Organizer of Oza Carnival, Mr. Festus Osagie Osaigbovo, yesterday, said the annual carnival hosted by the sons and daughters of Oza community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State, will help to reduce rural urban migration and boost agricultural production in the state.
He said this while outlining the activities for the four days events, starting from 28 December to 31st in the community.
Mr. Osaigbovo said the first edition of the carnival which was held last year had over five thousand persons in attendance and which by implication had great impact on the economy of the community and the state at large.
Osaigbovo said the carnival, featuring sports, farm produce exhibition, beauty pageant is to enable the youths discover their talents and become useful to themselves and to the society.
“This Oza Carnival, we are seeing beyond ourselves, we are seeing beyond this generation where the younger ones will come and take it over.
” We are trying to encourage the youths to be very useful. Like in the football, there is a lot the youth can participate in, the issues of the football, the cultural display, food and crops, beauty pageant etc.
“There is a lot of concert where youths can be discovered, discover your talents and be encouraged by others”, he said.
Osaigbovo said before now, there were a lot of dilapidated buildings in the community but for the sake of the yearly carnival, sons and daughters of the community abroad have taken it upon themselves to come home to renovate and also build new ones to accommodate tourists.
He said the community has vast and fertile lands which can be used to grow crops that can take care of the nation’s food challenges.
“Oza as people, we have a very fertile soil, we are good in agriculture.
“We have a vast land for any kinds of investments, you want to start a mechanized farming, we have a vast land for you”, he said.
Caption: Executive members of the Oza Carnival during a press briefing at the community yesterday.
