Whispering Palms Resort

Whispering Palms is a conference resort centre occupying about 8 acres of land located in Iworo, Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State. The resort lies on the Lagoon and typifies the beauty of the area’s cool Atlantic breeze, sillica sands, palm trees and chirping birds.

It offers ecological, beach and aquatic tourism where tourist can view some of the exotic animals and birds in its mini zoo with monkeys, crocodiles, turtles and peacocks. Sun and sand, a host of colourful beach umbrellas dot the beach front.

It is equipped with modern recreational and relaxation spots facilities such as football pitch, fitness centre and massage room, lawn tennis court, basketball court, volleyball court, table tennis, mini golf course, swimming pool, pedal boats, water fountains and many other relaxation facilities.

Beach huts, numerous mini gardens that host various Nigerian carvings and artworks, including bronze heads of various Yoruba deities dot the landscape of the resort.

It is also exciting to tour the numerous gardens and the waterfront where you encounter such surprises as the trunk of the Mango Tree that is over 100 years old, various works of art and statues that dotted the gardens and the majestic bust of Yemoja, the Yoruba water goddess at the waterfront.

Hotel accommodation at Whispering Palms ranges from luxury to simple but very nice and clean rooms.

Whispering Palms resort offers you respite in a fast-paced city like Lagos where everyone is part of the maddening crowd. There are many useful recreational facilities and relaxation spots, that will help ease out stress, while the environment is suitable for a romantic and family camping experience.

A visit to Whispering Palms cannot be complete without checking out this mini museum where relics of the inglorious history of slave trade of the past centuries are on display, such as slave chains and images of historically important locations such as the site where Christianity was first preached in Nigeria in 1842.

On offer also is a choice of cuisine from Nigeria to Continental- with exotic dishes like coconut shrimps, Spanish paella, Cantonese chicken, Ogbono spiced with Ugu and bitter leaf etc.

Culled from cometonigeria.com

Showcasing Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage

Mr. Anthony Ayodeji Joseph is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Eko Promotion based in Lagos State. He speaks on their mission to Osun State among others with our Correspondent Richard Akintade in Osogbo the state capital.

Who are you?
Answer – Eko Promotion is a subsidiary of F-Peter Andrews and Sons Ltd, U.K which specializes in the planning, management, promotion and production of events that focus on the promotion of African arts and culture through music, dance, drama and culinary arts, with a view to positively impacting our communities and the whole of Nigeria.
We work closely with corporate organisation to create promotional events which help to communicate their products and ideas to clients and potential clients. We also produce corporate hospitality events like concerts, awards ceremonies, film premieres, release parties, fashion show and other commercial shows among others.

What brought you to Osun State?
Answer - We are here in Osun State, Nigeria, to seek the government’s approval in presenting the beautiful cultural heritage of our land in the United Kingdom during the forthcoming Notting Hill Carnival, coming up on the 26th and 27th of August this year.
Before embarking in this programme, my Creative Director, Yvonne Abosede Akindipe, myself and other members of the crew sought for the blessing of our royal fathers of which we received from the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse 11, Olufon Of Ifon-Orolu Kingdon, Oba Abdul Maroof Adekunle Magbagbeola, Ataoja Of Osogbo land, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji-Larooye 11 and Olukoyi of Ikoyi land,Oba Yisau Oyetunji Bantale Otunla-Kodaolu 1.

Why did you want to showcase Osun State at the carnival?
Answer - Thank you very much. You see, Ile-Ife is the source of the Yoruba race and also we see that the Notting Hill Carnival is based only on Caribbean show. So, we want to inject our own cultural heritage into it to make it more colourful. We know that Osun State as one of the frontline states in Nigeria is committed to promoting tourism through the production of carnivals. Also, Osun Osogbo festival is one of the many festivals that are celebrated, so, Osun State participation in Notting Hill Carnival will be a continuation of its commitment to the promotion and preservation of Yoruba Cultural Heritage and Tradition. It will also showcase a contrasting but complimentary black culture with an entirely African flower in an atmosphere that is predominantly Caribbean, thereby ultimately creating a merging of the two into an Afro-Caribbean culture. Bearing it in mind that, Notting Hill is the second largest carnival in the whole world, and as such is visited by millions of people from different nations. So, Osun State participation will bring an increase of international exposure for the state in particular, Yoruba cultural heritage, Nigeria and African heritage in general.

What is the importance and significance?
Answer - The significance and importance are numerous, but I will break it down for everybody to understand.

First and foremost, we want to take the Yoruba culture to international level because the Yoruba culture is spread all over the world. Secondly, we wanted to promote Osun State economically as a tourist haven to a large audience thereby attracting more visitors, tourists and participants internationally. Thirdly, to culturally showcase the rich cultural heritage and hospitality of Osun State and the Yoruba ethnic group, this will also serve as a means of cultural exchange and international exposure for Osun State.
Fourthly, to educate people through the religious teaching of ancestral spirits and traditional religious value; Fifthly, to educationally inform a large gathering of people about the culture and tradition of Osun State and the Yorubas, as well as creating an avenue for different groups in Osun State and Yoruba's in Diaspora coming together as one body.

And finally, to politically showcase Osun as the cradle of Yoruba civilization and also confirm Governor Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola's commitment to tourism development and to the promotion and preservation of tradition.

Q-How many performers would the carnival entails?
Answer - The participation will involve about 40 performers and artists.

Osun devotees will be dressed in all white colours and accessories; this will provide a noticeable contrast to the colours of the carnival. Also, egungun will appear in different costumes to provide collages of brilliant African colours, that is, red, yellow, green and black. The egungun will dance with their costumes in circles such that the bits of cloth decorated with mirrors and metals fly through the air.

Igunnu may be included in its cylindrical outfit with assortment of glassware of different shapes and colours to provide artistry and some form of magical arts, stretching to heights of three meters or more and then collapsing all the way to the ground.

Also, Bata and Gangan drummers will provide the beats, sounds and rhythms of Africa. They will be dressed in agbada made with colourful Ankara fabrics, providing indigenous African music for the Egungun, dancers and Sango performers. The Sango devotees will provide entertainment with fine display and plaited hair, dancing while waving their dance wants to illustrate Sango's hot temper. To cap it all, traditional dances will accompany the drummers, dressed in full aso-oke agbada outfits. Their dancing performance shall be choreographed to exhibit the fast, jarky and angular movements that also symbolise the forceful nature of Sango.

Lastly, the state governor of Osun will host Osun State indigents at a dinner and party at the venue where all performers would be present.

Q-What is the first step to be taken by interested participants?
Answer - There is going to be a form from us to the general public at a place to be announced and published in a short while. By the end of this month the form are going to be ready and will be free of charge, after submission of the form, there is going to be a screening exercise in order to shortlist the qualified candidates.

Odemimon Festival Otuoke

Otuoke is the headquarters of Ogbia Central Government Area, is located in the present day Bayelsa State and it is a centrally located community in Ogbia.

Otuoke is made up of four compounds – Yizi, Ewokiri, Apolo Swan, Apolo Tama and Otuaba. The Odemimon Festival is as old as the community itself.

The birth of the Odemimon Festival is circumstantial, during the floods when the River Orashi overflows its banks into the bushes and towns, snails and animals make any available dry land their home. And this is normally a good season for hunting and picking of snails, because on one of such snail hunting expeditions by the youths of Otuoke, they stumbled upon a calabash structure (Obuo) used for drinking palm wine.

This they later discovered, was a totem for a deity and decided to use the Obuo as mask for a masquerade display. They prepared a shirt woven out of palm fronts, they used the leaves of a shrub (Ipumu) to weave a crown and collected native rattles (Ikpokoro). These they wore on the first person on the line; a young man name Obasuku and danced to the town.

The same period the next year, Obasuku fell sick and when his family consulted the oracles. It was revealed that the masquerade performance should be continued as a festival.

The masquerade dance became hereditary which resulted in the person to carry the masquerade each year to be an old man from the Obasuku family, and is appointed by the deity. The Obasuku family also takes charge of the welfare of the masquerade.

The timing of the festival is based on moon counting. It is normally celebrated before the appearance of the moon in October. Thus, the last Saturday of October was chosen as the day of the celebration. But the activities start on Thursday and rounds off on Saturday.

On Thursday, there is an inter-community traditional wrestling (Ogbudu anda) among the youths. On this occasion, wrestling talents are normally discovered.

On Friday, cultural dances are featured in the day. And in modern times a band normally entertains in the night.

On Saturday, the grand finale, first, two masquerades (male and female) dressed in weeds dance round the town escorted by youths. At about 2.00pm the festival masquerade (Akpo) is ushered in from Akpo creek with gunshots (loaded with gunpowder and carbide) fired at it. The masquerade chases people based on where the shots are fired from.

The festival is always celebrated amidst heavy downpour, indicating that all is well with the masquerade carrier. Lack of rains on that day is a bad omen, indicating that masquerade the carrier will soon die. The masquerade is expected to performs till dark.

The machete carried by the masquerade is the same old machete carried by Obasuku on that first day and it is normally sharpened on human head. And anyone injured by the masquerade later takes a bottle(s) of local gin (Ogogoro) to the priests for appeasement and they are cured.

The Akpo masquerade is normally escorted by a smaller masquerade – Igele which is believed to be the wife. It is a comic masquerade, holding a fork stick instead of a machete. It dances and the household that does not give will be infested with masquerade that night after it exposes its’ buttocks to them. Foods items collected are cooked at the shrine to entertain the masquerade participants.

Pregnant women do not participate in the festivities, as it is believed that the sight of the masquerade causes miscarriage. Thus they are kept at a separate place (Ewokiri) during the masquerade performances.

Normally, flooding brings in fish and food, so during the festival, there is always plenty of food and entertainment and as gifts to visitors.

It is also believed that the festival brings fertility to women.

Boosting the Nation’s Economy Through Tourism

By Gloria Ikibah

Tourism is an increasingly vital part of the Nigerian economy, all through the world, tourism brings money to cities and countries, it also provides jobs for the local residents, with additional benefits to the community, state or country.

The present administration has realised that the proceeds accessible in this sector is enormous and inexhaustible. With Nigeria as an ever growing economy, culturally rich and diverse in nature, its tourism industry at the present brings millions of dollars into the economy each year.

Fifty years now into independence from British Colonial rule, Nigeria is gradually developing into a player on the world economic stage. With about 150 million people living in Nigeria, which makes Nigeria the most populous state in Africa and the most populated nation in the whole of black race, tourism is becoming a vital part of the Nigerian economy with the rapid expansion and growth of the hospitality industry, Nigeria service-based economy has rapidly brought about a thriving development, especially in the last 20 years when Nigeria liberalized its markets.

The Jonathan-led administration with its Transformation Agenda through the Ministry of Culture and the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation is currently playing an important role in the promotion of tourism in Nigeria and has set up a National Action Plan for Tourism to develop this sector of the economy.

This plan is set to promote tourism and boost socio-economic growth, increase employment, preserve the nation's heritage and environment and promote international and domestic tourists to visit Nigeria as a way of increasing global tourism. The Federal Government is committed to boosting the tourism industry as part of its strategies to diversify the Nigerian economy.

It cannot be disputed that tourism attracts foreigners and tourists from around the world and also bringing in their money in foreign exchange to the country, making it a huge source of revenue for the nation and boosted employment in this sector.

In 2011, over 2 million tourists visited Nigeria, the various international church crusades and conferences coupled with foreign investors on business tourism make the bulk of the tourists and spent the equivalent of $3.7 million U.S. dollars, and this figure is expected to have risen by over 10 percent in 2012 and the growth also expected to increase.

The government is also offering investors to foreign business travellers who come to Nigeria in large numbers. Many extend their trips, adding more tourist money to the economy. In fact, foreign tourists from all over the world spend more in Nigeria than almost any other country worldwide.

Also with the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) approval of the Report of the Cabinet committee to harmonise the implementation of Nigeria’s new visa policy, the new visa policy will boost tourism, attract targeted Foreign Direct Investment, create unemployment opportunities, attract skilled migrant workers and keep the national boundaries more secured.
this policy provides that the nation issues visa at entry point, for instance if a businessman, a tourist or a business delegation or a government delegation have reason to visit Nigeria at short notice to do business with Nigeria and if by any coincidence Nigeria does not have an embassy in such country, such delegation or group can come to Nigeria and obtain their visas at port of entry particularly at international airports.

Tourists are attracted by Nigeria's cultural diversity, scenery and festivals. Such festivals include the Argungu festival in Kebbi State, Ofala Festival in Eastern Nigeria, Odemimon festival Otuoke, Odi Ogori Ba Uge festival both in Bayelsa state, the Great Osun Osogbo festival, the Egungu festival in western Nigeria to mention a few.

 Each region of Nigeria offers something for foreign visitors, these includes different topography and sites ranging from the Obudu Cattle Ranch, Osun Osogbo Groove, Olumo Rock, Agbokim Water Falls in Calabar, Gurara falls, Ikogosi Spring, Yankari games reserve and a number of beaches and coastal cities.

Looking at other sources of revenue, whether state-run or privately operated, there are many small ideas Nigeria can fine-tune and package for tourism.

For instance, food tourism which would include our traditional dishes and drinks, historical/traditional - artifacts, kingdoms and palaces and other traditional architecture, mosques, churches, museums, government buildings, African ancestral beads/jewelries, and clothes (for traditional events, wedding). Entertainment/theatre which showcases our rich cultural heritage in traditional dance, comedy, plays, native music

The Yankari Game Reserve is a landmark tourist attraction and should be made more conducive so that it can be an option for Nigerians to go there on holiday. It can be turned it into an international tourism site in Nigeria as part of the diversification of the economy.

Not only are foreign tourists travelling to Nigeria, after the awareness created by the NTDC, Nigerians themselves have also started taking more domestic vacations, as well. The country's gradual economic growth has increased its middle class population, contributing the most to domestic travel.

Despite poor electricity, bad roads, civil unrest and a mountain of other issues, Nigeria has the potential for a booming tourism market. From historical tours to exotic beaches to cultural celebrations and festivals, there are tons of things for tourists to do and see in Nigeria.
If Nigeria pays equal attention to its tourism sector as it does to its oil and gas, there would be some real advancement in the nation’s economy. The Nigerian tourism sector would gain momentum which led to the boosting of the nation’s revenue.