This year edition of the Igbo-Ora World Twins Festival was held on Saturday, 31st October 2020 at the World Twins Capital, Igboora, Oyo State, Nigeria with the theme “Harvest of Double- Double “
This is the third edition in its rebranded series, the 2018 and 2019 editions recorded 2,034 and 3,200 sets of Multiple births respectively. Even though it was supposed to be over 10,000 sets this year; but the organizers decided to make it a mini-celebration with a selected set of multiple births due to the global pandemic and also in honour of all those that lost their lives and properties in the recent #endsars protest.
In his goodwill message at the event, the Member, House of Representatives representing Ibarapa Central/ Ibarapa North Federal Constituency, Hon. Ajibola Muraina who is the chairman of this year’s festival stated that World Twins Festival is a celebration of the defining feature of Igbo-Ora, the Twins Capital of the World. He continued by saying that twins are wonderful children and Yoruba Culture recognizes them as such.
“They bring joy, happiness, and prosperity to their families. And not only to their families but also to the whole community. Through the World Twins Festival celebration, twins can also bring prosperity and progress to our town, our state, and our nation”.
He described the festival initiators, Ambassadors Taiwo and Kehinde OGUNTOYE of Twins World Creations as a true cultural ambassador. “Your vision of using the festival to showcase the tourism and cultural potentials of Igbo-Ora is laudable and worthy of every support”.
Hon. Ajibola further calls on government at all levels and corporate organizations to support this great initiative in the interest of our dear country as a tourism booster being the country with the highest concentration of twins in the world.
In his own remark, The Asoro-Olu Ayinla IV, Olu of Igboora, His Royal Majesty, Oba Jimoh Olajide Titiloye while speaking at the festival implored the Oyo State government to invest in the funding of the event for the tourism benefits of the state as the uniqueness of Igbo-Ora is a huge tourist’s attraction as God has blessed the community with an uncommon gift.
The monarch noted that “One out of every four pregnancies in Igboora are delivered as twins”.
In their jointly read address, The Most Famous Twins in African Tourism and Initiators of the festival, Amb. Taiwo and Kehinde OGUNTOYE called for a resolution to declare a day by the United Nations for the celebration of Multiple births. The duo also advocated for the stoppage of seeing twins as an abomination as being reported in some areas.
” Igboora World Twins Festival is also creating awareness for those people still involved in the barbaric act, to see how we are celebrating the uniqueness of multiple births in this part of the world, twins are to be celebrated not killed”.
The duo concluded by calling on the government to see the opportunity this festival presents as an avenue to jerk up the revenue of the state and Nation through Twins Tourism.
Some of the twins interviewed at the event expressed their joy for the opportunity to be part of this year’s festival. Akanji Taiwo, who said himself and his twin brother has been attending the rebranded series since 2018 said “the standard of the festival has not dropped, we have been able to meet with other twins, know more about the culture of twins and have plenty of photographs with crops of twins as well”.
The Kalejaiye twin sisters confirmed their willingness to always attend the festival whenever its happening, ” we feel delighted to be attending this annual festival which brings togetherness and unity, as we see other unique beings like ourselves, may God continue to help the organizers.
This festival organized by Twins World Creations, Igboora Community Foundation, and the entire Igboora Community features a cultural performance by Oyo State Council for Arts and Culture, oriki ibeji among other activities.