to stop believe in quick money and elaborate way of life but rather inculcate the habit of hard work, honesty and self esteem and invest their resources in the development of their community and states in order to write their name in the book of history.
While congratulating Hon Ige on his appointment which she described as well deserved one, Mrs Dolapo Dosumu assured the Oyo State government of her agency’s full support in creating an awareness, sensitising and orientating the people about tourism development in the State.
According to her, “when I heard about your appointment, I have no doubt that there is going to be a lot of difference and change in the narrative in the area of tourism with somebody of your calibre. I have been expecting this meeting because the issue of tourism is our main focus in this agency.”
“Tourism is a source of revenue generation that any state that tap into it will make a head way. Look at Dubai! It does not have one third of what we have in Nigeria and Oyo State in particular still people everywhere now rush to drop their money in there at our own expense.”
“Let’s make our own natural endowment more attractive, let’s talk about it for the people to know, let’s create website, jingles, awareness and any form of noise about it that we have this things readily available here. By the time we have this, people will come to the State and pay for it.” She declared.
Earlier in his remark, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Culture and Tourism, Hon. Ademola Ige commended the agency for the role it has been playing in informing, sensitising and orientating the people on anything that adds value to the culture and development of Oyo State.
According to him, “some people are not aware of some potentials that we have in Oyo State in terms of tourism. I believe it is high time I unfolded some of the potentials in our tourism sites by partnering with your agency to be part of what you will inform, orientate, and sensitise the entire people about.”
“Past government have not shown interest in tourism but we have to thank his Excellency, Engr Seyi Makinde who has given us marching order to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the development of our tourist sites.”
“You will agree with me that the oil which the country relies on as a source of revenue is no longer lucrative as it was before. It is high time we diversified into tourism even culture to drive our economy. So, coming to this agency is not a mistake to partner with you in this aspect as I’ve been partnering with you in the past on anything that has to do with development of our community and the State as a whole.”
