Aare Egbe-Omo Balogun of Ibadanland, Olooye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke (FCA) has supported the Igbo-Ora World Twins Festival and the people of three local governments that organized the festival with 50 million naira as part of his contribution to the development of culture in Oyo state.
The local governments are Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa North and Ibarapa East.
Breaking down the support, Olooye Adegoke said 20 million naira for World Twins Festival and 10 million naira for each of the three local governments.
Olooye Adegoke, who is governorship aspirant under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) made the announcement while speaking on Saturday as the Chairman of the 2025 World Twins Festival, Igbo-Ora.
Olooye Adegoke while commending governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde for creating Ministry of Culture and Tourism, he noted that this decision shows that the governor is a lover of cultural developments.
He maintained that if the annual World Twins Festival, Igbo-Ora is sustained and properly coordinated, it would attract foreign tourists, which will, in return boost the economy of not only Ibarapaland but the entire Oyo State.
According to him, “If we all come together to celebrate this festival every year, if we come together to organize it in a perfect way that will attract tourists from other countries like the Caribbean nations, the Latin America, it will help catapult the economy of IIbarapaland. And you know Ibarapa is a sub-set of Oyo State. Therefore, if the economy of Ibarapa improves invariably the economy of Oyo state will improve.
“If this festival attracts tourists from Overseas, definitely it will attract developments. It will boost the economy of Ibarapaland because people will invest in hotels and tourism. People will invest in transportation, government will invest in security, electricity and other infrastructural developments.
“And I want to be part of the people that will bring developments to this place and encourage developments in Oyo State. By next year, I will be here and by then I would have picked the governorship ticket and by 2027, by God’s grace, I would have become governor of Oyo State.
Also speaking, the Olu of Igbo-Ora, Oba Jimoh Olajide Titiloye, said it’s the collective aspiration of all that the Igbo-Ora Twins Festival continues to grow “not only as a global celebration of our uniqueness but as a platform for youth development, peace – building and empowerment. Together let us uphold the value, tradition and spirit that makes Igbo-Ora great while praying for a better future for generations yet unborn.
“We must nurture in our youth, the spirit of cooperation, discipline, hard work dignity of labour and patriotism.
He said the Twins Festival must provides the platform to re-orientate the minds of the youth towards positive values and purposeful living, saying, “It is through this spirit that we must empower our youth towards access to quality education, vocational training, agriculture, and entrepreneurship.
“Our young people can become productive citizens who will uplift Igbo-Ora and lift Oyo State in future. We must make Igbo-Ora a hub of youth empowerment”.
