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The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, will open the first sod of the Yoruba World Centre at University of Ibadan (UI) on November 23,2021.
The event, which is organised by the International Centre for Yoruba Arts And Culture (INCEYAC) will feature the opening of the Centre’s temporary abode, the presentation of a full documentary on the Yoruba World Centre and the laying of the first foundation at the permanent site by the Vice President.
According to Mr Alao Adedayo, a member of the Board of Trustee of INCEYAC and Publisher of Alaroye Newspaper, the purpose of having the centre is to make it serve as a one-stop shop, offering old, new, recreated and reconstructed materials for researchers, lecturers, students, authors, journalists, historians and members of the public interested in Yoruba history, arts and culture.
It will also serve as a tool for nation building, national cohesiveness and mutual understanding.
“Being the largest user of Yoruba language (in print) in the world today, and because of our daily interactions with the language, arts, culture and history of the people, through our newspaper – ALAROYE, we can confirm that there is no one institution in the entire world where researchers, or anyone at all, can stay to conduct and complete works on the history, arts and culture of the Yoruba people.
“It is because we sincerely believe that there should be one to help us in nation building, that is why we have come up with the idea of INCEYAC. We are equally optimistic that proud sons and daughters of Yoruba land and other friends of the elitist tribe will rise up to the occasion of supporting this project in whatever way they can,” Adedayo said.
The Yoruba World Centre when completed will have a big library, an archive, a museum, a recreational center, reconstruction and digitizing centre, a broadcasting and film village and an artificial forest (Zoo).
Ooni of Ile Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba (Dr) Lamidi Adeyemi, and other eminent Yoruba traditional rulers and leaders will also grace the event.