Odu’a Museum And Hall Of Fame Berth In Ibadan

RECORDING another first in the allied tourism sector, the Cocoa House, which had stood as one of the first in terms of architectural innovation in the South-West of Nigeria, recently added an attraction to compliment the tourist splendor of the complex.

Apart from the structural aesthetics and landmark distinction, the Cocoa House display, the owners, Odu’a Investment Company has continued to introduce different tourist friendly centres to boost and rally patronage to the edifice.

The recent, which is the Odu’a Museum and Hall of Fame, is conceptualised to promote the ingenuity and occupational wonders of the Yoruba people as it relates to the history, culture, heritage, technology and innovations.

Located at the pent house on 24th floor of the Cocoa House, the apartment housing the Odu’a Museum and Hall of Fame is divided into two different sections, having adjourning rooms and gallery giving visitors the option of choosing their first port of visit from the main entrance.

Tastefully decorated, stocked and equipped with a blend of contemporary collections sourced from different quarters, the museum and hall of fame is structured to preserve and promote the heritage of Yoruba, by extension educate and entertain visitors and tourists about people and their culture.

Aesthetically designed, the museum and hall of fame give visitors the nostalgia feel of the serene and natural enclave of real Yoruba village settings.

The wall of the museum and hall of fame from the staircase of the 23rd floor that leads to the pent house, is adorned with artistic impressions, paintings and carvings depicting and pre-empting the fascinations that await guests therein.

In addition, the locally sourced materials blended with some portions of laterite soil for the wall and floor reflect the ingenuity of local tiles and floor designs still prominent in some of the ancient village in the South-West of Nigeria. 

Out of the ordinary, the Odu’a museum, displays vast range of collections from arts and crafts to antiquities and relics that connect the past with the future.

From one end to the other, the musical instruments displayed drums of all types and shapes, big and small with single, double and tripple sides used for different purposes and occasion in the Yoruba land.

Another compartment showcase different types of calabashes, potteries, royal regalia, beaded staff of office, crown, neck and wrist bracelets.

Others include, a gallery of Yoruba peace treaty of 1886 and a collection of swords that reminded one of the Iron Age and the efforts of the Yoruba forebearers.

A section of the compartment is also dedicated to the Yoruba weaving and clothing industry with a flamboyant display of Aso Oke in different designs, colours and textures (sanyan, alaari, etu) sewn into dansiki, kembe, agbada and sokoto.

The last section of the museum is equipped with a blend of Yoruba and western technological innovations. On display is gramophone, manual barbing clippers and wooden combs, television, typewriter, sewing machines, charcoal pressing iron, analogue telephone and a wait-and-get and monochromic camera.

In the same section, there is a range of local kitchen utensils, hunting and household items for domestic use.

Items on display at the museum include drums, calabashes, yoruba traditional dresses, old communication gadgets and building materials. At the museum is also the Yoruba Peace Treaty of 1886 at Kiriji-Mesin battlefield.

Moving from the museum compartment to the hall of fame, the walkway displays creativity per excellence in the use of different colourful designed tie and dye cloth (adire), which blend with the artistic impression on the wall and well structure floor mats to fit the locally made ceiling.

At the Odu’a Hall of Fame, the gallery displays a roll call of Yoruba icons and nationalists, whose landmarks in different fields of play have not only celebrated  and honoured them in Nigeria, but also internationally.

These Yoruba icons include Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Samuel Akintola, Chief Moshood Abiola, Rashidi Yekini, Chief Folake Solanke (SAN), Professor Wole Soyinka, Madam Olufunlayo Ransome-Kuti and Nojim Mayegun, among others.

In addition, the hall of fame harbours a mini amphitheatre, where visitors to the museum and hall of fame will converge  to watch series of video clips and documentaries of the lives and times of some living icons as well as other glorious moments of past  heroes and heroines.

However, recently Cocoa House, Ibadan played host to prominent sons and daughters of Yoruba land as the Odu’a Group inaugurated the Museum and Odu’a Hall of Fame complex.

Speaking, the Nobel Laureate, Professor Soyinka, commended the management of Odu’a Investment Company for promoting and developing a socio-cultural platform to rally and preserve the heritage of the Yoruba nation.

The Literary icon who spoke at the inauguration of the complex, said the innovation by the management of Oduá was another first in the history of Ibadan calling on all and sundry to invest in museum.

According to Prof. Soyinka, “The museum showcased the beginning of Yoruba technology and the ingenuity of our forbearers, but I want to say there is still more to do now that an appeal has been made to people to donate materials to enrich the arts, crafts and antiquities contents of the museum.

“Let me say that it is with a thought of nostalgia that I returned to the Cocoa House and I must say I was very happy with what I have seen here. 

“Cocoa House is one of those firsts Yoruba recorded in Nigeria. This area specifically used to be the centre of arts and Yoruba culture. But the negative side of it is that Nigeria once went into a downward spin including Cocoa House and the University of Ibadan. The deterioration was much.

Everything decayed and the famous Cocoa House could not save itself. But what we have seen so far impressed me, from the ground floor to the top floor of this building. This Cocoa House is the contemporary Oranmiyan staff for Yoruba,” Soyinka added.

The literary icon poured encomiums on Jimoh and expressed confidence in his ability to turn things around for the better having known him for several years for excellent service.

Earlier, the GMD said the Odu’a Museum and Hall of Fame was conceptualised by Odu’a Investment Company Limited to reflect a memory of classical gild of history, technology, people and culture, arts and crafts as they relate to occupation and ingenuity of the past.

“The idea of putting up a Museum and Hall of Fame has been in the uppermost mind of the board and management of ODU’A who believe that many have lost touch with the past most especially as it relates to our culture, arts, as well as the contribution of our forefathers to the growth of our nation.

“ODU’A therefore put this museum in place to showcase objects of historical or artistic values that relate to the Yoruba nation. The exhibition of Yoruba artifacts in the museum presents aspects of socio-cultural life of the Yoruba people and no doubt will serve as an eye opener to researchers, visitors, school children and tourists who are interested in Yoruba cultural values.

“The museum exhibits ethnographic collections on Yoruba pottery, royalty, traditional musical instruments, yoruba warfare instruments, indigenous weaving materials, arts and craft.

“The Hall of Fame serves as a centre of attraction equipped with audiovisual displays and documentaries of some distinguished individuals who have contributed immensely to the growth of the nation and also stand out in their chosen field.    

“The personalities, who find their names in the ODU’A Hall of Fame, must have scaled through certain conditions set out for making them eligible.

“These conditions among others include the following: an inductee must be a Yoruba person, an inductee must be first in his/her areas of endeavour

These achievements must have uplifted the Yoruba nation in particular and the Nigeria nation in general.

Lastly, the Omoluabi concept must be evident in the personality’s dealings,”Jimoh added.

Odu’a Museum a good start -Odunlade
An international artist and curator, Tunde Odunlade in a chat with TTM, said the Odu’a Group has taken another leap at promoting the heritage of the Yoruba nation describing it as a step in the right direction.

According to Odunlade, “Thank God that when Professor Soyinka was passing his comment and others, they spoke on the need to improve on the contents of the Odu’a museum. 

“They made reference to some international museums around the world that could be looked at as others do in other parts of the world. Therefore, by the time we take that into cognizance, we can come back home and improve on what we have here, but to be modest it is a good start.”

Odu’a museum displays our culture —Chief Oyelami
The Eesa of Iragbiji, Iragbiji, Osun State and ardent culturist, Chief Muraina Oyelami has also urged culture promoters  not to leave any stone unturned at making the Odu’a museum a rallying point for generations unborn by adding value to the museum. 

“Actually, I am a collaborator in the making of this museum. Most of the collections emanated from my effort. In fact, I was commissioned to source for the items on display.

“Also, I was glad to see that there are additional collections from the ones we made, which was done in collaboration with the Ejiogbe twins; Prince Taiwo and Prince Kehinde Olabode Ejiogbe. The Ejiogbe twins created the multi-dimensional calabash installation at the hall of fame.”

He called on all sons and daughters of Yoruba land to promote core norms and values to preserve the Yoruba culture.

Source: Tribune