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Ekiti State has been adjudged the most culturally creative and innovative state in the country.
The state was announced as the winner of the creative culture and innovative competition at the closing ceremony of the National Arts and Culture Festival(NAFEST) 2019 held at the University of Benin Sports Complex.
The governor of the state, Dr Kayode Fayemi had mobilised the Ekiti State Council for Arts and Culture under Amb. Wale Ojo – Lanre to lead a 48- member contingent including the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Ganiyu Titilope Ibrahim to Benin, to join other states in participating in the 39th edition of NAFEST.
The contingent had gone to the event with the sole aim of showcasing the preparation of the royal pounded yam in line with the theme of this year’s NAFEST, ‘Our Royalty, Our Pride.’
Armed with two mortals, four pestles, bags of condiments of local soup preparation, seasoned bushmeat and yam tubers, the contingent headed for Benin to culturally showcase the beauty of Ekiti pounded yam.
The contingent made a grand entry at the Federal Government Girls College Benin, which was the camp for the delegates, where they put up a cultural show to the amazement of other participating states.
To further demonstrate the contingent’s tenacity of purpose, it immediately set up a kitchen at the Eweka Hall where pounded yam was made available for all and sundry.
Having established a culturally dignified presence at the camp , the contingent shifted attention to the Arts and Craft Exhibition ground at Cultural Center, Benin City, where it established a culturally beautiful pavilion manned by the President of Ekiti State Association of Professional Artists, Mr Jacob Ayodele who ensured that the beauty of Ekiti indigenous arts and crafts was showcased to every one that visited Ekiti Pavilion where the state’s Cultural Troupe registered their presence with glorious musical tunes in the local dialect.
The state, however, shone brightly at the presentation of the royal cuisines by all the participating states of the federation held at the Benin Museum.
The Ekiti Pavilion distinguished itself by employing cultural local contents both in the construction of its pavilion, cooking utensils, soup ingredients, method of preparation, serving and the method of eating pounded yam by the king, whose mouth must not be seen while eating.
The creativity and innovation which Ekiti State contingent injected into the packaging and presentation of its content at the event did not only impress the judges but overwhelmed the imagination of Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture , who publicly acknowledged the state’s innovative ways when he led a team of distinguished guests on a visit to the pavilion.
Runsewe commended Governor Fayemi for his brilliant cultural vision for the state which he claimed has been seen globally