colloquium lecture

Second
Festival
Colloquium
www.lagosat50.org.ng
LAGOS STATE
GOVERNMENT
SECOND FESTIVAL
COLLOQUIUM
Why We Are Celebrating
LAGOS AT 50
PROGRAMME OUTLINE
1. Guests arrive
Drum ensemble by National Troupe
2. Performance
Footprints of David
3. Introduction of Lecturer
Dr Akin Adejuwon, DG National Troupe
4. COLLOQUIUM LECTURE
Dr. Wale Adeniran
5. Q & A
Jahman Anikulapo (anchor)
6. Performances
National Troupe of Nigeria
Gelede & other Ikeja traditional troupes
I
n celebrating Lagos, we must
showcase our cultural heritage. We
must celebrate the language, arts,
sights and sounds of Lagos. Celebrating
Lagos is to celebrate Nigerian Unity and
Progress because Lagos provides the
cohesion that keeps Nigeria together.
Indeed, Lagos State has justified its
creation. Apart from being the pacesetter
and first among equals in the comity of
States in the Nigerian Federation, Lagos
State also occupies a noticeable position
in global affairs especially as the fastest
growing mega city in the world.
The opportunity of this golden jubilee is
one we must use not only to celebrate our
past achievements, but also to showcase
to the world our immense potentials for
future growth and development.
(Being excerpts from the Lagosat50
Committee inauguration speech by Mr.
Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos
State)
ABSTRACT
HIDDEN CULTURES AND MULTIPLE IDENTITIES IN LAGOS
I
by
n this paper, I identify some lesser-known indigenous cultural festivals
Dr. Olu Adewale Adeniran, Ph.D.
and rituals of the Egun and some smaller Egun-related sociocultural
A Director of the Centre for Black Culture and
International Understanding (CBCIU), a
groups such as the Allada, Defi, Seto, Tofin and Tori, who are in contact
UNESCO-affiliated centre in Osogbo, Osun State
with the Yoruba in the Badagry zone of Lagos. This makes the area a
multilingual and multicultural society in the Nigeria-Benin border zone.
Having highlighted the salient features of some of the cultural performances of these non-Yoruba groups, I point out the
fact that each of them is fully conscious of its identity as a distinct unit in spite of recognizing the fact of having a common
origin as the Egun. I then posit that a similarity of Egun to the speech forms of these smaller groups seems to trigger a
process of assimilation into the Egun group on the part of the speakers of the smaller 'languages'. At the same time, they
and the Egun seem to be integrating into the bigger Yoruba group. I therefore make the case that the process of 'crossover' to Yoruba by the non-Yoruba people of the zone could threaten the future existence of their cultures if not checked.
Given the interesting unique features of these cultures, every effort should be made to protect them since they can be
said to constitute a huge treasure trove from which Lagos State could generate substantial revenue through tourism.
I then conclude by making a case for the preservation and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage of the various
sociocultural groups in the zone.
PROFILE OF DR. OLU ADEWALE ADENIRAN
O
lufunmi Adewale Adeniran was born in
Ile-ife on August 22, 1943. His father, late
Joseph Lanrewaju Adeniran, a church
organist and composer, taught for several years
at Oduduwa College, Ile-ife, and was a
Parliamentary Secretary in the cabinet of the late
Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the late 1950's. His
mother, Late Chief Mrs. Emily Folasade Adeniran
was a school teacher and an entrepreneur. She
was Iya Egbe Aya Bisobu of St. John's Anglican
Church, Ilare, Ile-ife. Wale attended primary
schools in Igbara-Odo, Igbara-Oke and finished
his primary school education at I.C.C. Practicing
School, Oke Bola, Ibadan in 1957. He had his
secondary school education at Oyemekun
Grammar School, Akure from 1958 to 1962. In
1965, Wale obtained the Nigeria Certificate in
Education(N.C.E.) from the Ransome Kuti
College of Education, Moor Plantation, Ibadan. In
1969, he graduated with a B.A(Hons) degree in
French, from the University of Ibadan, and
obtained the Postgraduate Diploma in
Linguistics from the same university in 1971,
M.A linguistics from the University of
Paris(Sorbonne) and the Diplome d'Etudes
Aprofondies (D.E.A.) from the Universite Rene
Descartes, Paris V, Sorbonne in 1974. He later
obtained a Ph.D. in Sociolinguistics from the
University of Ibadan.
From 2004 to 2008, he was Country Director,
Yoruba Graduate Project Abroad (YGPA), a
Fulbright- sponsored intensive summer course
in Yoruba language and culture for American
graduate students. He was appointed Associate
Professor of Linguistics and Cultural Studies at
the University of Parakou during the 2010/2011
acadamic year. He worked closely with Professor Wole Soyinka at
the 2010 and 2011 editions of the Lagos Black Heritage Festival
(LBHF). In 2014, he organized the maiden World Festival of
Oduduwa Descendants (WOFOD) at Ile-ife. He is currently on
contract in the Department of Languages and Linguistics of Osun
State University, Ikire Campus.
He has published a number of articles in academic journals,
chapters in books, and has translated seminal works that cut
across disciplines from English into French and from French into
English. His areas of special interest
are the investigation of language use
and attitudes in Francophone African
multilingual urban societies and
border zones, the preservation and
promotion of African cultural
heritage, and organization of cultural
festivals.
In 2014, he was honoured with the
Cheralier de l'Ordre Social du Merite
(National Honour) of the Republic Of
Benin. He is a member of the West
African Linguistics Society (WALS),
the Linguistics Association of Nigeria
(LAN), Modern Languages
Association of Nigeria (MLAN), West
African Modern Languages
Association (WAMLA), University
French Teachers Association Of
Nigeria (UFTAN), Association
Internationale Groupe Gelede
(AIGG), among others. He is a
Director of the Centre for Black
culture and International
Understanding (CBCIU), a UNESCO
affiliated centre in Osogbo, Osun
State.
Members of FOOTPRINTS OF DAVID (from Bariga) and the 'TOMBOLO EKO' masquerades (from Badagry) and some
members of the Lagosat50 committee at the unveiling of the Festival logo during the opening ceremony, at Freedom Park,
Lagos Island... on May 27
Cross section of finalists at the VISION of THE CHILD (VoTC) Gala/Award night at Civic Centre,
Victoria Island... on May 27
Dedication of the SPEAKER'S CORNER at Freedom Park, Lagos on May 27
Oba Akiolu, his chiefs and some members of the Lagos State Cabinet after the king's lecture at
Glover Hall, Lagos... on May 28
Masquerades from Badagry in performance at Freedom Park, Lagos... on May 27
Members of the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture Troupe in performance during the opening
ceremony at the Freedom Park.. on May 27
Members of the National Troupe of Nigeria in performance art the Glover Hall.... on May 28
Curtain call by cast and crew of 'Oshodi Tapa' written and directed by Wole Oguntokun , presented by
Renegade Theatre at the Glover Hall, by Marina Lagos Island... on May 28
www.lagosat50.org.ng