INNOVATIVE CULTURAL FESTIVALS IN THE PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: THE OJUDE-OBA FESTIVAL IN IJEBULAND

Abstract

The major purpose of community development is to bring positive changes in the living conditions of the people. The full cooperation of a people in inducing change is the pivot around which progress revolves (Anyanwu, 1981). Christenson and Robinson (1989) describe community development as the initiating of a social action towards improving the people's economic, cultural and environmental conditions. Furthermore, organising a community involves the process of bringing the members together and providing them with the tools to help themselves (Mattessieh and Monsey. 1997). In Nigeria, in spite of government efforts at the local, state and national levels, limited development has been achieved. Some of the problems militating against development are inadequacy of funds, mismanagement of the limited funds available, corruption. lack of adequate data and trained community development officers. and illiteracy (Obadan, 2002). The people in a community are expected to identify their needs, set their goals and work towards achieving them through proper planning and implementation, followed by monitoring and evaluation of their projects. Cultural festivals are moments of joy and celebration done through drama sketches, wrestling and religious sacrifices. Hence, most communities in South-Western Nigeria now employ festival theatre, embodying drama, music and dances, to mobilize their people for development programmes. This essentially involves community organisation and the full participation of the citizens at every stage of the project, from planning to implementation. Community organisation involves the integration of religious, social, political. business and cultural factors to achieve development.