Lagos — Governors in the south western part of the country have agreed on new modalities for the World Yoruba Festival of Arts and Culture (WOFEYAC) scheduled to begin in November .

Under the new arrangement, the festival that is expected to kick-off in Ile-Ife, Osun State with the finals in Lagos and Ogun running concurrently in the month of April, 2009 , will run for six months with each Yoruba state having three days in a month to showcase the depository of all its arts and culture.

According to the chief organizer of the festival, Ogbeni Alao Adedayo, after series of discussions with the governors, it was apparent that each governor wants something tangible and unique to happen in his state.

A statement signed on his behalf by WOFEYAC's Planning Coordinator, Banke Akinlaja said that the governors

"want an opportunity where all the various cultural repositories of their people will be brought to the open, from village to village and town to town. "

The statement added: "They do not want a wishy-washy arrangements, they look forward to a well co-ordinated festival of the highest standard and something that will bring commensurate benefits to the states and their citizens. And this is what we plan to do."

Alao-Adedayo said the development was not a new one, as that is the practice in most of the Caribbean countries, where festivals run for about six or eight months, with each area having selected days in a month to invite people and treat them to sumptuous cultural dishes.

He said Osun State, particularly Ile-Ife was chosen as the starting point for the festival because the town is the cradle of Yoruba civilization which everyone agrees to be his or her ancestry home. He said this will allow international participants to feel and touch the very beginning of the Yoruba people.