- Source: Ijakadi Festival
Ijakadi is an annual cultural festival in Offa, Kwara state Nigeria it's aimed to promote Nigeria rich culture on international tourism map.
The word Ijakadi literally means wrestling which has a significant role in the history of Offa.The festival targeted to bridge the gap of rapid erosion of cultural values in the society in other to promote it's cultural traits that have served as the identity of Offa community.
It aimed at promoting fairness, justice and equity among all sons and daughters of the ancient town.
According to the source the community sons and daughters including those in the diaspora, expressed their determination to promote the annual Ijakadi festival of the ancient town, both within and outside the country, to enhance the socio-economic development of Offa and its people.
Celebrations
During the festival people come from different walks of life to celebrate the festival its usual takes place annually in December.
The people of Offa put on traditional clothes and there are masquerades dancing and drumming including mock wrestling between olofa of offa and the higest chief Essa.
Significance of the festival
The community believe that the festival would promote love and communal bond that can transform the festival into a global event and promote social cultural development.
Notable individuals who have earlier attended the festival includes
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq the executive governor of Kwara State and he bagged the title aree Soludero of Offa during the 8th edition of Ijakadi Festival in 2019.
Lai Mohammed The former Minister of culture and Tourism attended the 2017 edition and he said that Ijakadi Festival' would be included in National festival calendar he also said the "Federal Government was working with the private sector to make major festivals in the country attractive to domestic and foreign tourists and to leapfrog the events to the top cadre of global festivals."
Adebayo Shittu is the former Nigerian Minister of Communications between 2011 and 2019 under former President Muhammadu Buhari. Shittu succeeded Omobola Johnson as Minister of Communication and succeeded by Isa Ali Pantami. The former Minister attended the 2017 edition of the program along the former Minister of culture and Tourism, Lai Mohammed.
