Egbaliganza an innovation promoting Egba fashion and enterprise, is part of activities that marks the Lisabi Festival, an annual cultural celebration in Abeokuta to honour the legendary Egba warrior, Lisabi Agbongbo Akala, who led the revolt against the Oyo Empire in the 18th century and secured the independence of the Egba people.
Speaking during a media briefing held on Tuesday ahead of the festival, the promoter, Lai Labode Junior, explained that the first phase of initiative would focus on building the drum structure itself, while additional infrastructure around the monument would be developed in stages.
Labode disclosed that the drum project also aims at uniting all Africans through a display of culture and tradition.
According to him the monument will be designed with sustainability in mind, incorporating renewable energy and environmentally friendly materials to ensure that the project does not harm the environment.
He said “The first stage is the actual drum structure. Aside from the infrastructure that will be built around it, the drum alone will cost about N350 million. It will be constructed using materials that are environmentally conscious, because we want to promote sustainability as well as culture.”
“The monument is a large-scale cultural landmark that will attract visitors and celebrate the importance of drums in African tradition.
“We are using fashion to uplift our culture and traditions. We want our children to know about our culture. We want them to embrace our culture. We want to use this festival to reunite African culture
Speaking on to the relationship between culture and fashion, the organisers emphasised that fashion is an important part of cultural identity.
Labode explained that traditional clothing and fabrics play a vital role in preserving heritage, citing Kente as an example of attire that reflects cultural pride and history.
He further urged Nigerians to embrace innovation while preserving cultural traditions, noting that cultural evolution has always been part of society’s progress.
