OAU committed to promotion of African culture - VC

The Vice-chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, says the institution is committed to promoting and preserving African culture.

He said this weekend at this year’s edition of the OAU Festival of Food and Identity hosted by Institute of Cultural Studies in the university.

Ogunbodede said the university was striving to live up to the objectives of the founding fathers by giving prominence to the study, promotion and preservation of African culture.

He said: “the festival seeks to enshrine the place and memory of our indigenous food culture in the psyche of our youths and to reiterate our capacity to survive as a people through the adoption and preservation of our culture”.

Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who attended the event, commended OAU for organizing the festival, saying: “The government and people of Ogun State are proud to identify with the Institute of Cultural Studies, OAU, Ile-Ife on the 2018 OAUIfe Festival of Food and Identity.

“The theme of this festival, ‘Food and Identity’ “resonates with our administration initiatives in Agriculture and Food security. ‘Ofada Rice’ has rallied back with government renewed investment and support in today’s Ogun State.

“We believe Agriculture, and more appropriately, Agri-business, with its attendant value chain, has the potential to change the narration of our nation’s excessive and dangerous dependent on oil. We enjoin all of you, and, indeed all Nigerians to accept and pay greater attention to Ofada Rice. It is healthier and far more nutritious”.