The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Chief Sunday Akin Dare has established an endowment fund for the Civilization, History and Cultural documentation of Ibadanland.
Dare who announced the endowment fund at the reception of the award of the Most Outstanding Friend of Ibadanland (MOFI) conferred on him by the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) in Ibadan, expressed his gratitude to the people of Ibadanland, for finding him worthy of such exemplary award.
“Ibadanland is very dear to me, not just because I am a Minister representing this state but also because of the relationship between Ibadan and Ogbomoso which has transcended generations.
“Ibadanland is a prime citadel of Yoruba culture, historically located amongst great forest sites with several ranges of hills. Ibadanland has overtime developed into a great city which is the largest in West Africa and a foremost centre for the development of culture, arts, politics, education and industry.
“The culture, history and civilization journey of Ibadanland is critical to the identity of the people and it must be properly documented for the coming generations and also be a reminder of how far Ibadan has come in greatness and achievements,” he added.
Dare later commissioned the endowment fund with a tangible amount and promised to fund it for the next 10 years.
The President of the CCII, Chief Yemi Soladoye in his appreciation remarks thanked Dare for his ingenuity in establishing the endowment fund for the documentation of the culture and civilization of Ibadanland. He emphasized that the endowment fund will go a long way to cement the ideals and values the ancient city is built on.
