About 60,000 devotees and tourists are expected at the grand finale of this year’s Osun-Osogbo festival on Friday.
Mr Adekunle Fatai, the curator and site manager of the groove,
disclosed this today in Osogbo.
He said necessary arrangements had been put in place for the success of the festival.
According to him, the festival was expected to attract between 50,000 and 60,000 visitors, adding that during COVID-19 pandemic, more than 40,000 visitors attended the festival.
Fatai said that the National Commission for Museum and Monuments, NCMM, which is in charge of taking care of the groove, had done the needful and the place was set for the grand finale.
His words: “At the moment, all prominent and recognised hotels in Osogbo are fully booked by tourist, who are in the state for the festival.
“Some foreign tourists are also taking part at this year’s festival and we have made security arrangements for those that would be coming into the state for the event.”
He stated that activities that would herald the grand finale would be carried out tomorrow (Thursday) and that final public awareness would be carried out by the state government and NCMM.
He said: “Osun State Government is still the host of the Osun-Osogbo festival and has not handed the hosting to anyone.
“By tomorrow, the state government will carry out ‘Osun Awareness Road show’, which would terminate at the Ata-Oja of Osogbo’s Palace.
“The NCMM will equally be holding a colloquium on the festival, at the palace of the Ata-Oja tomorrow too.”
The festival is being organised as the annual sacrifice to the Osun River goddess, a 600-year-old heritage. NAN