Ife Development Board (IDB) has stated that Ife Day 2022 would celebrate cultural heritage and development which would define the uniqueness of Ile-Ife as the cradle of the Yoruba people and of mankind in general.
The Chairman, Ife Day 2022, Dr. Yomi Layinka, made this known during the Press Conference addressed by the Ife Development Board (IDB), on Friday, at the IDB Secretariat, in Ile-Ife.
Layinka said that the efforts of the Nigerian media in being reliable and enthusiastic partners in the bid to consolidate cultural heritage and development cannot be over-emphasised.
He added that the community has been an inheritor of this proud heritage which bears the historic responsibility of living up to its established accomplishments acknowledged by historians and archaeologists that developed stone, iron, bronze, and brass technology in the early ages.
According to him, such eminent pedigree must continuously renew, re-plan, innovate and strategise to maximise the current human and material resources to position the people for greater development and peace.
He acknowledged their ancestors for blessing them with the vibrant, visionary and brilliant leadership, whose youthful energy and enterprising initiatives have added value to the social and economic development of Ile-Ife.
According to him, the Day would also mark the seventh coronation anniversary of the 51st Ooni of Ife.
He expressed further that the epochal event will equally feature the public presentation of IFEVISION 2050 which is the roadmap for the implementation of the Ife Development Agenda.
Other activities include the 7th coronation anniversary, which will enable the people of Ife and their friends globally to appreciate the agenda of peace and development enunciated by the Ooni on his ascension to the throne seven years ago.
“Despite unwarranted provocations from various quarters and agitations by many who still feel aggrieved over land matters, Oba Ogunwusi has contributed his quota as the ambassador of peace.
“He called for cooperation and encouraging harmonization not only among people of Yoruba descent but between peoples of various cultures and nationalities.
“We are happy that the Federal Government, in recognition of his herculean efforts, recently decorated him with the well-deserved national honour of the Commander of Federal Republic, CFR, commended as a promoter of peace and unity,” he stated.
The Chairman explained that the second objective for Ife Day 2022 is the unveiling of the Ife Vision 2050, which is a critical phase of renewed efforts to harness the potential of the environment for communal progress.
Layinka said that as a part of that agenda, the IDB in 2020, passed a resolution to hold a workshop to explore the strategy of Ife Vision 2030.
He noted that in October and November 2021, the series of workshops enabled them to develop the 30-year Urban Renewal Development plan leveraging the four pillars of agriculture, mining, tourism and technology.
Accordingly, there is an Agro-Allied Industrial Park being planned with national and multilateral development partners to be sited in Ifeland.
“This would facilitate the processing of agricultural products into semi-finished and finished products.
“Such an intervention would offer practical solutions to some of the challenges facing our farmers like producing raw agricultural products which tend to attract low market prices and short shelf lives.
“When fully completed, the industrial park which shall initially begin with about 10-15 acres shall have storage facilities, food processing factories, and offices for regulatory agencies,” he stated.
The Chairman pointed out that there is also a forestry products committee, chaired by the former director of forestry in Osun State, Dr. Fayenuwo, also working to add the forestry value chain to the proposed park.
‘In executing this vision and roadmap, we would be partnering with domestic and international, private and public sector agencies involved in the Agricultural value chain.
“We are already in consultation with some of these agencies whose representatives are already on board and still be joining us at the vision unveiling ceremony on Friday 9th December, 2022.
“Other industrial estates dedicated to the mining, tourism, and technology sub-sectors shall be launched at future editions of Ife Day,” he noted.
Layinka explained that the programme would flag-off on Dec 9, while the grand-finale would be on Dec 10 with different dignitaries from home and abroad that would grace the occasion with the theme “Home Coming.”
The Chairman called on Ife sons and daughters, corporate friends and associates, to jointly make this historic celebration of development a success.
www.ifeday.com website, with various social media as Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and Linkedln, he announced, has been launched for people to facilitate participation and provide regular updates.
