FOR THE RECORDS: AMALA AND ITS LOGO by Toye Arulogun

BEING THE TEXT OF A PRESS STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE COMMISSIONER FOR INFORMATION, CULTURE & TOURISM, MR TOYE ARULOGUN ON THE OCASSION OF THE PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF THE AMALA FIESTA LOGO AND BRAND AMBASSADOR – 25TH OCTOBER 2016 AT THE WESTERN HALL, GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, AGODI IBADAN. s
Protocols.

We are gathered here in this historic and symbolic venue – Western Hall named after the Yoruba race of Western Nigeria to celebrate a key icon of the Yoruba race. The Yorubas are indigenous to South West Nigeria and Amala is not only indigenous to the Yoruba race but symbolic as the commonality and strong bond of a people.
Amala represents the homogenous nature of our people, Amala represents the culture of our people, Amala represents the health of our people, Amala represents the wealth of our people. Indeed, Amala is the number one food brand of the Yoruba race to the extent that even the politics of the South West was named “AMALA POLITICS”.
It is therefore with great delight and a strong sense of pride as a Yoruba man that I address the press in the first of many more ahead on AMALA FIESTA. Today is significant because it is not just a press parley on AMALA FIESTA, in addition, it is a public presentation of both the AMALA FIESTA brand identity and brand ambassador.
AMALA FIESTA also known as “Ajodun Oka” is not just a food and cultural tourism event but a celebration of the Yoruba food culture and Oyo state’s foremost delicacy which has become a national pride with international presence and worldwide acceptance. All over the world, from Ibadan, Oyo, Ogbomsho, Ibarapa, Okeogun, Aba, Kano, Port- Harcourt, Enugu, Peckam, Brixton, Atlanta, Brussels, Brisbane, Stockholm, Maryland, New York, Brooklyn, Beijing, you will find Amala. Name the occasion or high profile event in Nigeria today, Amala with its favourite accompaniment Gbegiri and Ewedu will be on the menu list. The Amala brand therefore transcends local and international boundaries. Certainly, this is worthy of celebration.
AMALA FIESTA is conceptualized as a 3 day food festival scheduled to take place between the 15th and 17th of December 2016 at the Trans Amusement Park, Bodija, Ibadan from 9:00am daily. Today the 25th of October 2016, we are presenting to the public, the brand identities of AMALA FIESTA in terms of Visual imagery and personality. AMALA FIESTA is one of the cornerstone activities of the Oyo State Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism in pursuit of its mandate to promote and preserve the cultural tourism heritage of Oyo State.
In furtherance of this noble objective, the Oyo State Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism is collaborating with Tourist Care, Hospitality Association of Nigeria (TCHAN), Ministry of Local Government, Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Oyo State Chapter (ALGON) and Canteen Owners Association of Nigeria.
This is PARTNERSHIP. PARTNERSHIP is one of our four strategic pillars for the development of the cultural tourism potentials of Oyo State. The others are IDENTIFICATION, PACKAGING AND PROMOTION. It is therefore heartwarming to see our food vendors who have become iconic food brands like Iyadunni, Ejiwunmi, Ola Mummy, Inastraite, Omolayo, Safu, Iya’la, Alabede, Fanawole, Mrs Skye, Iya’Dija and others to be co - participants in the first of what will become an annual food pilgrimage in December to and in Oyo State. All the 33 local Governments of Oyo State will have adequate representation at the food festival with their own popular AMALA vendors.
Major highlights of the AMALA FIESTA are Food Competition, Cultural Displays, Musical Concerts, Food, Edibles & Agricultural Exhibitions, Comedy, and Raffle Draw.
At this juncture, permit me to open the doors wider for more collaborators. We seek the partnership of many more brands especially those in the food, edibles and beverages sector. Oyo state in general and Ibadan in particular which is the venue of the AMALA FIESTA presents a huge and homogenous population for brands in different markets to tap into. The Ministry therefore looks forward to more partners coming on board between now and the 15th of December.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, Oyo State is endowed with natural and man-made tourist sites, historical sites and monuments, scenic landscapes as well as a very rich cultural heritage. Our collective responsibility is to ensure the preservation of our culture, propagation of our cultural heritage and the promotion of our Cultural tourism potentials. No doubt the media has a key role and function in our bid to achieve these objectives. It is without any hesitation at this point that I will like to put on record the unprecedented partnership and support that the Ministry received during the activities before, during and after the 2016 World Tourism Day – Celebrating ASO OFI. The event was a huge success and I am bold to say that we could not have achieved that level of success without the media support that beamed the spot light on Aso Ofi. We are very much appreciative and delighted to inform you that through our collective effort, Aso Ofi is on the way to being a major export item. Financial Institutions and Export Promotions Agencies as well as other private and corporate concerns are currently having serious and genuine engagements with the Iseyin Weavers and Marketers Associations as positive fallouts from the Celebration of Aso Ofi.
We will therefore continue to demonstrate our genuine commitment to the brief of the Ministry by engaging in programmes and activities that are designed to further elevate Culture and Tourism as a key revenue earner for Oyo State. To this end, we look forward to Public Private Partnership engagements in the rehabilitation and redevelopment of our tourist sites such as CULTURAL CENTRE, CAPTAIN BOWER’S TOWER, ADO AWAYE SUSPENDED LAKE, ADEKUNLE FAJUYI PARK & GARDEN and ELEYELE WATER FRONT. We have also lined up programmes and activities such as PACE SETTER TOURISM, TOURISM, CULTURE AND CREATIVE ARTS SUMMIT, OYO O KERE – SO KA JU E – A Cultural Talent Hunt Show, ODUN IBEJI – An International Twins Festival, ILE OKO YA – Celebrating the Yoruba Traditional Wedding, and AROBA – A radio/tv programme showcasing our rich history, cultural heritage, Monuments and Sites.
Gentlemen of the Press, let me now present publicly the AMALA FIESTA LOGO which is a summation of our food heritage and culture. As you can see, it is the Amala you know and the favourite accompaniment of Gbegiri and Ewedu plus the Orisirisi. It is a typical plate of food at any of our local restaurants and could easily have been bought by you and me. You will also notice the heat and sweat in bold colours that characterize the Amala experience. This represents the typical Oyo State plate and we are happy to celebrate it. It is our brand identity for the AMALA FIESTA.
Our AMALA FIESTA Ambassador is Mr Gboyega Latunji, an individual who represents what we call the “Encyclopaedia Amalalika”. He possesses the in -depth knowledge of the Amala Bukas and their specialties. He is a typical Oyo State indigene with a strong Amala palate. Popularly called Oyinbo by Amala Vendors, he brings an international flavour to the Amala experience and has agreed to be the face of AMALA FIESTA. He will promote the food festival and champion the celebration of this Oyo State food brand.
Finally, let me appreciate the Support of the Governor of Oyo State, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi for his vision, tenacity and zeal in promoting the cultural tourism potentials of Oyo State. Without his unflinching support, we would not be where we are today. I plead for the continuous support of the fourth estate of the realm as we strive to reposition Oyo State. Ours is a dream that should not be deferred like a raisin in the sun.
Thank you for listening.
Long live AMALA
Long Live Oyo State.

Toye ARULOGUN
HC, MICT, Oyo State.