IACIU Journal Vol 2 No. 2 April-June, 2013

African Culture and International Understanding
Vol 2. No. 2
Volume 2 No. 2 April-June, 2013

is a quarterly publication of the Institute for African Culture and International Understanding, a UNESCO Category 2 Institute at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Nigeria. The journal aims to provide insightful commentaries and position statements on all matters relating to the promotion of diverse African cultures and how these impact on international understanding.
Regional themes
2 Fostering Cultural Security in Africa through Investment in Women and Youth Paul Shipokosa Mashatile 4 On the March to 2015: Will Africa be Left Behind on the EFA Trail? Djnba Traor 9 Promoting The African Cultural Dream Through Effective Leadership Goski Alabi 13 Poetry Performance in the Promotion of African Cultural Values Olagunsoye Oyinlola 15 Global Culture Versus Local African Culture Damian Oyibo
Focus on East Africa

17 The Role of Women in the Promotion of Cultural Security and Development in Kenya Mary M. Khimulu
Focus on West Africa

21 Osun Osogbo Festival: Its Origin, Nature and Significance for Global Yoruba Cultural Advancement Siyan Oyeweso 31 About the Institute
Published by the Institute for African Culture And International Understanding Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Nigeria
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communities. They are the custodians of cultural values and traditions, language and heritage, and they are largely responsible for passing them on to younger generations. Young people on other hand are the future. It is they who will inherit our culture, our value systems and ways of life. Equally, young people are more receptive to new influences, ideas and ways of life. It is against this background that we must empower women in order to create the necessary preconditions that, as culture evolves, its progressive and core elements are maintained and passed on to future generations. Equally, young people must be empowered to ensure that as they borrow from other cultures, they do not lose that which defines who they are, and that the contribution that their culture makes to development is not lost.
Fostering Cultural Security in Africa through Investment in Women and Youth

Paul Shipokosa Mashatile Paul Mashatile is the Minister of Arts and Culture of the Republic of South Africa. Email: minister@dac.gov.za
ultural security is perhaps one of the most critical components of human security since culture is the very essence of who we are. It shapes our relationships with one another and the environment. It is about our beliefs, our value systems, our religion, our self expression, our economic and political systems. Culture is the medium through which we interact with other people and how other people influence us. Placing culture at the center of the human development effort and indeed human security efforts must therefore be our immediate priority, as we advance Africas development. Cultural security cannot be obtained just by eliminating threats to our cultures. It cannot be obtained by us simply encircling our cultures, preventing them from being influenced by other cultures. Rather it requires that we strike the correct balance between cultures ability to maintaining its core and progressive elements, while at the same time being adaptable to new influences. In this paper, we shall highlight the role of women and youth in promoting human security in Africa. Some examples will be drawn from good practices in South Africa.
The South African Experience

Let me reflect briefly on the work we have done in my country, South Africa, to promote cultural security and through that begin to advance development. I do so fully aware that ours is not a unique experience as it can be found in other parts of our continent. I am also aware that ours is certainly not the only experience from where lessons can be drawn. Like many other countries on our continent, South Africa comes from a history where the cultural heritage of the majority of its people was confined to the margins of society by our erstwhile colonisers and oppressors. Like in other parts of Africa, our indigenous languages, value systems, knowledge, beliefs and customs were put in the back burner. The ways of life, including the languages, of our erstwhile colonisers were given a higher status and valued over and above indigenous African ways of life. It is for this reason that our post-liberation Constitution guarantees equal citizenship and accords equal status to all our eleven official languages. The Constitution further recognises the historical diminished use and status of indigenous languages, and urges the state to take practical and positive measures to elevate the status and advance the use of indigenous languages. Inspired by this Constitutional imperative, last year the South African Parliament passed the Official Use of Languages Bill, making it possible for South Africans to access government services in the language of their choice. Our Bill of Rights guarantees the right of every South African to participate in the cultural life of their choice. It also guarantees freedom of expression, religion, belief and opinion. We are also doing work to promote indigenous knowledge systems, preserve and promote our intangible heritage, our oral history and folklore. As
Cultural security cannot be obtained just by eliminating threats to our cultures. It cannot be obtained by us simply encircling our cultures, preventing them from being influenced by other cultures. Rather it requires that we strike the correct balance between cultures ability to maintaining its core and progressive elements, while at the same time being adaptable to new influences.
Looking in the Direction of Women and Youth
Women and youth constitute the majority of the population in many African countries. Women in particular are the anchors of the family structure in many African

part of preserving, especially our liberation heritage, we are ensuring that the stories of all those who took part in our struggle for freedom, their sites of significance, their monuments and memorials are included in our countrys new and inclusive narrative, of where we come from and where we are headed. Like many other countries we have also put legislation in place to protect our heritage sites, our historic buildings and artefacts, fully aware that these are treasures not only for current but also for future generations. We continue to prioritise the African humanist values of Ubuntu that teach us that: I am because you are, in our ongoing work to promote national healing, social cohesion and nation building. Like many other sister countries on the continent, we attach a high premium on traditional African values such as humility, mutual respect, discipline, collectivism and human solidarity. Consistent with our identity as Africans, we prioritise caring for women, the elderly, children and all those who are vulnerable within our society. Equally, guided by the motto in our Coat of Arms; !ke e: Ixarra Iike which means diverse people unite, we continue to make the point that, our diverse cultural heritage is not a source of division but rather a source of strength. To sustain the momentum we have built in constructing a true rainbow nation we need to strengthen investment in the development of women and young people- the custodians of our nations heritage, language and culture now and in the future. In line with this understanding we continue to place emphasis on an education system that teaches young people the values that define who we are as a nation. These are values that promote patriotism, human solidarity and caring for one another. In this regard we are reintroducing arts and culture teaching and learning in our schools. To further instil progressive values in our young people, we continue to popularise the national flag and its meaning, the national anthem and our national symbols to all children at school. We also use inter-generational dialogues to pass on the values of our society from one generation to another. As part of encouraging patriotism and in order to entrench values of our society among young people, we have proposed that all schools recite the preamble of our Constitution, which emphasises unity in diversity. We continue to initiate campaigns aimed at promoting, multi-lingualism as a key element of building an inclusive society.
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Like other nations in our continent, we continue to place the empowerment of women at the centre of all our efforts to build a prosperous, caring and more humane society. This we do because we are fully aware that our liberation as a nation will not be complete until we have secured the total emancipation of women. Our work in this regard includes ensuring that women participate freely in the cultural life of their choice and thus are able to contribute to their own development, that of their families and that of society in general. Through the work of the Commission for Gender Equality, we continue to strengthen the participation of women in all aspects of society including in the arts. This work was further strengthened with the establishment in 2009 of a Ministry dedicated to women.
Globalisation and Cultural Security

The advent of globalisation requires all of us to work even harder to promote and develop our own cultures, ensuring that we isolate and reject the negative influences of globalisation while embracing its positive aspects. Part of developing our own cultures requires that we eliminate regressive elements within our culture whose continued practice is a stumbling block to development. These include practices that suppress women, inhibit their full participation in the cultural life of their choice and as a result limit their role in development. They also include practices that deny education to young people, inhibiting their contribution to the development of society. They also include practices and beliefs that limit the creativity, the probing and analytic abilities of young people, encouraging them to only accept the situation around them as a given. While we must do away with these practices, there are many other positive attributes of our cultural heritage that we need to maintain, promote and develop. These include progressive values of Ubuntu, human solidarity, caring for one another and sharing. They also include values of caring for the environment as a source of our livelihood. We have a responsibility to ensure that these values are rooted in our communities and that they remain a defining feature of who we are as a people. We should promote these values as an alternative to the negative influences such as greed, individualism and consumerism now engulfing our societies as a result of globalisation. In order to do all of this, we will rely on our most precious resource- the women and young people of our continent.
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Concluding Remarks
In this paper, we briefly reviewed the meaning of cultural security and examined the role of women and youth in its promotion. Let me conclude by making some recommendations. As I have argued, it is critical that we invest in the development of our young people and women to empower them to be effective custodians of our culture and use it as an instrument for development. The youth need to be encouraged through an education system that incorporates progressive values, to internalise that which defines their identity. They must be allowed to take part and influence the evolution of their culture as an enabler for development.
On the March to 2015: Will Africa be Left Behind on the EFA Trail?
Djnba Traor Professor Djnba Traor is the Recteur de lUniversit des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines de Bamako, Mali, Email: badjenetraore@yahoo.fr.
Strengthening rural development is also critical in preventing the dilution of culture as people, especially women and youth, migrate to cities. Fellow Africans let us arm the youth and women of our continent with the necessary tools and support to allow them to drive the agenda for cultural security and development. Current and future generations demand this from us. We dare not fail them.
One of the practical steps we can make is the ratification of the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance, which once more, places culture at the centre of human development and empowerment on our continent. Related to this is the need for African countries to invest in the growth and development of their cultural industries as part of growing their national economies and creating jobs. We should also invest in the development of skills within our cultural industries as part of guaranteeing their sustainability. Strengthening rural development is also critical in preventing the dilution of culture as people, especially women and youth, migrate to cities. Fellow Africans let us arm the youth and women of our continent with the necessary tools and support to allow them to drive the agenda for cultural security and development. Current and future generations demand this from us. We dare not fail them.
Introduction
t is generally admitted that education is one of the major keys to sustainable development. Thus, the concept of education has grown worldwide to a tool for enhancing equality and justice for all. African states in particular need relevant and effective education system that can benefit every single child in order to assure better social and economic life for the citizens. In its many declarations, the United Nations emphasize the right to education as one of the fundamental human rights. Furthermore, the UN declares that illiteracy is one of the most important obstacles to economic, political and social development. Education as a universal right has occupied a major place in international agreements and conferences since 1945 (International Declaration of Human Rights). The International Decade of Women (1975-1985) aimed to address issues impeding progress of women especially those relating to education. Noteworthy also is the Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November, 1989 in sections 28 and 29. The African Charter on the Rights and Wellbeing of the Child adopted by the Organisation of African Unity (section 11), reinforced the above resolutions with the call to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls. In 1990, four affiliate organisations of the United Nations (UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP and the World Bank) organised a meeting in Jomtien, Thailand, to reach an understanding which translated to a world declaration, namely, the commitment of intergovernmental organisations, NGOs and individuals, to the right to education for all. This paper begins by taking a hindsight perspective on EFA. This is followed by a status report on achievements on the quest to attain EFA. The concluding section focuses on the challenges and the road ahead.
African Culture and International Understanding An Optimistic but Wobbly Beginning

In March 1990, the Jomtien (Thailand) World Conference on Education for All (EFA), adopted the historic decision to universalise primary education and eradicate illiteracy before the year 2000. Given that this resolution remained for 10 years at the level of good intentions, UNESCO organised in April 2000 in Dakar, a World Forum on Education which adopted an Action Framework committing the governments of 181 countries that were present, to create conditions for quality basic education for all before the year 2015. Education for All aims at providing access to quality education and training to all by the year 2015. EFA has the following six objectives: 1. Develop and improve in every way, the protection and education of little children and notably, the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. 2. Ensure that by 2015 all children, especially girls and children in difficulty and those belonging to ethnic minority groups, should have the possibility to access compulsory free, quality, primary education and to go through right to completion. 3. Meet the educational needs of all youths by ensuring an equitable access to adequate programmes with the objective of acquiring knowledge as well as necessary skills to cope with everyday life and participate as active citizens. 4. Improve adult literacy rate by 50%, and notably that of women, by 2015, and ensure for all adults an equitable access to basic and permanent educational programmes. 5. Eliminate disparities between genders in primary and secondary education by 2005 and institute equality in this domain in 2015 by ensuring especially for girls, a balanced and unrestricted access to an efficient and quality basic education. 6. Improve in all aspects, the quality of education such as to obtain for all recognised and quantifiable learning results - especially in reading, writing and arithmetic, indispensable skills for everyday life. Ten years after Dakar, the Summit on Millennium Development Goals held in New York from 20 to 22 September 2010. In an optimistic view, the Summit indicated that 13 African countries had already attained or would achieve Universal Primary Education (UPE) by 2015. In spite of this optimism, it is becoming increasingly clear that at the approach of the 2015 deadline, progress made by sub-Sahara African countries at the basic education
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level appears to be precarious given dwindling financial resources. What are the causes of this situation and how can the difficulties be handled? If a critical analysis of the level of achievement of EFA in Africa is undertaken, it would be easy to observe that many factors related mainly to history, geopolitics, economics and culture are at the heart of this state of affairs.
In spite of this optimism, it is becoming increasingly clear that at the approach of the 2015 deadline, progress made by subSahara African countries at the basic education level appears to be precarious given dwindling financial resources.
The objectives of Education for All (EFA) fall within the framework of the main recommendations of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which provide that education is an individual right, and quality education a basic right (UNESCO, 2008; 2011). Following these declarations and given the commitments taken by states, it could be observed that the number of children attending primary school has significantly increased since the year 2000. The enrolment rate of girls in schools is higher than ever, the budgets allocated to education have increased significantly. Yet, there are other gains. The number of children who have never attended school in the world has dropped significantly, from 96 million in 1999 to 72 million in 2010. Countries that have witnessed the highest school attendance rates in primary education are those that generally increased public spending in education. Indeed public spending on education has increased by more than 5% a year in sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asiatwo regions which were the farthest from meeting the objectives of EFA.
Some Contending Issues

Education For All in terms of access, retention and completion at the primary level is difficult to achieve in the African continent, just as many other rights especially in situations where there is shortage of human, material and financial resources. Furthermore, it has been observed in many African countries that there is a certain delay in the introduction of the true practice of democracy, good governance and transparency in public management. Obviously, there is a real lack of political will in many
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EFA monitoring team, has provided statistics and analyses that constitute the basis of this paper.
African countries with regard to EFA. The ratification of international agreements by African Heads of State would have been an opportunity for them to make their presence felt on the world political scene but this is not the case. It is equally observed that legislative texts in African countries are well conceived and drafted according to international expectations, but their application remains highly problematic. Thus, it is not surprising that despite the good intentions shown by many Heads of State to universalise primary education, there are still in many countries in the world and notably, in developing countries, a net drop in school output through indices such as a high rate of repetition, poor performance in public examinations and a wide disparity in performance between rural and urban areas (UNESCO, 2011).
The burden of the colonial past

Although, it is frequently cautioned that Africa should desist from laying blame for its under-development on its colonial heritage, such ascription cannot be altogether avoided. In Africa, the concept of modern school is closely related to the colonial period. One of the reasons why many Africans have for long rejected what they called white mans school is certainly due to the fact that this institution imported from the West was considered as means of acculturation linked with cruel moral and physical repression for African children. This trauma which was still alive in the minds of Africans during the early years of independence and long after, led to the design and implementation of educational reforms that aimed to Africanise school curricula by including national languages as the means of teaching and enhancing African history and culture. To measure the extent and sense of these reforms, we should recall that in the former colonies, particularly the French, the use of mother tongue was forbidden by school rules, subject to indepth corporal punishment and serious humiliations. Furthermore, the history and culture of the African continent was repudiated by the colonial masters who, it should be recalled, had invaded Africa under the cover of a civilisation mission that aimed to save the lost souls of these poor savages. During the colonial times, the few Africans who had been to school (for the most part through force), were basically taught the history of the colonial masters, who in turn considered school a necessary evil, given that school could cause a change in mentalities and lead to an uprising against established order. In order to get back their bearings, it is vital for Africans to get rid of their old demons and turn to the realities of today, in order to build a better future for the next generations. Africans have to stop behaving as helpless victims and as of necessity, come out of the vicious circle of lamentations and fruitless accusations of the colonial period. The past should serve as experience and be used as a springboard for progress and not seen as an impediment (Ki-Zerbo, 1976; Kake, 1978).
Given that today about 70 million children are not attending school, with decreasing national budgets and plummeting bilateral and international aid, the achievement of Universal Primary Education (UPE) by 2015, which is one of the Millennium Development Goals fixed by the United Nations, will be almost out of reach.
It is unpleasant to note that in 2012, there were still over 70 million children, mostly girls, who were deprived of primary education. UNESCO envisages that in 2015, there shall still be 56 million children who will be excluded from basic education. Given that today about 70 million children are not attending school, with decreasing national budgets and plummeting bilateral and international aid, the achievement of Universal Primary Education (UPE) by 2015, which is one of the Millennium Development Goals fixed by the United Nations, will be almost out of reach. Still with regard to negative trends, the poor nature of educational services, the high rate of school fees as well as the high rate of adult illiteracy, are some of the factors that limit the chances of achieving EFA by 2015. In spite of the progress so far realised in this domain, it is important to note that equity between girls and boys is still a serious concern, as well as disparities between urban and rural areas. In addition, in most public schools, the teacher/pupil ratio is equal to or more than 1/100. The above report also assesses the progress made in order to achieve the six objectives of EFA as defined in Dakar, in 2000. Meanwhile, the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS) which is a key member of the
Supply and Demand Gap of Teachers

A formidable impediment to achieving EFA targets in Africa is teacher quantity and quality. One of the main causes of the shortage of teachers in schools is that in very many African countries, mostly Francophone, the recruitment of teachers from pre-school to higher education was

from 1980, subjected to a highly selective and restrictive competitive entrance examination. This was necessary to meet the requirements of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) through the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). The national education budget for the training of teachers in many African countries is still too little. Thus, the ADEA Bamako+5 conference held at the end of 2009 placed emphasis on the need to train an additional 4 million contract teachers to fill the gap at the level of basic education. The world today needs about 11 billion US dollars a year to meet EFA objectives. Due to economic and financial crisis, it is obvious that rich countries will not continue to provide the necessary financial support. It is difficult to make people understand that expenditure on education should not be considered as a burden, but as an investment for the future. Even though it is unanimously recognised that education is the key to development and that access to education is an inalienable right for all human beings, still many countries do not devote enough financial resources to attain EFA objectives especially the improvement in the quantity and quality of teachers. The sharp increase in school enrolment which was the logical consequence of the Jomtien and Dakar conferences occurred to the detriment of quality educational systems. The acute shortage of teachers has led governments to take alternative decisions not based on sound pedagogic principles, such as double division, double part-time teaching and recruitment of part-time teachers without any initial training. The abandonment of quality has led to an abnormally high rate of failure, exacerbated in many countries by a high percentage of obligatory promotion to the next class at the level of basic education. In some instances, government fix the number of pupils that should move to the next class each year at 85% no matter their class performance.
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to attain EFA objectives especially the improvement in the quantity and quality of teachers.
Another impediment to educational progress especially towards attaining EFA is dilapidated infrastructure. In spite of the efforts of African governments and technical and financial partners to develop school and university infrastructure, dilapidated buildings and school plant remain a major challenge. In addition, we notice in many African countries, a tremendous shortage in quality teachers. The economic crisis of the 1960s caused a brain drain of the best African teachers towards Western countries where they can get better opportunities than in their countries of origin. We also noticed poor internal and external efficiencies. As for internal efficiency, blame has been levied on the lack of school teachers and senior lecturers, the lack of classrooms, of amphitheatres and didactic materials, poorly equipped laboratories and a lax administration. In the case of external efficiency, many degree holders are unable to find jobs due to the fact that course contents do not take into consideration the issue of professionalisation. Finally, the lack of finance provided to state universities poses enormous problems. In many African countries, the state is the only source of finance, which in large part is inadequate and universities are left to generate the necessary financial resources to ensure their operation. The globalisation of education at all levels of the educational system requires the rethinking of pedagogies, methodologies, curricula as well as the methods of imparting knowledge. It is unquestionable that we are presently living in a knowledge-based society where competition is the watchword. Importance is accorded to those who possess knowledge and who especially know how to impart it.
It is difficult to make people understand that expenditure on education should not be considered as a burden, but as an investment for the future. Even though it is unanimously recognised that education is the key to development and that access to education is an inalienable right for all human beings, still many countries do not devote enough financial resources
Poor school attendance by girls

There can be no development without the effective participation of women in the process of wealth creation. In the 1980s, enrolment of girls witnessed an unprecedented growth. In effect, everywhere in Africa, we noticed a strong mobilisation for girl/boy parity, especially at the primary level. The level of enrolment of girls increased considerably between 1990 and 2000 in regions where gender inequality was most pronounced, such as in Sub-Saharan Africa, Arab countries and South and West Asia. However, this quantitative development of school enrolment of girls is limited to basic education, beyond which inequalities between sexes remain. We should point out various
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our current civilisation into an information and knowledge society. Computers have and are changing the way we live, learn and work. In effect, no technological innovation in the world has been able to change our way of life and work as rapidly and radically as computers. Today it is no longer an issue of proving whether the inclusion of ICT may contribute to the improvement of the quality of education in Africa, for no scientific study puts such into question, but to determine the ways and means for the sustainable pedagogic use of ICTs in schools. This is equally a way to open and adapt schools to the job market wherein the computer has become indispensable (Traor, 2008). Despite the positive impact of the computer, its use is still facing resistance from many people and the educational system as a whole. Some of the sceptics underestimate and even deny the positive impact of computers in the improvement of the quality of education. On this basis, the following question comes to mind: How can an educational system ignore the importance of these innovative machines?
dimensions of inequality with regard to the exercise of the right to education for girls such as some family, social and cultural constraints. In many African countries, there is still a strong cultural preference for boys with a serious negative impact on gender equality. Early marriage is a hindrance which retards the education of girls. HIV/AIDS epidemic, wars and poverty are equally important as factors to be considered in the rights to girls education (UNESCO, EFA GLOBAL Monitoring Report: Gender and Education for All, 2003/4).
Private Participation
Private participation in education is a worthwhile issue in discussions on EFA in Africa. In the 1980s to 1990, Africa witnessed a quantitative leap in the privatisation of the educational system. Privatisation contributed on the one hand to absorb a significant part of those that public schools lacked the capacity to admit. On the other hand, it enabled teaching conditions to be improved, offering to learners a more appropriate environment in terms of enrolment and didactic materials. However, in some African countries notably, Francophone, the private sector has not been able to develop itself autonomously due to a lack of initiative, innovative spirit and the fear of taking risk and as such the growth of private schools still largely depends on state financing.
Efforts of the African Union

In an important document titled Second Decade of Education for Africa (2006-2015), the African Union describes its vision of Africa, which is that of an integrated, peaceful, prosperous continent that manages its own initiatives in order to occupy its rightful place in the world community and in the knowledge economy. According to this pan-African organisation, the concretisation of this vision as a necessity, demands the development of African human resources, a process that must be based on the establishment of quality Education For All, in order that each African citizen should fully contribute within the means available to him/her, to the economic and sociocultural development of his/her country and the continent. The Second Decade of Education Action Plan underscores the necessity to strengthen mutual collaboration between African States, in order to ensure, at the end of the Second Decade of Education, the establishment of efficient information management systems in education at the national, regional and continental levels. Other major results expected include, the significant improvement on educational indicators notably access, quality, efficiency and relevance. The Action Plan focuses on other issues such as the training of teachers and higher education at the service of development; the achievement of gender equality in primary and secondary education; the institution of systematic experience-sharing and mutual assistance for the promotion of education.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

Our stress in this section is on the role of ICT in enhancing efficiency of the educational system for the attainment of EFA goals. The 21st century is undoubtedly marked by the emergence of knowledge-based society, born of the technological revolution, especially in the domain of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The manner and rapidity, with which knowledge is produced, configured and disseminated plays a key role in innovation and competitiveness. A redefinition of education, knowledge and development adds to this transition towards a knowledge society. What does it mean to be learned today? Emerging knowledge society requires a close link between the various forms of education and development in the local, national, and global contexts. ICT integration in education can significantly improve the quality of teaching and learning. The Word Summit on Information Technology (WSIS) organised in November 2005 in Tunis and in February 2013 in Paris by the United Nations aimed in a large measure to demonstrate that the African continent is basically part of this major evolution which is transforming

The conference of Ministers of Education of the African Union adopted the following priority domains: gender and culture; educational information management systems; development of teachers; higher education; teacher technical and professional training, especially education in difficult circumstances; curriculum and didactic materials; and quality management. In addition, the examination of the quality of education shall be based on the following approaches: establishment of standards for the quality management of education in Africa; and systematic monitoring and evaluation of the progress of the learner, and the quality of teaching and learning.
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Enormous progress has been made in EFA, and that there is an urgent need to continue the effort of consolidating what has been achieved by placing particular emphasis on quality while not neglecting quantity.
References
Kak, I. B. (1978). Les Noirs de la diaspora, Libreville, Editions Lion. Ki-Zerbo, J. (1976). Histoire de lAfrique Noire dhier demain, Paris, Editions Hatier, 2 dition. Traor, D. (2007) Intgration des TIC dans lducation au Mali - Etat des lieux, enjeux et valuation. Distances et Savoirs, 2007/1 (Vol. 5). Traor, D. (2008) Quel avenir pour lusage pdagogique des TIC en Afrique subsaharienne? http://www.rocare.org/ChangingMindsets/ pdf/ch13-ICTandChangingMindset.pdf UNESCO (2008). Le Rapport Mondial de Suivi sur lEducation pour tous, 2008. UNESCO, EFA Global Monitoring Report: Gender and Education for All, 2003/4). fbses.webou.net/spip.php?article815 www.unesco.org/fr/.../ world-education-forum-dakar-2000 UNESCO (2011). Education for AllGlobal Monitoring Report. Paris: UNESCO
Conclusion
In this paper, we reviewed progress of Africa on the path to achieving EFA. We identified major obstacles to progress while noting gains made in the area of access. To answer the cardinal question: will Africa meet the expectations of EFA 2015?, it is first of all important to point out that enormous progress has been made in EFA, and that there is an urgent need to continue the effort of consolidating what has been achieved by placing particular emphasis on quality while not neglecting quantity. In this light, it would be important to make allusion to the capacity of an educational system to handle innovations and social changes. Scientific research is indispensable for change and many reflections in this regard have enabled the introduction of strategic innovations at the primary level in order to improve the quality of education. For instance, people are increasingly talking of the New Pedagogic Approach (NPA), CompetenceBased Approach (CBA) and Compensatory Teaching as new elements in the fight against the internal inefficiency of primary education. For an emerging Africa, it is crucial to take into consideration in research programmes, African realities in the social, cultural, economic, linguistic and psychological contexts with emphasis on application. Professionalism has become sine qua non to render education more attractive. For quality education, we are obliged to take teachers into consideration for they occupy an important place in the delivery of quality education. Such would ensure an improved internal efficiency of the educational system. Lastly, in order to ensure success at the level of consolidation of what has been achieved and to reach the goals of EFA by 2015, it would be important to include in the educational process, a quality monitoring and evaluation mechanism. Will Africa be able to rise to this huge challenge by the deadline of 2015? We will have to wait and see.
Promoting the African Cultural Dream through Effective Leadership

Goski Alabi Professor Goski Alabi is Dean, School of Graduate Studies, University of Professional Studies, Accra Ghana, Email: goski. alabi@gmail.com
frica is a culturally-diverse, resource-rich but leadership poor continent. The continent has abundant sunshine, rainfall and landmass for its 900 million people in 54 independent countries covering a total area of over 30 million square kilometres. The continent is rich in mineral and natural resources. According to the World Trade Report of 2010, the continent possesses 99 percent of the worlds chrome resources, 85 percent of its platinum, 70 percent of its tantalite, 68 percent of its cobalt, and 54 percent of its gold, among others. It also has significant oil and gas reserves. Nigeria and Libya are two of the leading oil producing countries in the world. Additionally, it has abundant timber, diamonds, bauxite and other rare
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the arts, institutions and leadership, that distinguishes the African people from the world. Culture has been defined by the business dictionary as the commonly held standards of what is acceptable or unacceptable, important or unimportant, right or wrong, workable or unworkable in a community or society. It can also be defined as belief and way of life. African culture is defined by a legacy of the rich traditional heritage. Yet, infrastructural under-development, disease, squalor, illiteracy, war, unemployment, low life expectancy, a patchwork of languages in several economically unviable tiny nations, a system that values and places individual good above common good, and generally poor quality of life dot the African landscape. African traditional, religious and political leadership the triple heritage of leadership have played a significant role in the development of this symbolic culture. Often poorer countries have blamed their plight on imperialism without considering how culture and leadership could have contributed to the situation.
precious metals like tanzanite which is comparable in value to any of the gems, yet the continent has the highest proportion of poor countries in the world. The continent is plagued with malnutrition, underdevelopment, poor quality of life, low life expectancy and generally poor standards of living. These conditions have often been blamed on corruption, greed, dictatorship, incompetent leadership and mismanagement. These ineffective leadership practices are believed to undermine Africas governance systems and culture. The contrast between Africas endowment and its level of socio-economic development raises a number of concerns. The continent has often blamed its situation on imperialism fuelled by colonialism. However, the question to ask is what was Africas situation in respect of development prior to colonialism? Aside imperialism, how has the African culture contributed to the African plight? How was Africa during the pre-colonial era, and how is it now? What has changed and are those changes desirable? What brought about those changes? What is the impact of colonialism on African culture? This paper employs a rhetoric approach to explore what it describes as the African symbolic culture and effective leadership. It attempts to discuss how effective leadership can be used to create a proposed African Cultural Dream. It bases its arguments on leadership and cultural theory supported by exemplary leadership on the continent.
The African Cultural Dream

The symbolic culture of Africa must give way to a more progressive and desirable culture, which this paper calls the new African Cultural Dream. The African cultural dream is a culture of distinctiveness, powered by development and the African values of cohesion, interdependence and collectivism that seek a constructive and necessary change for the African people. The African cultural dream should be characterised by evolution for continual improvement, value-addition, learning and social as well as individual good. The link between this African cultural dream and effective leadership is worthy of stress. The Centre for Creative Leadership (CCL, 2010) notes that, the need for effective leadership in Africa is high. But traditionally, talented leaders have not received much structured support for developing their full leadership potential. For this reason, many organisations and traditional systems in Africa are underperforming. CCL argues that by strengthening leadership skills, organisational and community outcomes could improve and strengthen prospects for sustainable growth and prosperity in Africa. CCL further adds that in Africa, ideas about leadership are tied to culture, religion, educational background and language. Consequently effective leadership can be employed as a vehicle to promote the African cultural dream. This cultural dream should be crafted by Africans and developed for the African people within a global context. The dream should not be invented by others and imported to Africa. This is why effective leadership becomes crucial.
These conditions have often been blamed on corruption, greed, dictatorship, incompetent leadership and mismanagement. These ineffective leadership practices are believed to undermine Africas governance systems and culture.
The Triple Heritage
Colonialism among others, left a legacy of cultural diversity, which this paper calls the triple heritage of colonialismreligion, governance and language. These three cultural heritages have affected the African culture in diverse ways. However, the question is: What defines the African culture and how has African leadership contributed to the current African culture? The current African culture is a legacy of beliefs, attitudes and value systems transmitted from past generations, through language, material objects, rituals,
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The African cultural dream is a culture of distinctiveness, powered by development and the African values of cohesion, interdependence and collectivism that seek a constructive and necessary change for the African people. The African cultural dream should be characterised by evolution for continual improvement, value-addition, learning and social as well as individual good. The link between this African cultural dream and effective leadership is worthy of stress.
In the context of this paper, leadership is seen as a process where leaders and followers influence each other towards the achievement of both collective and individual goals that bring about constructive and necessary changes in a given environment. Contrary to popular perceptions, leadership is not only what leaders do to influence members, but rather, what both leaders and members do together to bring about constructive and necessary changes. The key difference between management and leadership is that, the essential task of leadership is to bring about some necessary change. However, management may not necessarily result in a change per se. Leadership effectiveness and outcomes are therefore not only moderated by the leaders characteristics and behaviours but by the members characteristics and behaviours as well as the dictates of times and the cultural environment. Two key characteristics of leaders and followers that are considered to have influenced African leadership include the strategic thought process and locus of control. Effective leadership requires strong strategic thinking and internal locus of control rather than the external locus of control that is largely exhibited by African leadership. Strategic thinking on one hand is the ability to envision a dream bigger than oneself which also transcends the present or immediate future needs as well as physical and geographical barriers. Evans, House, Dessler, Mitchell, who are all known leadership theorists, push forward the notion that subordinate characteristics that determine which styles or behaviours of the leader will be acceptable and effective include, authoritarianism, locus of control and ability.
These theorists define authoritarianism as the degree to which the followers want to be told what to do and how to do it. Locus of control is defined as the way the follower sees his/her responsibility towards attaining community goals. A person can have an internal or external locus of control. Internal locus of control means that one feels that he/she controls goal achievement and is ready to accept and deal with the consequences of his/her actions without pushing blame. On the other hand, external locus of control means that one feels goal achievement is controlled by others. Consequently, when things do not go as expected he/she easily shifts the blame to those perceived to be externally responsible for the situation. Ability refers to the skills, attitudes, competence, confidence and commitment to undertake the required responsibilities. This paper posits that Africas symbolic culture of underdevelopment is characterised largely by external locus of control, authoritarianism and low ability of African leaders and the followership. The tendency for authoritarianism and external locus of control is reflected in the current symbolic African culture which has been precipitated by a situation where it has become acceptable for the world to dictate and set the African agenda. The African agenda is often defined by some latent forces and pushed before us. Others include the dependency syndrome where the financial basket of Africa must normally be filled by external donors. External locus of control has amply been demonstrated in African leadership by the blame syndrome blaming Africas entire plight on imperialism. Effective leadership should provide a vision and a hope for the African people. It should empower African people to take responsibility for where they want to be and how to get there. That kind of leadership should provide a vision that would define the African Cultural Dream, provide direction for that dream and empower Africans to make the culture of development a reality.
Africas symbolic culture of underdevelopment is characterised largely by external locus of control, authoritarianism and low ability of African leaders and the followership.
Bob Marley the legendary diasporan once said, in the abundance of water, the underserved is thirsty. The African leadership challenge is a collective one, created by both the leadership and followership of the past. Accordingly, it is only Africans who can free own minds
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people will be proud to be associated with it because of their unique contribution to the global economy and quality of life. Though Nkrumah could not live to see all of his dreams come true, the foundation for the liberation of Africa from colonialism was laid by his leadership.
from imperialism to effective leadership. This requires leadership that can promote collective emancipation of Africa from mental slavery, to responsibility for collective good. Effective leadership requires re-orienting and empowering members towards a paradigm shift that can bring about the necessary and constructive change required for the African cultural dream. As Nelson Mandella notes, A leader ... is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go on ahead, whereupon others follow, not realising that all along they are being directed from behind. Effective leaders understand the power of leading from behind not only from being in front. The struggle to lead from the front often results in the fight for leadership in Africa, which sometime ends up in wars or coups. Africas contribution to the leadership philosophy has also been notable. Two examples of such leadership philosophy in Africa is the concept of Ubuntu the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity. The second is the concept that gave rise to Satyagraha, the notion of passive resistance, which Gandhi developed while living in Africa, both of which have become global phenomena. Today, though the demand for effective leadership and systematic leadership development in Africa is growing more rapidly than ever before, there is a critical shortage of effective leaders. This lack of effective leadership is largely responsible for the underdevelopment of many African countries, thus the symbolic African culture. Many effective African leaders are well known around the world. These include Nelson Mandela, Kwame Nkrumah, Steve Biko, Julius Nyerere, Kofi Annan and Olusegun Obasanjo, to name a few. However, moving Africa forward needs more strategic, transformational, charismatic and evolutionoriented leaders who will come with so much energy and cause mystic stirs like Kwame Nkrumah and Nelson Mandela. These men did not only have the vision but the energy, skills and guts to cause those necessary and constructive changes of their time. What separates these iconic leaders from their counterparts is that first they had enviable conceptual power to see into the future, harness the necessary resources and prepare their people for the constructive changes of their time. Both Nkrumah and Mandela were indeed strategic leaders. Nkrumah is known for his leadership of the independence of Ghana as the first independent African state south of the Sahara and the advocacy for a united Africa. Nkrumah together with others had the vision to create a United Africa whose people will be distinctive with one common African language that binds the African people together and a continent whose
Many effective African leaders are well known around the world. These include Nelson Mandela, Kwame Nkrumah, Steve Biko, Julius Nyerere, Kofi Annan and Olusegun Obasanjo, to name a few.
Mandela is known for a great and successful strategic leadership. As a strategic leader, like Nkrumah, what made Nelson Mandela different, was that beyond being strategic, Mandela was a tactician and a transformational leader. He knew when to go and when to stop. He understood the game of timing, and knew how to blend indigenous South African values with the needs of the time. He understood the value of interdependence and peaceful co-existence. Consequently, Mandela led the people of South Africa to understand and live with these values. Mandela through his effective leadership created and left as a legacy of a new culture that blends the unique South African culture with the desired culture that suits the demands of the time. Mandela had a mix of effective leadership skills, including team skills, people skills, relational skills, technical governance skills, and a conceptual ability in just the right proportions. He was calm but effective. These effective leadership attributes made Mandelas leadership so successful and sustainable. As one author put it: Mandela is the closest thing the world has to a secular saint, but he would be the first to admit that he is something far more pedestrian: a politician. He overthrew apartheid and created a nonracial democratic South Africa by knowing precisely when and how to transition between his roles as warrior, martyr, diplomat and statesman. Uncomfortable with abstract philosophical concepts, he would often say that an issue was not a question of principle; it was a question of tactics. He is a master tactician. Contrary to the effects of effective leadership demonstrated by Mandela and Nkrumahs leadership, Ali Mazuiri on the other hand, blames the African symbolic

culture on the abundance of natural resources in Africa. Ali Mazruri argue that, if necessity is the mother of invention then abundance is the mother of inertia. Though this perspective may be justifiable, this paper posits that it is not abundance which is the mother of inertia, it is rather lack of strategic and transformational leadership precipitated by contentment with the status quo which are the mother and father of Africas inertia. Contentment and lack of strategic thinking are considered a culture and the value system of the African people. For example Africas gold, oil and gas resources were buried in the earths crust prior to the arrival of the colonial masters. The extractive industry in Africa currently, still lacks adequate value addition which limits revenue from these resources. Africa needs leadership that is strategic and knows what to do with the abundant resources. In addition, Africa needs leadership that can transform people and ignite in their hearts and minds a passion for evolution not revolution. Consequently, effective leadership in Africa can be operationalised by strategic and transformational leadership.
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Poetry Performance in the Promotion of African Cultural Values

Olagunsoye Oyinlola Prince(Dr) Olagunsoye Oyinlola is the immediate-past Governor of Osun State, Nigeria and the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding, Osogbo, Nigeria. Email: princeoyinlola@gmail.com
Africa needs leadership that is strategic and knows what to do with the abundant resources. In addition, Africa needs leadership that can transform people and ignite in their hearts and minds a passion for evolution not revolution.
Effective leadership can promote the African cultural dream for change if such leadership can transform the hearts and minds of the African people, not only to preserve our rich traditional culture but to transform the symbolic culture of Africa. It requires a collective leadership with the genuine passion for change to make Africa a better place for the present and future people. Effective leadership is when the collective - leaders and members understand the responsibilities that they bear towards each other and the generations to come. Africa needs men and women who are conscious of that responsibility they bear towards human beings who affectionately wait to be empowered to do the right things at the right time and in the right manner, or to the unfinished task of development and improvement of lives. This kind of leadership is what Africa requires to promote the new African cultural dream.
oetry performance is a characteristic feature of all dialects and languages in the world and a distinct feature of Black civilisations. Poetry may be individually or jointly rendered and it has no time bound and age limit. It is rendered at home by parents when greeting their children, to pacify a crying child through melodious chanting of cognomens/long praise words (oriki), to welcome a child who arrives home or to encourage anybody who has performed a task or to discourage a person to change an unacceptable habit. Poems have a structure that is easily identified when they are rendered, this makes it possible for any knowledgeable speaker of the language to know when a particular genre of poems is used in any conversation. For example, if a proverb or song is used, listeners will understand and appreciate the lyrics of such poems. Everybody in the community is a potential beneficiary of this intangible cultural heritage which includes proverbs, folklores, songs, poems and so on. Despite the general usage which qualifies everybody to be regarded as a user of poetry, yet there are some people who are traditionally regarded as professional performers such as poets, ballads, drummers, musicians, chanters, trumpeters, folklorists and story tellers.
Everybody in the community is a potential beneficiary of this intangible cultural heritage which includes proverbs, folklores, songs, poems and so on. Despite the general usage which qualifies everybody to be regarded as a user of poetry, yet there are some people who are traditionally regarded as professional performers such as poets, ballads, drummers, musicians, chanters, trumpeters, folklorists and story tellers.
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Naming ceremony: Child naming is characterised by some rites among which prayers are prominent. Money and some food items are offered as part of prayers for the newborn child. Among the food items are alligator pepper, sugarcane, honey and palm oil. These materials are offered as prayers and applied to the head of the new baby. Modern religions do not allow the use of these food items to offer prayers for new-born children. Prayers are more poetic in nature than ordinary conversation. What we should realise is that any object in Yoruba culture has at least two namesone common or everyday name, the other the primordial name which has spiritual attachment with that object. Greetings: The Yorubas cherish greetings and have greetings for every occasion, no matter how trivial. As long as a child can talk, parents and siblings expect him or her to greet people as well as respond when greeted. Though people still greet one another, yet the special greetings that befit a particular occasion or event is hardly practised among the younger generation. Use of incantations: This is a poem of authority that is efficacious if rightly used. It is a genre of poem that its knowledge is limited to only the initiates. Everybody is expected to have an in-depth knowledge of it for the benefit of humanity in order to solve emergency situations such as snake bite, scorpion sting, armed robbery attack, headache, stomach ache and spiritual attack. Modern religions have weakened this special gift of nature among Africans therefore its practice or use is not common as it was in the past. Folklore, riddles and jokes: With riddles, children learn lessons or morals that help them face challenges and realities of life.
Variety of Performers and Performances

Today, poetry performance in the society is taking dynamic approaches. There still exists palace performers such as drummers, gourd artistes (alusekere), cymbalist (alaro) who wake the king with the sound of their drums. They eulogise the kings predecessors and welcome visitors to the palace. Also, they perform at the community level where joint tasks are done by town dwellers such as cleaning the square, town hall or market place or the path that leads to the stream or another village. Artistes perform to encourage the workers thereby enhancing their productivity. Some occasions where artistes or traditional entertainers feature include the following: Traditional marriage: During marriage ceremonies, the performer offers inspirational poems to the bride and groom. Brides poem (ekun iyawo) is one of such performances. During the performance, the bride would be chanting ekun iyawo from one house to another (houses of her relatives in particular) to appreciate what they did for her. She will express this artistically by chanting their cognomens. The artistes known as alaga iduro and alaga ijokoo representing the families of the groom and the bride respectively attempt to perform such functions at weddings. Funeral ceremony: Poems are rendered as part of funeral ceremonies to give befitting burial to the departed soul. The dead is eulogised by chanting its cognomens (oku pipe). Drummers go to the family compound of the deceased in the morning to eulogise the dead with sound of drums. Sadly, such performances are dwindling in occurrence especially in cities as the corpse is deposited in the mortuary for weeks or months and if a Muslim, the corpse is buried immediately. This does not give room for the practice of chanting and is reducing the level of practice of the traditional poetry in general. Hunters dirge: Known in Yoruba as isipa ode, this is the rite performed for a dead hunter. Children of great hunters sponsor the performance of the rites. In contemporary times, such practice is diminishing as children of hunters are either Christians or Muslims who do not believe in the practice. Due to irregular practice of this performance, young ijala and iremoje artistes and researchers are missing a lot in terms of materials they may need to improve their repertoire of knowledge.
Origin of Drums and Songs

As we discuss poetry, let us briefly trace the origin of various drums and music/song used to accompany the rendition of poems and how the artistes derive their immunity as embedded in the Ifa literary corpus. The oracle instructed the divinities before they descended from heaven into the world to be kind to strangers and if they did this with sincerity, they would receive special object through that gesture. For many years they all practised the hospitality without any reward and as a result of what they considered wasteful efforts, all of them stopped the action except Orunmila. For many years after others had stopped, Orunmila used to entertain the yearly visitors with food and

drinks to the extent that other divinities used to abuse him for his fruitless efforts. In one particular year, these visitors came again and Orunmila entertained them, as they were about to leave, they asked Orunmila to give them the skin of the animal he slaughtered to entertain them. The visitors used the skin of the animal to make aran drum for Orunmila. They also taught him how to make other drums. When Orunmila played the aran drum, children of Sango, and other divinities heard from their houses and traced the sound to Orunmilas house. Sango went to Orunmilas house to plead with him to make a drum for him but Orunmila asked him to pay before he could make the drum. On receiving payment, Orunmila then made bata drum for him. He also made igbin for Obatala and various drums for other divinities. The drum Orunmila made for each of the divinities is the drum their devotees play for them till today. Similarly musicians derive their immunity from the first woman musician whose name was orin/oore. She was the wife of the king of Ejigbo. She had a special gift of music composition to the extent that she could not talk ordinarily like any other person except sing. The king was warned by the oracle not to maltreat the woman, anything she said or did wrongly with her gift was to be overlooked. The king obeyed the oracle and he could not treat her like other wives and other subjects. People used to go to the palace to listen to the woman and they started offering her gifts in cash and in kind. The gifts she received are what poets, drummers and musicians are receiving symbolically today. Similarly, the liberty she enjoyed in the palace is responsible for the common saying that mo on wi, mo on wi, oba kii pa okorin. Today, poetry performance is improving as we have modern poets who are not taking the style of sango pipe, iyere ifa, ijala or iremoje and so on. This is known as modern poems Ewi ode oni like Lanrewaju Adepoju and Tubosun Oladapo as well as modern musicians who perform for commercial purposes.
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television stations should create more programmes on the use of oral poetry. Scholars and researchers on oral traditions should carry out studies on different genres of oral poems especially the endangered ones before they eventually go into extinction.
Traditional and modern artistes should be given employment opportunity in our educational institutions to teach the younger generation the art of poetry performance.
Note: The author is grateful to Ayanwale Olayanju for his contribution to the development of this paper.
Global Culture Versus Local African Culture

Damian Oyibo Damian Oyibo is National Programme Officer at the Institute for African Culture and International Understanding, Abeokuta, Nigeria. Email: damianoyibo@yahoo.com
Introduction
Some Recommendations and Conclusion

Oral tradition is being popularised on television, radio and social media, but the position accorded it in our educational curriculum does not permit its growth and sustainability. Traditional and modern artistes should be given employment opportunity in our educational institutions to teach the younger generation the art of poetry performance. Institute of traditional studies should be established where talented artistes will be able to demonstrate their talents. We should not focus on commercial artistes alone but should lay emphasis on all genres of poetry based on the fact that they all teach morals and are channels of molding humanity. Radio and
he Institute for African Culture and International Understanding a UNESCO Category II Institute recently organised a regional summit on Women and Youth in the Promotion of Cultural Security and Development in Africa. Amongt other objectives, the summit sought to map the spectrum of cultural expressions in Africa especially those that are endangered and describe the role of women and youth in promoting cultural security and development in Africa. Over the years, it has come to be accepted that African youths are more open to cultural domination than other age brackets. This is due to the fact that they are still developing and come into contact with materials and ideas from western culture which abound in foreign films, the internet and electronic and print media. Too often, a gloomy picture is painted of the future of African culture given the battering it is presently taking from the incursion of western ideas and culture. The threat is indeed real but caution should be exercised not to inflame it to the level it may not have reached. Admittedly in some isolated cases, it is sad to behold a child or youth that can barely speak his or her local language. What culture do they have to transfer to their offspring? In this paper, we shall
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undertake a brief review of the declining use of the local language in everyday conversation in homes in Africa especially among the youth. We shall proceed to examine the implications of such development and conclude with some recommendations for improvement.
African youths are more open to cultural domination than other age brackets. This is due to the fact that they are still developing and come into contact with materials and ideas from western culture which abound in foreign films, the internet and electronic and print media.
Fostering Interest of African Youth in Cultural Values
At a time when African cultural expressions were at their lowest ebb among youths, the elders in the society blamed parents for the lack of interest of the youth in culture. The annual ritual of travelling to the village for religious festivals and celebrations expose the lack of cultural awareness of the children and youth in families. Too often complaints like What are you doing to these children? These kids cannot even greet properly abound. The inability of the children to express themselves in the local language and greeting an elder without prostrating incur the displeasure of village elders. Some of these practices are seemingly not so necessary. For instance, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo recalled that one of such etiquette which required a child or youth not to look his father in the face resulted in his surprise when he discovered that his father had tribal marks! What effect could result from looking at ones father in the face when being addressed? The concern of this author is particularly in the cultural expression of language because language is the primary vehicle of communication. It reflects both the personality of the individual and the culture of his/her history. In turn, it helps shape both personality and culture, makes possible the growth and transmission of culture; the continuity of societies, and the effective functioning and control of social group. Rieks Smeets (Chief of UNESCOs Intangible Cultural Heritage Section, April 2003) went a step further when he referred to language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage. This presupposes that if one cannot speak his/her local language, alienation from the local community may result.
The annual ritual of travelling to the village for religious festivals and celebrations expose the lack of cultural awareness of the children and youth in families. Too often complaints like What are you doing to these children? These kids cannot even greet properly abound.
While a youth may not be overly worried if an elder is disgruntled on being stared openly in the face, he/ she should be worried about inability to speak the local language. The story of Alex Haley told in Roots easily comes to mind. A few key words in his local language which his ancestor Kunta Kinte whispered into the ear of his offspring formed the link that was used to trace his lineage back to The Gambia. Given the above, language should be the most important cultural expression that should be protected to ensure that it perpetuates the intangible cultural heritage effectively. My father (God bless his soul) must have known this because he would not let his children speak any other language at home. I grew up in the northern part of Nigeria, in a city called Kaduna. Hausa was the dominant language spoken in the streets. I picked it up effortlessly, but had to struggle to grasp the language of my birth- Ebira. It was apparently clear to my father that we would have no problem picking up Hausa language. We all did. The problem was that we spoke it at home and he would not have any of that. He refused all requests made in Hausa. He would remind you that he was not a Hausa man in his local language. Today I have him to thank. Despite the fact that I speak, read and write Hausa, I speak, read and write Ebira as well.
In some cases where young people do not speak their native language, the fault can be traced to intertribal marriages. The language used for communication in many cases is the dominant one in the location where the family lives. This dominant language gradually erodes the languages of the couple since most times, such languages are hardly spoken at home.

The importance of ensuring that young people and the youth have a good grasp of their local language cannot be over-emphasised. In some cases where young people do not speak their native language, the fault can be traced to inter-tribal marriages. The language used for communication in many cases is the dominant one in the location where the family lives. This dominant language gradually erodes the languages of the couple since most times, such languages are hardly spoken at home.
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The Role of Women in the Promotion of Cultural Security and Development in Kenya
Mary M. Khimulu Ambassador (Dr.) Mary M. Khimulu is Kenyas Permanent Delegate to UNESCO and a member of the Governing Board of the Institute for African Culture and International Understanding, Abeokuta, Nigeria. Email: mkhimulu@gmail.org
Concluding Remarks
According to UNESCO, it is estimated that, if nothing is done, half of 6000 plus languages spoken today will disappear by the end of this century. With the disappearance of unwritten and undocumented languages, humanity would lose not only a cultural wealth but also important ancestral knowledge embedded, in particular, in indigenous languages. However, this process is neither inevitable nor irreversible. Well-planned and implemented language policies can bolster the ongoingefforts of speaker communities to maintain or revitalise mother tongues and pass them on to younger generations. Next time you visit a friend, relative or colleague and you see that young people and children in the home have problem speaking their local indigenous language, spare a moment to educate the parents that they are doing a disservice to their children and the community they come from by not taking adequate steps to ensure that they have a good grasp of their language. Educate them to take urgent and concrete steps to ensure that their offsprings are given a healthy daily dose of the local language. If sustained, this will quickly correct the anomaly, especially as children are still at the learning stage and can store a tremendous amount of information. Stakeholders in African languages are also urged to partner with education departments to encourage the speaking of local African languages, especially those facing extinction, and sponsor legislation that would foster the teaching of such languages. These are just a few ways that the threat of global culture on African indigenous languages can be checked. If these and other steps are taken to ensure the longevity of African languages, future generations will also enjoy the folklores and stories that were told in various languages at twilight amidst repeats for encores by excited children eager to hear the exploits of the tortoise, the audacity of the hare and the magnanimity of the elephant and so many others. They will yearn to sing again and again the songs that punctuate the folklores. Over time we shall ensure transfer from one generation to the next because language is the vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage of a people.
Introduction
he Kenyan woman has played a pivotal role in stabilising the foundations of our social, political and economic positions. We have against all odds also drawn inspiration from the many women across the world from all ages- old and young alike, like the 15-year-old girl from Pakistan called Malala. Malalas recent tragic experience attracted international attention through a common cause we dearly share- that of which is to make this world a better place to live. In Kenya, the majority above all else, deeply acknowledge the presence of Gods supreme role in our lives, in our families and in our society. We submit our hearts and minds to Him. He who enables us to be women of hope, courage and action and He who also watches over us and guides our steps as is aptly epitomised in our National Anthem - the God of all creations, who continuously and magnanimously blesses this - our Land and Nation, knowing that despite our diverse cultures, Justice is our Shield and Defender. This year, Kenya celebrates her Jubilee Independence Anniversary and I take this opportunity to salute my fellow country men and women, for all that we have collectively achieved as one nation and once again captured in our National Anthem - bound to dwell in unity, peace and liberty for there is truly plenty within our borders. To understand the Kenyan culture as a nation, we must appreciate the true composition of Kenyas heritage. Did you know that Kenya is the home to roughly about 52 tribes including sub-tribes, indigenous and non- indigenous ones that have co-existed with each other for over the years? Each of these tribes just like the Masaai many of you are aware of, prides itself with a unique history, culture, values, lifestyle, language, religion and food. These values have increasingly come under the national and international spotlight in terms of the emerging threats to their very existence and relevance in todays world. Did you know that there is also another unique composition of non-African inhabitants with a historical affiliation to
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are noted as the key indicators of cultural security. However, in view of the 52 tribes we have in Kenya, how then as Kenyans can we define cultural security? I like the definition by Prof. Ocholla-Ayayo of the University of Nairobi, in reference to cultural security: A culturally safe and secure environment is one where our people feel safe and draw strength in their identity, culture and community. Cultural security recognises the legitimate cultural rights, values and expectations of diverse groups of people. It is true to say that culture itself is distinguishable among different tribal variations concerning heritage, beliefs and behaviour. Therefore, cultural security speaks to the obligations of those in power to ensure that there are policies and practices in place, so that all interactions with local communities adequately meet cultural needs. The Kenyan woman continues to encourage better relationships among her community members so as to foster cohesion in the community. This is similar around the world, where women play pivotal roles in community cohesion. She also encourages the need for cultural renewal and revitalisation in concert with non-state and state actors on the social, political and economic fronts. Without any real and meaningful national drive towards organisational change and capacity building, a coherent national cultural competency cannot and will not be achievable in a vacuum - a fact that dawned on us over 50 years ago. I would therefore like to introduce to you two inter-related paradigms that are at the heart and soul of the culture of the Kenyan nation. These are the art of music and the dynamics of language/Kenyan cultural literature.
Kenya either through trade or colonial heritage? This proud and patriotic group consists of the Kenyan Arabs, Asians and European communities who continue to wield significant influence in Kenyas development and are inhabitants around some of the UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Kenyan Women Rise to the Challenge

As the primary agent of socialisation in society, the Kenyan woman shoulders great responsibility and influence as the custodian of our heritage and our survival. This is a powerful role that she shoulders both locally and globally. Let me highlight and acknowledge the distinguished service, the dedication and gallant efforts of a true Kenyan woman who championed the protection of our environment, who challenged the practices of outdated traditions, bad governance and the culture of impunity for the benefit of society. It is with great pride that I give you Africas first woman Nobel Laureate - Kenyas very own the late Professor Wangari Maathai. It is indeed very true as stated by Professor Wangari Maathai that in Kenya and by extension the world over, and I quote:
As the primary agent of socialisation in society, the Kenyan woman shoulders great responsibility and influence as the custodian of our heritage and our survival. This is a powerful role that she shoulders both locally and globally.
Women are the first victims of environmental degradation, because they are the ones who walk for hours looking for water, who fetch firewood and who provide food for their families. We therefore owe it to ourselves and to the next generation to conserve the environment so that we can bequeath our children a sustainable world that benefits all. May Professor Maathais soul rest in eternal peace knowing that she fought a good fight, she kept the faith and she left behind a shining legacy that the world today is emulating and is ready to move on to the next phase of sustained environmental and economic development.
Cultural security speaks to the obligations of those in power to ensure that there are policies and practices in place, so that all interactions with local communities adequately meet cultural needs.
The interplay of either of the above in societyand not just in Kenya, has given rise to both positive and negative transitions in such scales that have never been witnessed before in the history of humanity. Despite Kenyas geographical composition and blend of cultures, the Kenyan woman has used music, song and dance to transmit cultural norms down family lineage both in functional and celebratory forms. Generations have been educated through song and dance. Societys expectations of each individual and their roles in compatibility to folklore
The Issue of Cultural Security

In many societies the distinguishing factor along the line of clan, religious sect, colour or geographical dispensation,

have been disseminated through the medium of song. Kenya is truly blessed that despite the distinct cultures, we share many cross-cultural similarities which bind us together. We equally borrow best practices from each other. This is the glue that holds our nation together. Whereas we have 52 tribes, language has been used to communicate, which in turn, provides a bridge to educate those in society. I cannot further emphasize the need to appreciate that again, we in Kenya do share many crosscultural similarities in language. For example, the traditional naming system in some cases spreads across either bantu, Cushitic and nilotic groups. What these names stand for, form the basis of education and cultural awareness. We also safeguard our culture against the threat of extinction, as these naming patterns prevail predominately throughout the country.
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Kenya is truly blessed that despite the distinct cultures, we share many cross-cultural similarities which bind us together, we equally borrow best practices from each other.
In rural Kenya, language, song and dance have been used to create awareness among members of society especially among the most vulnerable who are women and children. For example, access to basic healthcare has been a challenge for both women and the girl child. When you look at the impact of such discrimination on a group of people who are the majority in a nation, you quickly realise that therein lies a threat to any nations development. On issues of reproductive healthcare and the threat of the HIV AIDS pandemic, women have played a key role in promoting sensitisation of the same and promoting discussion around these topics thereby improving the healthcare indicators in the society. Secondly, the Kenyan womans participation in the development of society and the economy was hindered by lack of access to similar economic opportunities like their male counterparts. Once again, the impact of language, song and dance has brought women together in groups ably supported by non-state actors who nationally articulate the common cause of the Kenyan woman like the Maendeleo ya Wanawake organisation. It is this economic empowerment and the coming together of women in groups that drives the economy especially in rural Kenya - a trend fast becoming fashionable among the urban women known as chamas or economic groups
of women who pull their resources together to realise economic empowerment, for example the Kenya Women Finance Trust, a microfinance organisation, established to garner access to support their various projects. Thirdly, peace and security has a well catalogued library of effects on society. It is instructive to note that women and children are the first victims of the absence of this in society and this erodes any economic, social or political gains made. We have many cases of women groups promoting peace and security through song and language, which imparts crucial messages of peace, love and unity, thereby creating an enabling economic environment. The rise of Kenyan female musicians and the emergence of AfroAnglo beats and tunes with themes cutting across religion, promoting the girl child, social cohesion and democracy cannot go unmentioned. The role of women in promoting cultural security in Kenya is very important hence culturally secure prevention and management strategies should be developed and maintained in consultation with women who are considered invaluable resources in family and community communication, negotiation and consultation. Some of the key areas where womens abilities and resources could be utilised to promote cultural security include: Culture and Malnutrition: Currently, personal beliefs and traditional practices are used to explain childrens diseases and causes of death in rural Kenya, especially in communities where there are no clear governmental policies and womens educational levels are low. For example, in many uneducated families, protein malnutrition is never recognised by many mothers from traditional beliefs and practices as having any causal connection with infant feeding practices. Diseases such as marasmus or kwashiorkor are believed to be caused by the transgression of traditional norms and practices or some are labelled as witchcraft and sorcery. This shows that there is enough ground for the creation and implementation of cultural policy, in consultation with women, to eradicate ignorance and unscientific traditional beliefs and practices. Culture and Agricultural Production: Many Kenyan families are suffering from agricultural poverty, which can be understood as the condition of poor harvesting methods or being without modern equipment necessary for high agricultural production. In other words, families are caught in a continuous circle of helplessness for example a state where they depend on natural rainwater for survival and simply wait for rain while doing nothing to make water available for both crops and human utility. This perpetual
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development growth could lie in reducing these obstacles against women. Research shows that income in the hands of women contributes more to household food security and child nutrition than income controlled by men. As I begin to conclude and bearing in mind that this year is Kenyas jubilee independence anniversary, it would be immoral for me to ignore a crucial pillar of our societys achievement in 50 years. The promulgation of the new Constitution in August 2010 was a major milestone in the history of Kenya, which goes a long way to enshrine and uphold our traditions and culture of a free, democratic, economic, peaceful, secure and hard working nation. Allow me to therefore to conclude by praising the new Kenya Constitution which re-affirms the commendable role of the Kenyan women and youth. The Constitution even goes so far as to ensure that women get more seats in elective offices.
utilisation of human beings, as a source of energy, and the traditional African hoes for food production in the 21st century, is an example of low cultural level of development. It also refers to lack of development ideologies necessary for bridging the gap between traditional and modern technology of development. This cultural development gap, therefore, turns a blind eye to the function of culture, which is learnt, borrowed, accumulated and transmitted from one generation to another. Culture and Poverty: It is now common knowledge that culture can be a source of poverty if it remains stagnant or static for too long. Once a cultural element has been internalised in a social structure and in the peoples volition, it becomes difficult to get rid of it even when the people have realised its negative effects. However, while culture has propensity to resist change, it may also promote development, if it is adapted as the basis for development. Culture and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): The percentage of the adult female population affected by female genital mutilation ranges from 98 percent in the horn of Africa, Kenya included, to only a few groups in some of the other countries. Even though many groups are working to eradicate this cultural practice in Kenya, there are often two groups of women who undergo FGM: (a) faithful adherents to the beliefs that FGM is an inseparable part of the culture and religion of their people such that consequences of FGM are generally accepted as a price to be paid for preserving cultural integrity and heritage, and (b) those kidnapped and forced against their will to undergo the procedure due to the beliefs expounded in the former group. In both groups any resultant illness may be seen as Gods vengeance upon a disobedient follower and treatment may be denied to such a patient.
But women play these roles in the face of enormous social, cultural and economic constraints. They make these contributions despite unequal access to land perpetuated by a paternalistic culture, which vests land ownership and management in their sons and husbands hands, weak laws governing womens rights to land and lack of access to information.
Across Africa, we are aware of the various biased cultural practices that have restricted the capacity of the African woman - not just in Kenya, to meaningfully contribute towards societys development. The Kenyan woman has taken a lead role in righting this wrong for the betterment of her society and with great respect for her cultural dynamics and their observance in a borderless society the world is evolving into. The Kenya woman across the many cultures we subscribe to, acknowledges that together as one society, we all arise together to fulfil a just cause - with our hearts both strong and true. We can only achieve this through service being our earnest endeavour, for in our homeland of Kenya, we are truly blessed with a dignified heritage and splendour, which we must firmly stand to defend, as noted in our National Anthem.
Recommendations and Conclusion

Womens role in cultural security and development has long been underestimated, and in some cases ignored. For example, in Kenya, millions of women work as farmers and farm workers. In doing so, they contribute to the countrys agricultural output and economic development. But women play these roles in the face of enormous social, cultural and economic constraints. They make these contributions despite unequal access to land perpetuated by a paternalistic culture, which vests land ownership and management in their sons and husbands hands, weak laws governing womens rights to land and lack of access to information. An untapped source of cultural security and
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Osun Osogbo Festival: Its Origin, Nature and Significance for Global Yoruba Cultural Advancement
Siyan Oyeweso Professor Siyan Oyeweso of the College of Humanities and Culture, Osun State University is the immediate-past Provost of the College. Email: gafoye@gmail.com.
Introduction
n most African societies, cultural festivals have their roots in the early history of the communities where they are celebrated. The periods of traditional festival celebrations are also times of cultural reflections as they reminisce certain historic events in the history of such communities. Beyond festivities and merriments, cultural festivals are traditional means of building a wealth of knowledge about the past of a Yoruba community and of reconstructing any aspect of that history.1 A festival is a complex social phenomenon. It spans a period of time during which individuals and groups are involved in diverse activities in a variety of places. One cannot see the whole of a festival or know what is happening in the lives of persons at any given moment or even throughout the festival.2
The Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria have a very rich culture of festivals and rituals which represent one of the major ways through which important aspects of their cultures and histories are preserved and transmitted. Some of these prominent festivals are Osun festival in Osogbo, Olojo festival in Ile-Ife, Sango festival in Ede, Okebadan festival in Ibadan, Ogun festival in Ondo and a host of others in different parts of Yorubaland. These festivals have cultural, religious and historical significance for the Yoruba people and are held in high esteem. A festival that is also celebrated yearly in honour of a woman and serving as a re-enactment of mystic pledge is the Osun festival among the people of Osogbo in Osun State, southwestern Nigeria. Although the Osun festival is not the only traditional festival in Osogbo, it is the most famous and glamorous in Osogboland. The festival is very popular not only among the people of Yorubaland of the southwestern part of Nigeria but it is widely known the world over particularly among the Yoruba in Diaspora. It is one of the cultural festivals in Nigeria that is well documented and has contributed immensely to the classification of Osun grove as a global cultural heritage by the UNESCO.3 Indeed, the Osun festival has earned Osogbo the status of a cultural capital of Yorubaland following IleIfe as the spiritual headquarters and cradle of Yorubaland.4
Osun Goddess in Yoruba Mythology and the Origin of Osun Osogbo Festival
In the Yoruba mythology, Osun, the goddess of the Osun River is believed to be a very powerful woman and the only female of the sixteen major Yoruba deities (Orisa).5 Her full appellation is Osun Seegesi Olooya Iyun which means Osun the owner of the flawless, perfectly carved beaded comb.6 In their attempt to give the etymology of the word Osun, Joseph Murphy and Mei-Mei San explain that Osun is coined from Orisun meaning source and therefore, it may mean source of a river, a people, or children.7 Among other things, Osun is regarded, among the Yoruba, as the goddess of wealth and beauty, an herbalist or healer, a diviner, a dyer, a giver of children, a goddess of fertility, protection and blessing, and a leader of women.8 During her lifetime, she was said to be the youngest and the favourite wife of the three wives of Sango, the famous 17th century Alaafin of Old Oyo. The other two wives were Oya and Oba. She was said to have turned into a river after her husband hanged himself along with her two mates - Oba and Oya who became the goddesses of Rivers Oba in Osun State and Oya (River Niger) in the Middle Belt of Nigeria respectively. It is believed that the original source of the river is Igede Ekiti9 in Ekiti State of southwestern Nigeria but
Although the Osun festival is not the only traditional festival in Osogbo, it is the most famous and glamorous in Osogboland. The festival is very popular not only among the people of Yorubaland of the southwestern part of Nigeria but it is widely known the world over particularly among the Yoruba in Diaspora. It is one of the cultural festivals in Nigeria that is well documented and has contributed immensely to the classification of Osun grove as a global cultural heritage by UNESCO.
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The mutual consent to this agreement between the goddess and the ancestors of Osogbo marked the origin of the annual Osun Osogbo festival which has grown to become one of the most famous cultural festivals in the world.18 In order to show her readiness to fulfil her own part of the agreement, the goddess was said to have ordered the settlers to move to the upper terrace of the river called Oke Ohuntoto and settle there to avoid the incessant floods of their settlement and ensure its rapid growth and development.19 The people heeded this advice and moved to the upper terrace of the river where they built a palace for their king and established a market. From then, the town began to grow from strength to strength and the people attribute this to the influence of the worship of the goddess through the annual Osun Osogbo festival. Thus, the people of Osogbo celebrate the Osun festival annually to commemorate and renew the pact between Osun goddess and the ancestors of Osogbo.20
the main shrine of this powerful river goddess is located in Yoruba town of Osogbo,10 also in southwestern Nigeria. The origin of the Osun Osogbo festival is traced to the prominent role played by the Osun goddess in the founding and settlement of Osogbo. The various versions of the traditions of origin of Osogbo agree that the ancestors of Osogbo led by Lajomo, Olarooye and Olutimehin migrated from Ipole Omu in Ijesaland due to water scarcity and settled on the flood bank of the Osun River.11 These ancestors of Osogbo were grandsons of Ajibogun, a direct son of Oduduwa, the eponymous father of the Yoruba, who founded Ibokun.12 In their bid to clear the bush around their new settlement, a tree fell on the river and the water surface turned blue immediately. To the astonishment of the people, a voice came from the river saying: Laro, Timehin, gbogbo ikoko aro mi le ti fo tan meaning Laro, Timehin, you have broken all my indigo dye pots. Afterwards, settlers heard the voices of some water spirits commiserating with the goddess in these words: Oso Igbo pele o, Oso Igbo rora o meaning Wizard of the forest, sorry and take it easy.13 The name Osogbo is derived from the word Oso Igbo i.e. Wizard of the forest which referred to the goddess herself.14 In a related tradition, it is held that term Oso Igbo was actually used by the goddess to refer to Laro and Timehin when the tree fell on the river and she exclaimed: Ta lo fo ikoko aro mi o? Eyin Oso Igbo e tun de o meaning Who broke my indigo dye pots? You wizards of the forest are here again.15 Whatever the case is, it is agreed in all versions of Osogbo traditions of origin that the name originated from Oso Igbo. The Osogbo traditions continue that after this incident, the ancestors of Osogbo offered a special sacrifice to the goddess in order to placate and appease her for their misdeed. The goddess was said to have accepted the sacrifice by sending a god-fish named Iko i.e. representative to the people which was received by Olarooye, the first king of Osogbo on his palms.16 This event earned him the title Atewogbeja which means One who receives god-fish on his palms which is the traditional title of the natural ruler of Osogbo since then.17 After the offering and acceptance of the sacrifice, the goddess was said to have reappeared to the people and gave them instructions that they must continue to offer the sacrifice to her every year while she would continue to support and protect the settlement. She also gave certain instructions as to how the annual sacrifices to her should be made and promised that her Iko i.e. messenger/representative would be sent every year to pour curative water into the calabash held by the reigning Ataoja for cure of any form of ailment.
Osun Osogbo Festival: Re-enacting Osogbos Early History

There are three major categories of activities making the celebration of the annual Osun festival. These are the sacred rituals, the secular ritual drama and the numerous public entertainment activities. It must be emphasized that, among the Yoruba, rituals (etutu) are very popular and are performed to propitiate their deities, ancestors or spirits during special occasions or hard times.21 All Yoruba traditional festivals have one form of rituals or the other. Our analysis of the historical content of the Osun festival celebration would be limited to the sacred rituals and secular ritual drama of the festival which have remained intact since the inception of the festival in spite of the influence of modernisation. We would also show that the influence of modernisation on the Osun festival celebration has been felt only in the area of public entertainment activities and has not in any way affected the rituals. The Osun sacred rituals are those activities which are conducted in seclusion by the Ataoja and the Osun priests and priestesses and which reaffirm the sacred bond and re-open the pathway between the goddess and the people of Osogbo.22 On the other hand, the secular ritual drama refers to those ritual activities which are witnessed by the general public during the celebration of Osun festival.23 It must be stated that both the sacred and secular rituals of the annual Osun Osogbo festival at different places within the palace of the Ataoja and the Osun grove at the outskirt of the town. These sacred and

secular rituals associated with the annual celebration of Osun festival are reenactments of some historical events associated with the founding and early history of Osogbo as shown in this paper.
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The Osun sacred rituals are those activities which are conducted in seclusion by the Ataoja and the Osun priests and priestesses and which reaffirm the sacred bond and re-open the pathway between the goddess and the people of Osogbo.22
The annual Osun Osogbo festival is a two-week long celebration spanning sixteen days of rituals, drama and festivities.24 The various parts of the festival are led by the Ataoja, the traditional ruler of Osogbo, the Iya Osun (Osun Priestess), the Aworo Osun (Osun Priest) and other Osun devotees. The first public event of the Osun festival is the Iwo Popo i.e. traditional clearing of the major Osogbo main road which on Monday, twelve days prior to the grand finale of the festival.25 On this day, the Ataoja, accompanied by his wives, chiefs, Osun priestess and other devotees, proceed from his palace to Gbaemu at the centre of the town. At the designated point in Gbaemu, the Ataoja would sit down with his full paraphernalia of office and accept communal gifts from his subjects. Several categories of people such as traditional chiefs, local rulers, family heads, members of traditional societies, men, women and children come to pay homage to the Ataoja while he showers royal blessing on them. The Ogala of Osogbo has the responsibility of the traditional clearing of the roads and the provision of security during this exercise.26 After this traditional pathclearing rite at Gbaemu, the Ataoja returns to the palace amidst pomp and pageantry. This event symbolises the traditional clearing of the towns main road of weeds and over-grown shrubs that might hamper the easy influx of visitors to Osogbo and indicates that traditional security has been provided in the town.27 With this event, the annual Osun festival has officially commenced. The history embedded in this symbolic pathclearing (Iwo Popo) is reminiscing one of the major events associated with the founding of Osogbo. This was when the ancestors of Osogbo were faced with perennial water scarcity in Ipole and they commissioned Olutimehin, a skillful hunter, to look for possible source of water for the people to settle. When Olutimehin, Ogidan and other prominent hunters discovered the bank of Osun River, they
were the people who cleared the path leading to the place for their people to settle before their encounter with the goddess of the river. Thus, the traditional path clearing kick-starting the annual Osun festival is likened to the path clearing carried out by Olutimehin and other hunters at the inception of the settlement of Ipole migrants in Osogbo.28 It must be emphasised that path-clearing applies to most traditional activities associated with the annual celebration of Osun festival as would be seen later in this paper and it is traced to the historic path clearing by Olutimehin, the great hunter-ancestor of Osogbo. The lighting of the sixteen-point lamp known as Atupa Olojumerindinlogun (the sixteen-point lamp) is another major event of the Osun festival.29 It comes up nine days to the grand finale of the festival and the venue is the Ataojas palace courtyard. The Olojumerindinlogun lamp is a brass column that holds sixteen tray-like receptacles on which cotton and palm oil are placed.30 In his analysis of the Yoruba cosmic origin of this sixteen-point lamp, Professor Wande Abimbola has argued that the sixteen lamps represent the sixteen major Orisa who organised the world, the sixteen major Odu Ifa and the sixteen palm nuts used in Ifa divination.31 The lamps are lighted at about 7.00 p.m. on Thursday and kept burning till day break on Friday-a week to the grand finale of the Osun festival. On this day, the Ataoja, his wives and attendants, the Osun priestess and other Osun devotees dance round the lighted Lamp three times at three intervals of prayers and invocations inside the Osun shrine at the Ataojas palace.32 The Ataoja, accompanied by his relatives and traditional chiefs, is also expected to dance round the market square before he finally returns to the palace. Other events of the day include singing, dancing, drumming and spiritual invocations.33 Significantly, the origin of the Olojumerindinlogun lamp and its association with the Osun festival celebration is rooted in Osogbo traditions. According to Osogbo traditions, after the settlement of Osogbo ancestors at Oke Ohuntoto following their relocation from the bank of the Osun River, Olutimehin, the hunter and co-founder of Osogbo seized a sixteen-points lamp (Atupa Olojumerindinlogun) from some spirits dancing round it during one of his hunting expeditions.34 The tradition continues that when the goddess heard of this incident, she instructed Olarooye and Olutimehin that the seized lamp must be celebrated the way the spirits were doing when Olutimehin seized it from them anytime Osun festival is nine days to come.35 This was the origin of the lighting of the historic sixteen-point lamp during the annual celebration of Osun festival. Badejo captures the major historical events reenacted during the
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and the people of Osogbo are conducted in seclusion by the Ataoja and the Osun priests and priestesses inside the sanctuary at the Osun grove.41 However, after the sacred rituals have been carried out at the inner sanctum of the grove by the initiates (Ataoja, Osun priestess and other priests), the stage is set for the secular ritual drama during which reenactments of some historical events take place to the admiration of the general public witnessing the festival. Upon receiving the sacrifice from the Osun priestess and Osun priest, the Ataoja sits on the stone of authority in a special location at the grove, communes with his ancestors and feeds the goddess with the sacrificial items.42 Significantly, this act is a reenactment of the events of the early history of Osogbo. First, the stone on which the incumbent Ataoja sits is the same stone which Olarooye, the first Ataoja, sat on when he was to offer the first sacrifice to the goddess during the settlement of Osogbo. Also, in the same way that Olarooye communed with Osun goddess before and after offering the initial sacrifice to the goddess, the incumbent Ataoja communes with the goddess and seeks his continued support and protection in the coming year. Finally, the Ataoja feeds the goddess like his ancestor and receives good tidings just as Olarooye received god-fish on his palm which earned him the title Atewogbeja shortened to Ataoja.43 The feeding of the goddess by the Ataoja marks the end of the rituals of Osun festival and this confirms that the waters of the river are blessed. Thus, people begin to shout Ore Yeye Osun meaning We adore you Osun the Great Mother. People also begin to drink water from the river, draw water from the river into all sorts of containers while some wash their faces in it. The belief of the people is that the blessed waters of the river immediately after the sacrifice have curative powers for all diseases such as barrenness, infertility, chronic headache and other forms of ailments.44 What followed after is the return of the Ataoja and other people to the palace where singing, drumming and other forms of entertainment continue. The whole Osogbo town is thrown into festive mood afterwards. One of the important aspects of the celebration of Osun festival is the singing of Osun praise poems (Oriki Osun) and festival songs (Orin Odun) which have a lot of historical contents. Among the Yoruba, poems and songs are very important and there is no occasion in Yoruba life that is not accompanied by traditional songs of lyrical beauty.45 As a matter of fact, music for the Yoruba represents a mirror through which their culture in its totality can be understood as they are not only used to preserve and transmit their history but also used to invoke
lighting of the sixteen-point lamp in these words: The myth and history of Osogbo are dramatically reenacted throughout the lighting of the sixteen lamps. Hunters prepare a path for the Ataoja and Iya Osun from their homes to the courtyard. The hunters fire their rifles into the air announcing their entrance while musicians lead the Ataoja, then Iya Osun, dancing towards the sixteen lamps. This action reflects Olutimihins leading of Larooye, the first Ataoja, to the River Osun. Like the people of Ipole, who rejoiced at the founding of this river, the contemporary Osogbo people rejoice with drumming, song, dance, and cheers as the Ataoja approaches the Olojumerindinlogun.36 These historical events are reenacted every year during the Osun festival and therefore, serve as a means of preserving and transmitting the history of Osogbo from generations to generation.37 Between the day of the lighting of the Olojumerindinlogun lamp and the day of the grand finale of the festival, there are some traditional events carried out by the Ataoja and the Osun devotees. Prominent among these are the days earmarked for sacrifice for all the past Ataoja and their Crowns (Ojo Ibori and Iboade), sacrifice for the past Ataojas wives (Ojo Ayaba Isale), sacrifice for the House/Palace of the past Ataoja (Ojo Ogboni) and the special day on which the Ataoja feasts all his chiefs, family members and the general public and gives alms to the poor in the society.38 All these are some of the traditional events associated with the annual celebration of the Osun festival prior to the day of the grand finale. It is important to stress that the climax of the annual Osun Osogbo festival is the sacred rituals and secular ritual drama that take place at the Osun grove at the outskirt of Osogbo on the day of the grand finale of the festival where the Ataoja, the Iya Osun, the Votary Maid (Arugba Osun) and other Osun devotees offer sacrifice to the goddess. On this day, after the early morning rituals and prayers at the Osun shrine at the Ataojas palace, the Arugba leads the procession of all Osun devotees to the grove amidst pomp and pageantry.39 The Arugba carries the symbolic calabash containing the sacrificial items for the sacrifice. This calabash is believed to have been handed to the ancestors of Osogbo by Osun goddess who instructed that a royal virgin lady must carry it to the grove on the day of the festival.40 The Arugba is carefully guarded on her way to and from the grove by the Olose (i.e. Whip Boys) because she must not hit her foot on a stump or stone as this would be a bad signal for the people. Therefore, the success of the festival is dependent greatly on the hitch-free walk of the Arugba from the palace to the grove. It must be mentioned that the sacred rituals of Osun festival which reaffirm the sacred bond and renew the pathway between the goddess

the spirits of their different Orisa.46 At different times and places during the two week period of Osun celebration, Osun worshippers and devotees sing the praise and invoke the spirit of Osun goddess. As indicated earlier, Osun praise poems and songs have a lot of historical content pointing to the place of Osun goddess in Yoruba cosmic mythology and in the history of Osogbo. One of such poems that point to Osuns importance in Osogbos history is excerpted below: Sholagbade Ewuji, mo kore Yeye fOsun Taa ni o momo pOsun Osogbo Nii bOba selu Osogbo o? Osun Osogbo ni o ba mi Seyi ni temi. Meaning: Solagbade Ewuji, I salute the Great Mother, Osun Who does not know that it is the Osun Osogbo Who helps the Oba manage or rule Osogbo? Osun Osogbo is the one who will help me Accomplish this one of mine.47 The poem above contains some verses which show her historic contributions to the founding, growth and development of Osogbo. First, Osun as the Great Mother (Yeye) in the poem denotes the ability of the goddess to heal all forms of human diseases particularly those that affect mothers and children. It also connotes her ability to give children to barren women and infertile men.48 In fact, in Osogbo traditions, it is said that the goddess helped Olarooye, the first Ataoja, whose wife had problem of conception of a child, to have children after drinking from the water of the river.49 This was the origin of the belief that the goddess had power of curing barrenness and infertility and women looking for children use to throng to the grove during the celebration of the festival. Also, the clause that it is Osun who helps the Oba rule Osogbo in the poem signifies the motherly role played by the goddess in the settlement and growth of Osogbo. It is believed by the people of Osogbo that Osun goddess graciously allowed their ancestors to settle on her land and continued to give protection and security to the town since then. It is further said that the fact that Osogbo had never been defeated or conquered during a war is due to the influence of the continued support and protection of the goddess. The people of Osogbo even hold that the goddess, in fulfilment of her promise to continue to protect Osogbo from invaders, participated actively in the famous battle of Osogbo between Ibadan warriors and Fulani Jihadists by disguising as a food vendor who sold poisoned bean cake to the Jihadists leading to their incapacitation.50
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Socio-Cultural Significance of Osun Festival for Yoruba People of Osogbo

Osun goddess is everything to the people of Osogbo. She is the real founder, mother, protector, guard and the nurturer of the town.51 This is not unconnected with the role the goddess was said to have played during the settlement of the town. Therefore, the Ataoja celebrates the Osun festival in remembrance of his ancestors and in fulfillment of the covenant between the goddess and his ancestors. The Yoruba proverb that says Odo kii san ko gbagbe orisun meaning A river does not flow so far that it forgets its source captures the essence of the importance of Osun festival to the people of Osogbo in this regard. More importantly, the secular rituals of the Osun festival are a re-enactment of the events of the founding and settlement of Osogbo. For instance, the lighting of the sixteen-point lamp and the events associated with it are reminiscent of the historical events leading to the founding of Osogbo. During the lighting event, the hunters who prepare the path for the Ataoja and the Iya Osun from their homes to the courtyard are reminders of Olutimehin, the great hunter and co-founder of Osogbo who cleared the path for Olarooye and the settlers who first settled at the flood plain of Osun River. Similarly, the acts of the hunters firing their rifles into the air announcing their entrance while the Ataoja and the Iya Osun are led towards the sixteen-point lamp by the drummers reflect Olutimehins leading of Olarooye, the first Ataoja to the Osun River. Also, the excitement expressed by the people of Osogbo during the lighting of the sixteen-point lamp, is likened to the excitement of the Ipole migrants when they first discovered and settled on the flood plain of the river.52 Furthermore, the history of Osogbo is also reenacted at the Osun grove when the Ataoja sits on the historic rock at the bank of the river, feeds the goddess with the sacrificial items and receives sanctified waters of the river as was done by his ancestor, Olarooye, which earned him the title of Atewogbeja or Ataoja.53 In sum, the Osun festival celebration is an embodiment of historical legacies of the people of Osogbo. The Ataoja and the people of Osogbo attach a great importance to the Osun festival because it enables them to invoke the spirits of the goddess to continue giving divine protection to the town. It is believed by the people that the goddess has played a prominent role in the protection and security of the town right from its inception. The fact that the Fulani Jihadists were defeated by the Ibadan warriors at the battle of Osogbo in 1838 is attributed to the security of the town offered by the Osun goddess. In fact, the people of Osogbo believe that it was the Osun goddess who
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on the economic activities in the town as traders, hoteliers, transporters and other businessmen experience a boost in their respective ventures. Not only this, the sponsorship of the annual Osun festival is now being undertaken by Corporate Bodies and Business Organizations like Coca Cola Bottling Company, MTN, Global Bank and a host of others. The annual Osun festival celebration is now a responsibility of the Ataoja of Osogbo in conjunction with the Osun State Government. In sum, the Osun festival has historical, political, economic and cultural significance to the Ataoja and the entire people of Osogbo. Osun Osogbo festival has remained, in spite of the influence of Christianity and Islam, the most important traditional festival in Osogbo and arguably one of the most important in Yorubaland and among the Yoruba Diaspora.60 Due to this, the Ataoja of Osogbo, irrespective of religious affiliation, leads the annual celebration of Osun festival, not only as the birthday of the town but also in renewing the pact between him and his ancestors.
mysteriously defeated the Fulani warriors by giving them poisoned food which led to their death. Although this myth is not acceptable to the historian, the fact remains that the Fulani incursion into Yorubaland was halted at Osogbo in 1838/1840.54 The emergence of Osogbo as a safe haven for refugees of wars during the 19th century Yoruba interstate wars which earned the town the name Ilu Asala meaning Town of Safety was also attributed to the divine protection and security provided by the goddess. It was the warm reception the Ataoja gave to the Oyo refugees during the wars that led to the influx of these refugees to Osogbo leading gradually to the Oyo dominance over the Ijesa aborigines of Osogbo.55 Consequently, Osogbo is today considered an Oyo town whereas it was originally an Ijesa settlement. Also, the traditions of Osogbo relate that the town had never been invaded and conquered since its establishment and this is credited to the power of the goddess. Because of all these great feats achieved for Osogbo by the goddess, the people and their monarch show appreciation to the goddess through the annual Osun festival. The Osun festival is a veritable avenue for the Ataoja and the Osogbo people to showcase the rich cultural heritage and endowments of the town. During the annual festival, people come from various parts of the world to witness the worship of Osogbo goddess. The Osun festival has made Osogbo to become a major centre of tourist attraction in Nigeria and it is visited by tourists from the United States, Great Britain, France and the Latin American and Caribbean states like Brazil, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago and a host of others.56 The case of Susan Wenger, an Austrian woman popularly known as Adunni Olorisha who has made Osogbo her permanent abode and established several places of tourist attraction at the Osun grove deserves mention here.57 Indeed, the Osun grove in Osogbo has been listed as one of the world heritage sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).58 Also, the Federal Ministry of Culture and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments have established a National Museum in Osogbo for preserving and promoting Yoruba cultural heritage through the Osun Osogbo festival. Osun festival has become an international event and recognition of Osogbo as a major centre of Yoruba cultural heritage is not unconnected with the Osun festival.59 In addition, the celebration of the annual Osun Osogbo festival also has economic value for the people of Osogbo. During the festival, the town plays host to a huge number of visitors and tourists and this has a great impact
In addition, the celebration of the annual Osun Osogbo festival also has economic value for the people of Osogbo. During the festival, the town plays host to a huge number of visitors and tourists and this has a great impact on the economic activities in the town as traders, hoteliers, transporters and other businessmen experience a boost in their respective ventures.
Osun Osogbo Festival and Osun Sacred Grove: Aspects of Local and Global Recognitions
In spite of the disruptive influences of modernisation and foreign religions, the Osun Osogbo festival and the Osun Sacred Grove in Osogbo are today one of the few surviving sacred groves in Nigeria. The Osun festival has assumed a dimension in contemporary time that its celebration today is coordinated by the Government of Osun State. It has become one of the cardinal aspects of tourism drive and promotion of the present government led by Mr. Rauf Aregbesola. The government aims at creating a worldclass tourist resort as the state is the foremost repository of Yoruba customs and traditions. Aware of the fact that

Yoruba in the Diaspora are highly conscious of their roots and heritage, Osun State Government have marked Osun Osogbo festival and Olojo festival in Ile-Ife for global promotion and recognitions in the nearest future.61 To this end, several activities have been incorporated into the modern conduct of the Osun festival to add glamour to its celebrations. The planning of the festival in the contemporary time involves elaborate committees of experts in various fields who ensure that all aspects of the festival such as publicity and promotion; marketing, finance and administration; workshops and seminars; security, competitions and contests; reception and accommodation and so on are successful.62 One of the major activities of the Osun festival celebration today is the festival business exposition where some of the Yoruba cultural items are exhibited at the palace of the Ataoja and Osun grove. The cultural expo during the Osun festival also affords the visitors the opportunity of buying some traditional Yoruba cultural items like clothes of various types, beads, caps, shoes and so on in their original forms. In addition, contests and competitions in various activities have also been incorporated into the activities lined up for the celebration of Osun festival. There is what is called the Isese Contest where students or experts in Ifa Recitation (Odu Ifa) compete for a prize. Also, there is Ayo Olopon contest where people who are versed in the game compete for a prize. Ayo Olopon game is one of the prominent traditional Yoruba games usually engaged in by youths and adults alike during leisure times. Interestingly, there is the Omidan Osun (Miss Osun) Beauty Pageant and fashion shows where ladies compete for the most beautiful girl dressed in Yoruba traditional attires. Other activities usually lined up for Osun festival celebration in contemporary time include film shows, theatre stage performance, Egungun (masquerade) display and traditional Yoruba musical concerts featuring famous, highly placed and talented musicians such as Apala, Sewele, Bata, Juju, and Fuji super stars. All these activities add both traditional and modern flavour to the annual celebration of the festival. An important aspect of the contemporary nature of the celebration of the Osun festival is the organization of several key workshops, seminars and symposia on cultural appreciation, rejuvenation, investment and tourism potentials of Osun grove and its subsidiaries as well as other places of cultural importance in Osogbo. During these activities, speakers are drawn from such bodies as the Federal and State Ministries of Culture and Tourism, Centre for Black and African Culture and Civilisation (CBAAC), United Nations Educational, Scientific
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and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council and a host of others. Even on the day of the grand finale of the festival at the Osun grove, it is usual that the Ataoja of Osogbo, the governor of Osun State, the Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation and other distinguished guests from relevant bodies give their remarks and goodwill messages to the people of Osogbo and the general public that witness the festival. All these are modern innovations to the celebration of the festival. They add colour to the grandeur of the celebration of the festival. It is important to stress that they do not in any way affect the sacred and secular rituals of the festival which are fixed in nature and not subject to alteration or innovation. It is in these fixed and religiously guided rituals that the early history of the people of Osogbo are carefully preserved and reenacted annually during the celebration of the festival.
Osun Grove as a National Monument Site and UNESCO World Heritage Site
The grove is of historical significance as it is the origin of Osogbo where the early founders of Osogbo Oba Gbadewoolu Larooye and his great elephant hunter friend Olutimehin first settled after their migration from Ipole Omu in about 1670 A.D. The grove means different things to numerous and diverse people and even animals that had contact with it. For example, to the indigenes of Osogbo, the grove is the symbol of the development of Osogbo society from its pre-historic beginning to the present. Thus, the grove is like a matrix from which Osogbo incubated, giving birth to the child in the form of Osogbo Society. In a nutshell, the roots of Osogbo town lay deep in the grove which harbours various landmarks and features, in the form of shrines, temples, rocks, market, trees, animals and so on. The Osun River itself is of great importance to the people. All these are still very much active in the spiritual and physical well beings of the Osogbo people.63 Each of these above mentioned landmarks has its significance in the life and history of Osogbo society. For example, the most important is the sacred stone stool on which the first King, Oba Larooye sat to rule within the first palace in the grove. This is followed by the shrine of Osun where the Yeye Osun can consult the deity. And at the place of the second Ataoja palace lies now the Ogboni House that involves the traditional worship of earth divinity (Onile). This is where members of the Ogboni Secret Society meet. These two sacred places are believed to constitute the spiritual and power base of the political authority of the Ataoja. The grove can also be taken as a school where priests and priestesses as well as devotees are taught and
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and temporal unity with their deities.
initiated into their religious callings. Membership into the various cults such as the Ogboni, herbal medicine and the art of divination, through Ifa oracle system are initiated in the grove. Thus the grove is a place of weekly worship (in fact, every 5 days) where devotees come individually to renew themselves, offer presents, redeem their pledges or consult Osun goddess and other deities. To some other people, the Osun Osogbo Sacred grove is a giant natural pharmacy which houses more than 200 species of plants that have medicinal values. It is today a symbol of identity for the whole Yoruba Community and those who are adepts of the Ifa divination system not only in Nigeria but in West Africa and in the African Diaspora related to the slave trade in Brazil and in the Antilles (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago and the Afro Americans in American.64 All the living contents in the grove and river are regarded as the totemic children of the Osun goddess therefore fishing, poaching, hunting, felling of trees and other negative activities are regarded as sacrilegious and forbidden by customary laws and religious sanctions in the grove. Quite importantly, the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove was declared as National Monuments in 1965 and placed under its custody by Decree 77 of 1979. The Grove therefore came under the watchful eyes of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM). On July 15, 2005 in Durban, South Africa, the Grove became inscribed as the Second World Heritage Site in Nigeria and the first of its kind in South-Western geo-political region of Nigeria by UNESCO.65 Here, the Grove has remained a clear evidence of the origin of Osogboland which has retained all the characteristics and landmarks of successive occupation of the olden days. It is a sanctuary where people consult and communicate with their deities. In fact, activities within the Grove attest to the belief that it has remained clear evidence to the traditional wisdom of man where equilibrium between man and nature has been established.66 The above is to say that the Grove and the city of Osogbo are now complementary of each other wherein all the past activities and values of Yoruba traditional religious have been elevated from local to international level. Osun Osogbo grove is directly and tangibly associated with events or living traditions, ideas and beliefs. The truism of this is seen in the numerous artistic works, oral history, information and documentary that are of outstanding universal significance that came out from Osogbo. For example, the annual Osun Osogbo festival is directly and tangibly linked with the grove. The festival brings the Osogbo people and their Yoruba kin and kith into spiritual
Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove was declared as National Monuments in 1965 and placed under its custody by Decree 77 of 1979. The Grove therefore came under the watchful eyes of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM). On July 15, 2005 in Durban, South Africa, the Grove became inscribed as the Second World Heritage Site in Nigeria and the first of its kind in South-Western geo-political region of Nigeria by UNESCO.65
By law, the Federal and State Government are the legal owners of all declared sites and monuments in Nigeria while the communities only exercise cultural rights. However, the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove has a legal status since the day it was declared as a National Monument in the year 1965 and a further extension of this declaration was made in 1992. The management of the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove as carried out by three separate Agencies. These are: The Federal Government of Nigeria that is represented by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments at the national level; Osun State Government at the state level; National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Osogbo, The Oba of Osogbo (Ataoja in Council) and other Osun Chieftains, The Osogbo Local Government, The Olorunda Local Government, Non-Governmental Organisations such as Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council (OCHC), Osun Grove Support Group (OGSG), the Ogboni Sacred Society and Adunni Olorisa Trust (AOT) and a host of others.
Conclusion
This paper has accounted for the origin of Osun Osogbo festival, the highlights of its celebration and its significance for the people of Osogbo. More importantly, it has been shown that Osun festival, to the people of Osogbo is beyond a cultural festival but it is everything to them: their past, present and their future. This is because they see the festival as embodiment of their history and culture and thence their life. Beyond Osogbo and its people, the Osun festival has gained wider relevance, importance and recognitions and it has become not only one of the

most popular cultural festivals in Nigeria but also one of the few Nigerias festivals and groves to attain the status of UNESCOs world heritage site. The paper also shows that the present government of Osun State has adopted Osun festival and Osun sacred grove as part of the major cultural items to be promoted for global tourist attractions. It is concluded in this paper that the future of Osun festival and it sacred grove appears to be more promising than its glorious past and present if the present tempo of commitment to its promotion is sustained.
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Magazine (Osogbo: Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council, 1987), p.3 Ibid. Ibid. Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi, pp. 109-114 Ibid., p.110
29
Wande Abimbola, Ifa Divination Poetry (New York: Nok Publishers, 1977). Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi, pp.109-114 Ibid.
Oparanti, G.O., The Origin of Osun Osogbo Festival Osun Osogbo Festival 2004 Official Magazine (Osogbo: Office of the Ataoja of Osogbo and Osun State Government, 2004), pp.10-11 Ibid. Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi, pp. 111-114
35 36 37
Notes and References

See R. Hackett, Art & Religion in Africa: Some Observations and Reflections, Journal of Religion in Africa (24) (1994) p.294 and M. Herbert, The Art of Festival in Ghana, African Arts 8(3) (1975), p.12
1
J. Pemberton & F. Afolayan (eds.), Yoruba Sacred Kingship: A Power like That of the Gods (Washington, London: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1996), p.99
2 3 Tourism Development in Osun State (A Publication of the Osun State Ministry of Tourism & Culture, 2008) 4
It has been identified by Falola that one important thing about oral traditions particularly rituals, songs and poems is that the process of preserving and transmitting them go hand in hand. See Toyin Falola, Trends in Nigerian Historiography TransAfrican Journal of History, Vol. No. 1 and 2, (1981). As for Osun festival and its rituals, the people in charge are trained and experienced specialists comprising old and young who religiously guide the events of the festival to ensure that no detail is lost. See Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council, Osun Osogbo Festival 1987 Official Magazine, p.3
38
See S.O. Arifalo and Olukoya Ogen, The Yoruba in History up to 1987 (Lagos: First Academic Publishers, 2003), pp.2-3
5 Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi: The Elegant Deity of Wealth, Power and Femininity (Trenton, N.J: Africa World Press, 1996), p.2 6 7
39 Olufemi Osunmakinde, Osun Osogbo Festival: Votary Maid (Arugba Osun) as an Attraction Osun Osogbo Festival 2004 Official Magazine (Osogbo: Office of the Ataoja of Osogbo and Osun State Government, 2004), pp.26-27 40 41 42 43 44 45 46
Oparanti, G.O., The Origin of Osun Festival, p.10 Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi, pp. 120-122 Ibid., p.121 Awe, Bolanle and Olawale, Albert, Historical Development of Osogbo, p.2 Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi, p.121 Beier, H.V., Yoruba Vocal Music African Music, Vol. 1, No. 1, (1956), p.23
Ibid.
Joseph M. Murphy and Mei-Mei San, Introduction in Joseph M. Murphy and Mei-Mei Sanford, (eds.), Osun Across the Waters: A Yoruba Goddess in Africa and the Americas (Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2001), p.2
8 9
Ibid.
Afolabi, Kayode, Osun in Colours: Pictorial History of the River Goddess, Osun (Charleston, South Carolina: BookSurge LCC, 2006), pp.135-136
10 11
Owomoyela, Oyekan, Introduction in Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi, p.xxiii
Omojola, B., Kiriboto Music in Yoruba Culture Journal of International Committee on Anthropological and Ethnographical Research (1992). Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi, pp.22-23 Ibid., p.121
See, for instance: Falade, S.A., The Comprehensive History of Osogbo (Ibadan: Tunji Owolabi Commercial Press, 2000), p.68; Awe, Bolanle and Albert, Olawale, Historical Development of Osogbo in Adepegba, C.O. (ed.), Osogbo: Model of Growing African Towns (Ibadan: Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, 1995); Farotimi, D.O., Osun Festival in the History of Osogbo (Lagos: Facelift Concept, 1990); Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council, History of Osogbo (Osogbo: Igbalaye Press Ltd., 2007). Ibid. Awe, Bolanle and Albert Olawale, Historical Development of Osogbo, p.3 Ibid. See also Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council, History of Osogbo, p.14 Awe, Bolanle and Albert, Olawale, Historical Development of Osogbo, p.3 Ibid. Ibid.
47 48 49
For details on the relationship between Osun goddess and the Ataoja Institution, see Afolabi Kayode, Osun Osogbo: Sacred Places and Sacred People (Charleston, South Carolina: BookSurge LLC, 2006). See also Oluponna, J.K., Orisa Osun: Yoruba Sacred Kingship and Civil Religion in Osogbo, Nigeria in Joseph M. Murphy and Mei-Mei Sanford, (eds.), Osun Across the Waters, pp.46-67 Awe, Bolanle and Albert Olawale, Historical Development of Osogbo, p.5 Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi, p.106, Awe, Bolanle and Albert Olawale, Historical Development of Osogbo, pp.1-8; Falade, S.A., The Comprehensive History of Osogbo, pp.174-176; Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council, History of Osogbo, pp.14-15 Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi,pp.109-114 Awe Bolanle and and Albert Olawale, Historical Development of Osogbo, p.2
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
50 51
52 53 54
Oparanti, G.O., The Origin of Osun Festival Osun Osogbo 2004 Official Magazine (Osogbo: Office of the Ataoja of Osogbo and Osun State Government, 2004), p.10
19 20
Ibid.
Abubakar, S., The Established Caliphate: Sokoto, the Emirates and their Neighbours in Ikime, O., (ed.), Groundwork of Nigerian History (Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1980), p.720 Ajayi, J.F.A. and Akintoye, S.A., Yorubaland in the Nineteenth century in Ikime, O., (ed.), Groundwork of Nigerian History (Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1980), pp.280-302)
55
Joseph M. Murphy and Mei-Mei Sanford, Introduction in Joseph M. Murphy and Mei-Mei Sanford, (eds.), Osun Across the Waters, p.3
21
Drewal, Margaret Thompson, Yoruba Rituals: Performers, Play, Agency (Bloomington, Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1992), p.19
22 Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi, pp.106-107. See also Joseph M. Murphy and MeiMei Sanford, Introduction in Joseph M. Murphy and Mei-Mei Sanford, (eds.), Osun Across the Waters, p.3 23 24 25
Falade, S.A., The Comprehensive History of Osogbo, p.90; Omosimua, O., Osun Osogbo Opens Tourism Mines in Nigeria The Capitol: The Authoritative Tourism Magazine, vol. 1 No 2. (2006), pp.10-17
56 57
Omosebi, J. A Hermit and Her Hermitage The Capitol: The Authoritative Tourism Magazine, vol. 1 No 2. Omosebi, 2006, pp.16-17
Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi, p.107 Ibid., p.103
Falade, S.A., The Comprehensive History of Osogbo (Ibadan: Tunji Owolabi Commercial Press, 2000), pp.176-177 See Osogbo Cultural Heritage Council, Osun Osogbo Festival 1987 Official
26
58 H.R.M Oba Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi III, Ataoja of Osogbo, 2004, Royal Message on the Occasion of the Grand Finale of the 2004 Osun Festival Celebration Osun Osogbo Festival 2004 Official Magazine.Ataoja, 2004, pp.6-8 and Omosimua, O., Osun Osogbo Opens Tourism Mines in Nigeria The Capitol: The Authoritative Tourism Magazine, vol. 1 No 2. 2006, pp.16-17
30
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1. No. 1 30 African Culture and InternationalVol Understanding
59 S.O. Arifalo and Olukoya Ogen, The Yoruba, pp.2-3 and Omosimua, O., Osun Osogbo Opens Tourism Mines in Nigeria The Capitol: The Authoritative Tourism Magazine, vol. 1 No 2. (2006), pp.10-17 60 61
Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi, p.xxiii
See Osun State Government, Treasures of Osun (Osogbo: Osun State Government, 2011), pp.3-4
62
See, for instance, 2004 Osun Festival Features in Osun Osogbo Festival 2004 Official Magazine (Osogbo: Office of the Ataoja of Osogbo and Osun State Government, 2004), p.5. See S.B. Amusa Oral Traditions and the History of Osogbo: A Study in Traditional Historical Preservation in Adegboyega Ajayi and S. Idowu Fabarebo, (eds.), Oral Traditions in Black and African Civilization (Lagos: Concept Publications for Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), 2009), 395-408 S.B. Amusa, Oral Traditions and the History of Osogbo: A Study in Traditional Historical Preservation in Adegboyega Ajayi and S. Idowu Fabarebo, (eds.), Oral Traditions in Black and African Civilization (Lagos: Concept Publications for Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), 2009), p.340 Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria , Osun Osogbo Sacred Groves Nomination to the World Heritage List (Abuja: National Commission for Museums and Monuments, 2004)
63
64
65
to designated Living Human Treasures, so that they can assume their responsibilities for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage. These measures aim especially at: 1. The perpetuation and development of their knowledge and skills; 2. The transmission of their knowledge and skills to the younger generations through formal or non formal training programmes; 3. Contributing to the documenting and recording of the intangible cultural heritage concerned (e.g. video or audio recording and publications) 4. Dissemination of their knowledge and skills; and 5. Any additional duties entrusted to them.
66 Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Osun Osogbo Sacred Groves Nomination to the World Heritage List (Abuja: National Commission for Museums and Monuments, 2004)
2013 Third Governing Board meeting

The Governing Board of the Institute chaired by His Excellency, Dr. Christopher Kolade held its third meeting on March 1, 2013. A major decision of the Board is the expansion of the Institutes focal countries to a Francophone country to be selected after consultations and also to South Africa. Professor Chris Wanjala was appointed the National Coordinator of the Institute for Kenya.
News of the Institute

Rejuvenation of the Living Human Treasures Programme in Africa
The 2012 Annual Report

The 2012 Annual Report of the Institute has been published. The report documents the activities of the Institute in its three focal countries- Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria during the course of 2012 and provides a sneak preview of activities for 2013. The audited accounts of the Institute for 2012 is a major highlight of the report.
ACIU is poised to rejuvenate the UNESCO Living Human Treasures programme in Africa beginning from its catchment countries. The primary purpose of establishing national Living Human Treasures systems is to preserve the knowledge and skills necessary for the performing, enactment or recreation of intangible cultural heritage elements with high historical, artistic or cultural value. Living Human Treasures are therefore, persons who possess to a high degree the knowledge and skills required for performing or re-creating such specific elements of the intangible cultural heritage. The programme aims at encouraging Member States to grant official recognition to talented tradition bearers and practitioners, thus contributing to the transmission of their knowledge and skills to the younger generations. States select such persons on the basis of their accomplishments and of their willingness to convey their knowledge and skills to others. The selection is also based on the value of the traditions and expressions concerned as a testimony of the human creative genius, their roots in cultural and social traditions, their representative character for a given community, as well as their risk of disappearance. Besides public recognition, the system includes measures for the provision of, for example, special grants/subsidies
Forthcoming publications
The Institute is finalising discussions with Sterling Publishers on the publication of two tiles. These are: Cultural Expressions in Africa: Preserving the Past / Adapting to the Future; and Women and Youth at the Vanguard of Promoting Cultural Security and Development in Africa. Both books are expected to be launched by September.
Vol 2. No. 2
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About the Institute

The Institute for African Culture and International Understanding, a UNESCO Category 2 Institute of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun State was approved by the Executive Board of UNESCO in October 2008 and formally commissioned at its OOPL site on January 9, 2009 by Koichiro Matsuura, the immediate-past Director-General of UNESCO.
Vision
The vision of the Institute is to increase inter-cultural dialogue and international understanding between Africa and other civilisations.
Mission
The mission of the institute is to preserve Africas cultural heritage, promote and strengthen renaissance in African cultures both at the regional and international levels.
Aims of the Institute

The institute aims at: raising awareness among stakeholders at the national, regional and international levels about the important role played by cultural diversity and its corollary, intercultural dialogue, for social cohesion in pluralistic societies; facilitating the network of sister institutions working in these fields and inducing relevant academic and scientific studies; providing a platform of genuine cooperation for specialists in African culture; providing capacity-building through the promotion of knowledge-sharing about spiritual and other religious traditions and their underlying values in order to strengthen harmonious coexistence; and highlighting the values of diversity and dialogue by studying tangible and intangible heritage as well as contemporary cultural expressions in the African region and the Diaspora (through inventories and catalogues, including in digitised form, disseminating and exhibiting collections and other relevant materials).
Governing Board
Chairman: Dr. Christopher Kolade. Members: Ambassador (Dr.) Mary M. Khimulu, Ambassador Denise Houphouet-Boigny, Ambassador Mohamed Sameh Amr, Ambassador Dolana Msimang, Country Rep. UNESCO; Mr. George Ufot (Representative of the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation), Mrs Magdalene AneneMaidoh, Secretary-General, National Commission for UNESCO; Professor Peter Okebukola; Sultan of Sokoto Muhammad Saad Abubakar III, Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe.
Secretariat
Professor Peter Okebukola (Director), Omotayo Ikotun, Vitalis Ortese, Damian Oyibo, Oladiran Olaniyi, Ibukun Olagbemiro, Akintayo Peters, Tunde Sobola
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Vol 2. No. 2
Institute for African Culture and International Understanding Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Oke-mosan, Abeokuta, Nigeria Tel: +2348022904423; +2348023400030 Website: www.iaciu-oopl.org
AIR MAIL
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Editor
Peter A. Okebukola
Editorial Office
Institute for African Culture and International Understanding Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Oke-mosan, Abeokuta, Nigeria Tel: +2348022904423; +2348023400030 Website: www.iaciu-oopl.org
Invitation to Potential Authors

We welcome articles and reports for publication in the journal. Such articles should be succinct and should convey messages in line with the aims and objectives of the Institute. Articles should be sent to peter@okebukola.com.
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in the articles in this journal are those of the authors and do not represent the official view of the Institute. Institute for African Culture and International Understanding, OOPL, Abeokuta

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IACIU Journal Vol 2 No. 2 April-June, 2013

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African Culture and International Understanding

Volume 2 No. 2 April-June, 2013

African Culture and International Understanding

Focus on East Africa

Focus on West Africa

African Culture and International Understanding

Fostering Cultural Security in Africa through Investment in Women and Youth

The South African Experience

African Culture and International Understanding

Globalisation and Cultural Security

African Culture and International Understanding

African Culture and International Understanding An Optimistic but Wobbly Beginning

Some Contending Issues

African Culture and International Understanding

The burden of the colonial past

Supply and Demand Gap of Teachers

African Culture and International Understanding

Poor school attendance by girls

African Culture and International Understanding

Efforts of the African Union

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

African Culture and International Understanding

Promoting the African Cultural Dream through Effective Leadership

African Culture and International Understanding

The African Cultural Dream

African Culture and International Understanding

African Culture and International Understanding

African Culture and International Understanding

Poetry Performance in the Promotion of African Cultural Values

African Culture and International Understanding

Variety of Performers and Performances

Origin of Drums and Songs

African Culture and International Understanding

Global Culture Versus Local African Culture

Some Recommendations and Conclusion

African Culture and International Understanding

African Culture and International Understanding

African Culture and International Understanding

Kenyan Women Rise to the Challenge

The Issue of Cultural Security

African Culture and International Understanding

African Culture and International Understanding

Recommendations and Conclusion

African Culture and International Understanding

African Culture and International Understanding

Osun Osogbo Festival: Re-enacting Osogbos Early History

African Culture and International Understanding

African Culture and International Understanding

African Culture and International Understanding

Socio-Cultural Significance of Osun Festival for Yoruba People of Osogbo

African Culture and International Understanding

African Culture and International Understanding

African Culture and International Understanding

African Culture and International Understanding

Notes and References

Owomoyela, Oyekan, Introduction in Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi, p.xxiii

Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi, p.107 Ibid., p.103

1. No. 1 30 African Culture and InternationalVol Understanding

Badejo, Diedre, Osun Seegesi, p.xxiii

2013 Third Governing Board meeting

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The 2012 Annual Report

African Culture and International Understanding

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