The Federal Government, through the National Institute for Cultural Orientation has projected that the proposed Annual World Orisa Congress could generate over $5 billion in revenue.
NICO made the announcement on Thursday, revealing that the event could attract more than one million visitors from around the world, providing significant investment opportunities for Nigeria.
The World Orisa Congress is aimed at strengthening cultural connections between Africans and their Diaspora communities.
According to the Executive Secretary of NICO, Biodun Ajiboye, the project will not only help preserve Nigeria’s culture but also support the country’s economic growth by boosting its Gross Domestic Product and generating vital revenue to improve the standard of living for Nigerians.
Ajiboye emphasized the need for Nigeria to create alternative revenue streams and reflate its economy, noting that cultural and ancestral convergence programs globally are known for their potential to generate significant revenue.
He cited examples of nations like Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt, India, and China, which have successfully attracted global audiences through similar cultural outreach efforts.
“Nigeria at this time is left with little or no choice but to tap into the rich cultural opportunities to become economically sustainable as a nation,” Ajiboye said.
He added that the World Orisa Congress is projected to generate between $5 billion and $6 billion, with Nigeria hosting over one million visitors.
Ajiboye highlighted that the need for the congress stems from the desire of Africans in the Diaspora, who were taken from Nigeria more than 500 years ago during the transatlantic slave trade, to reconnect with their roots.
He described the World Orisa Congress as a powerful symbol of cultural unity, linking people across the globe with a shared heritage.
“It is an ultimate spiritual connection to all of us as a people with a common goal and destiny,” Ajiboye stated. “There are about 500 million people across the globe who are related to the traditional religion of the African people, and as devotees of different deities, they are yearning to return home.”
He mentioned that nations such as Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, and other Caribbean countries are home to many individuals of Orisa descent, and the congress aims to bring them together in their ancestral homeland.
In Brazil alone, there are over 89 million people who could be engaged in this vision.
“The institute’s desire is to tap into the vast treasure of these 500 million people of Orisa descent,” Ajiboye explained, adding that Nigeria stands to gain from this connection by fostering greater cross-cultural understanding and cooperation, as well as boosting its economy with the influx of visitors.
The event will also help preserve traditional African practices, rituals, craftsmanship, oral traditions, and festivals.
Ajiboye further assured that relevant stakeholders worldwide are prepared to ensure the success of the project.
The Diaspora communities in countries like the United States, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, and Brazil are already on board, offering both resources and manpower.
NICO plans to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Diaspora Commission to encourage global participation in the congress, which will feature ceremonial obeisance, social practices, festivals, and the sharing of knowledge regarding nature and the universe.
