Udiroko Festival: Professor Oyarekua Extends Felicitations to Ewi, Ado Progressives

By Oluronke Kuku

Professor Mojisola Adenike Oyarekua, a popular and prominent Ado Ekiti Indigene, also academic icon has extended warm felicitations to the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe Aladesanmi III, members of the Ado Progressives Union (APU), and all sons and daughters of Ado Ekiti ahead of the 2025 Udiroko Festival.

This year’s edition promises to be a grand celebration of Ado Ekiti’s rich cultural heritage, unity, and progress.

Professor Oyarekua, a princess of Ado Ekiti and former Provost of the College of Education, Ikere Ekiti, described the Udiroko Festival as a unifying force that upholds ancestral identity, cultural pride, and collective aspirations of Ado indigenes globally.

She commended Oba Adejugbe for his leadership and efforts in sustaining the cultural heritage of Ado land through the annual Udiroko celebrations.

The professor noted that the festival serves as a symbolic traditional new year for Ado Ekiti and a rallying point for development, peace, and strengthening communal bonds.

She urged the younger generation to show greater interest in the town’s history and customs, which are rich in lessons and inspiration for responsible citizenship and leadership.

Professor Oyarekua also highlighted the importance of promoting cultural tourism through festivals like Udiroko, which can attract investors, historians, and cultural tourists to Ado Ekiti, boosting the local economy and creating opportunities for artisans and creatives.

The Ado Progressives Union (APU) was commended for its development initiatives and humanitarian causes, working in tandem with the palace and the people.

Professor Oyarekua prayed for continued peace in Ado Ekiti, good health, and a long reign for the Ewi, and increased cooperation among the people of the town.