REINVENTION AND COMMODIFICATION OFTRADITIONAL FESTIVALSFOREVENT TOURISM IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Although the reinvention and commodification of festivals have implications on the culture and economy of host regions, not much attention has been paid to its promotion in Nigeria. This study was designed to examine the processes and structures of Ojùde-Ọba festival in Ijȩbu-Ode and Lisàbi festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State with a view to underscoring aspects of their reinvention and commodification for the purpose of event tourism. The Karl Marx Theory of Commodity Fetishism was adopted, and the study utilized a combination of ethnography and survey as design. Key informant interviews were conducted with four local policy makers and two festival planning committee members for each festival. Purposive sampling method was used to select eight different associations for focus group discussion owing to their contributions to socio-cultural and socio-economic development of the host communities. Systematic sampling method was used to select 400 respondents from the host communities, while availability sampling was used to select 384 respondents among tourists who completed a close-ended questionnaire. Qualitative data were content analysed, while quantitative data were subjected to descriptive analyses. The Ojùde-Ǫba and Lisàbi festivals were not originally established for tourism purpose. Revival and incorporation of traditional Ijȩbu Rȩgbȩ-Rȩgbȩ parade, division of festival activities into Rȩgbȩ-Rȩgbȩ and Ęlȩshin contest with monetary reward attached, introduction of dues to participating groups and involvement of corporate bodies for sponsorship and branding were innovation in the Ojùde-Ǫba festival. Also, extension from one-day event to seven-day event, inclusion of visit to Olùmọ-Rock, Lisàbi forest, wọrọ-dance performance, masquerade parade, selection of “Ęgbà-Hero of the year”, involvement of indigenous clubs and corporate sponsorship were notable changes in Lisàbi festival. Community members (Ijȩbu-Ode: 60.1%; Abeokuta: 62.9%) opined that changes discovered were deliberate, resulted in increased participants’ population and also generated income for the host communities. The reinvention of the festivals had a significant impact (Ojùde-Ǫba: p=0.310; Lisàbi: p=0.162) on the host communities. Also, commodification of the festivals had a significant impact (Ojùde-Ǫba: p=0.534; Lisàbi: p=0.566) on the host communities. Proceeds from these festivals were used for projects such as repair of the community-owned hospitals and schools, provision of electricity transformer, sinking of boreholes and award of scholarship. Community leaders opined that their culture has not been destroyed through the changes witnessed in the festivals; rather, being modified for communal progress. Policy makers opined that the festivals can also generate increased revenue for the Ogun State government through the introduction of consumption tax and provision of paid car parks. The Ojùde-Ǫba and Lisàbi festivals in Ogun State have undergone appreciable changes as a result of reinvention and commodification. This has resulted into socioeconomic improvement for the host communities. Indigenous groups and corporate branding should be encouraged to promote tourism, increase communal benefits and sustainability of the festivals.