IMPACT OF NEXT YEAR'S AFRICAN DRUMS FESTIVAL WILL BE GREATER, SAYS GOVERNOR AMOSUN

By Wole Elegbede

Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has described the African Drums Festival held yearly in Abeokuta, the state capital as a cultural revolution which will have greater impact on the continent next year.

Amosun, speaking today during an interview with a YouTube channel- "60 Minutes With Angela"- said more countries outside the shores of Nigeria had indicated interest to participate in the 2018 edition of the festival.

"Don't forget that in the one that we did (in April, 2017) we had people from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and all of that. Now. Next year's own, as we speak, we have gotten several of these Caribbean nations that have shown interest to attend. So, somehow we have started something we can call a cultural revolution that is certainly set to take the space as it were from next year" the governor remarked.

The first episode of the festival tagged the "Nigerian Drums Festival" was held in 2016 and this was followed in 2017 by another edition but this time around tagged "African Drums Festival".

Amosun explained: "The first one was the Nigerian Drums Festival. But this one, when we had the first one in 2016, we realised that our brothers from the continent... indeed so many of the ambassadors were present then. There and then, we were advised that since it has attracted such audience outside the shores of Nigeria, it will only be proper to change the narration and its now going to be a continental affair. And that's how we changed the 2017 edition which was the maiden African Drums Festival".

The 2017 festival attracted several dignitaries such as the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Professor of Literature and 1986 Nobel Laureate in Literature, Wole Soyinka, the governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, amongst others.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy4-wugXog8

* Elegbede is an Abeokuta-based Public Affairs Analyst. Email- woleogunstate@gmail.com