FirstBank of Nigeria Ltd has highlighted its commitment to promoting Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage through the sponsorship of the Oke-Odan Cultural Festival 2025 in the Oke-Odan community of the Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State.

In a statement, the lender said that the sponsorship was hinged on its First@Arts initiative, which promotes African culture, and its #DecemberIssaVybe campaign, which celebrates culture, tourism and lifestyle at the end of every year.

The 2025 Oke-Odan Cultural Festival, themed ‘Leveraging Cultural Integration for Economic Prosperity’, focused on the dual benefit of preserving heritage and fostering economic opportunities.

The bank added that its sponsorship of the cultural event emphasised youth engagement and economic prosperity, as there were award presentations and project commissioning during the festival.

The PUNCH reported that the festival strengthened unity and served as a platform for indigenes of Oke-Odan in the diaspora to connect with those at home.

Speaking at the festival, the Oloke–Odan of Oke–Odan, Oba Oluwarotimi Fagbenro, applauded FirstBank and other contributors for their support and commitment to preserving cultural heritage.

“Our rich cultural heritage in general language is hereby being celebrated more than ever before,” he said.

The monarch revealed that the festival was a celebration of heritage, wellness, education, and development, even as it served as a platform for cultural homecoming.

The festival started as Oke-Odan Day in 2022, but Fagbenro said it has now been expanded not just in consonance with “what’s generally happening around us but because of the scope of the celebration and the involvement of all and sundry.”

The monarch also urged the Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, to construct the Oke-Odan bypass road between the Owode–Idiroko road, noting the community has been appealing persistently to the government for the road since the inception of the current government.