Event
Ososo Carnival at 15 Showcases Culture Without Walls
Ososo Carnival celebrates 15 years as Edo State’s flagship community tourism event, drawing thousands and boosting culture-driven development
The Ososo Carnival Initiative marked the 15th anniversary of the Ososo Carnival on Sunday in Ososo, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, with a four-day cultural festival that attracted thousands of tourists, creatives, and community members from across Nigeria and the diaspora.
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Widely regarded as a jewel in Edo State’s tourism calendar, the anniversary edition, themed “Festival Without Walls”, delivered a powerful showcase of cultural promotion, community-driven entertainment, and economic impact.
The four-day extravaganza featured a bonfire night, arts exhibition, fashion show, and a grand carnival parade, reinforcing the event’s status as Nigeria’s leading community-led tourism initiative.
While cutting the ceremonial tape to flag off the grand carnival parade, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ososo Carnival Initiative, Hon. Emmanuel Omoladun Agbaje, described the festival’s growth as a source of immense pride.
Hon. Agbaje said the carnival has been held annually since its inception in 2011, except in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2024 because of circumstances beyond the organisers’ control.
He noted that consistency, stakeholder support, and community ownership have sustained the initiative.
“Fifteen years of Ososo Carnival is a testament to our consistency and love for our heritage. This year, we are showcasing to the world that Ososo remains a prime destination for sustainable tourism and creative investment,” Agbaje said.
He added that tourism now represents a new economic frontier for Akoko-Edo and Edo State, describing Ososo’s rocky hills, history, and hospitality as untapped goldmines.
The opening night bonfire ceremony, which serves as a symbolic homecoming ritual of light, music, dance, and fireworks, drew large crowds.
Speaking at the event, the Special Guest of Honour, Chief Dr. Thomas Attah, the Ekpen of Ekpoma, urged young people to prioritise long-term impact over fleeting social media trends.
Chief Attah encouraged youths to use the carnival as a moment of reflection and redirection, stressing the importance of skills acquisition, professional certification, entrepreneurship, and courage in seeking mentorship.
“The future does not wait for anyone. The time to act and make real impact is now,” he said.
Speaking at the close of the carnival, the President of the Ososo Carnival Initiative, Mr. Moses Ajayi, described the milestone as a powerful symbol of resilience and purpose.
“This carnival has evolved beyond entertainment. It is now a strategic platform for sustainable tourism and a bridge connecting our rich past with a prosperous future,” Ajayi said.
Ajayi also highlighted the economic benefits of the event, noting increased patronage for hotels, restaurants, and transport operators in Ososo and surrounding communities.
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He disclosed that at least three new hotels are currently under construction in Ososo as a direct response to the growing tourism demand generated by the carnival.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has been announced as the Keynote Speaker for the Anniversary Public Lecture of Lagos-based online newspaper, thegazellenews’.com.
The lecture is scheduled to hold on Wednesday, 15 July, 2026 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Lagos, by 10:00 a.m.
The event will focus on the theme: “Driving Grassroots Governance with Public-Private Partnership: The Pains, The Challenges, The Prospects
In a statement, the management of TheGazelleNews said the annual lecture series was established to provide a platform for intellectual discourse and policy conversations on critical national issues affecting Nigeria and its people.
The organisers noted that the lecture has, over the years, attracted eminent personalities, policymakers, academics, media practitioners, captains of industry and political stakeholders from across the country.
The management described Dare as a seasoned administrator, journalist and communications strategist whose extensive experience in governance and public service positions him to lead discussions on grassroots governance and the role of public-private partnerships in national development.
“The annual lecture series was created to provide a platform for intellectual discourse and policy conversations on critical national issues affecting the country and its people,” the statement noted.
It further disclosed that invited guests and participants are expected from government institutions, media organisations, civil society groups and the private sector.
Dare, a distinguished global communications and multimedia expert, author and public speaker, brings more than three decades of experience across journalism, governance, public policy and strategic communications.
He currently serves as Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, where he plays a central role in shaping and coordinating the administration’s public communication strategy.
Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for combining journalism, public policy and stakeholder management, while championing institutional reforms, digital innovation and youth empowerment initiatives.
Before his current role, Dare served as Minister of Youth and Sports Development from 2019 to 2023, where he introduced the Nigeria Sports Industry Policy (NSIP), widely known as the “Sports as Business” model.
He also spearheaded the implementation of a 10-year Football Master Plan designed to reposition Nigerian football and launched the Adopt-an-Athlete Initiative to strengthen sports development.
Under his leadership, Nigeria recorded one of its most successful outings at major international sporting competitions, including the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics, securing a combined 35 medals.
He also facilitated the establishment of the N75 billion Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) to support youth entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
Earlier, Dare served as Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) between 2016 and 2019, overseeing stakeholder engagement and supervising key departments, including Licensing and Authorisation, Legal and Enforcement, and Zonal Operations.
He also previously served as Chief of Staff and Special Adviser on Media to Tinubu, managing media relations and political communications.
In the international media arena, Dare worked with the Independent Communication Network Limited (ICNL), publishers of The News/Tempo/PM News where he rose to become the General Editor of the flagship publication of the company, The News magazine. Dare was one of the leading lights in the media war against the military junta in the days of Babangida and late Sanni Abacha and was active in the guerilla journalism of that era.
He spent nearly a decade at Voice of America, rising to become Chief of the Hausa Service. In that capacity, he directed radio programming that reached an estimated audience of 28 million listeners daily across West Africa while introducing modern information technology tools into newsroom operations.
Academically, Dare attended Ahmadu Bello University, University of Jos, New York University, Harvard University and University of Oxford. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Intelligence and Global Security.
The management of TheGazelleNews expressed confidence that Dare’s experience in governance, media, public policy and strategic communications would enrich discussions at the anniversary lecture and stimulate meaningful conversations on strengthening grassroots governance through effective public-private partnerships.
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