The 2015 edition of the Osun Osogbo festival may have come and gone, but the indelible strides left by Goldberg lager would linger in the minds of attendees for years to come. Prior to the grand finale of the over six-century old ceremony which was held on August 21, 2015, Goldberg had chosen to participate in certain milestone commemorative dates of the festival. The specially recognised days were Iwopopo, the musical concert and the Arugba’s berth.
The Osun Osogbo festival grand finale procession marked the highlight of the ceremony. The special guest of honour, the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, was represented by Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, the Secretary to the state government.
In his speech, Alhaji Adeoti congratulated His Royal Majesty, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, Olanipekun Larooye II, the Ataoja of Osogboland on the success of yet another edition of the yearly festival. While describing the Osun Osogbo festival as a major tourism attraction to the state of Osun, he noted that the state government has: ”re-invented tourism in Osun State and has made it a cardinal programme in its action plan having identified the limitless potentials of tourism in the state.” According to him, “efforts already made in this direction include upgrading the grove infrastructure, development of attractive social and cultural events around the Osun Osogbo festival and improved artefacts and cultural items designed to showcase the cultural heritage of the Osun Osogbo festival.”
In his royal address, Oba Oyetunji acknowledged the commitment and support of the Osun State government which he said has assisted in no small measure in maintaining and protecting the state cultural heritage through various programmes aimed at promoting the cultural values and preserving the history of the people of Osogbo.
He further thanked Nigerian Breweries Plc., manufacturers of Goldberg lager beer, which he referred to as esteemed and consistent sponsors. The royal father said: “I need to recognise the efforts and support of our esteemed and consistent sponsors, Nigerian Breweries Plc., who, despite the harsh economic situation in the country, still made it possible for the commemoration of this year’s festival. Our prayer to them is that the Almighty God should continue to uphold their businesses for better performances.”
Mfon Bassey, Brand Manager, Goldberg, Nigerian Breweries Plc., stated that the brand was proud to be associated with the Osun Osogbo festival, which he described as possessing iconic cultural values. He said: “Goldberg is the beer that understands, respects and celebrates the values of culture. There is a synergy between those that consume Goldberg and those that value culture and tradition. Our aim was to ensure that visitors to Osogbo as well as the city’s indigenes have an unforgettable experience. We set up a 21-day beer village to create an ambience for our consumers to have the best of the brand. It was an avenue to reward our consumers, many of whom carted home prizes such as motorcycles, bags of rice and so on.”
The highlight of Goldberg’s beer village was the grand finale which featured fuji exponent, Taye Currency, who thrilled the audience to fast-paced traditional beats.
