The Ataoja of Osogboland, His Royal Majesty Oba Jimoh Oyetunji has said the Osun Osogbo festival and Goldberg lager beer are almost an inseparable pair given their shared values and culture. The royal father disclosed this at a stakeholders’ forum on the Osun Osogbo festival held in Osogbo.
Oba Oyetunji endorsed Goldberg lager beer as the beer of choice and the official beer of the 2015 Osun Osogbo festival. The Osogbo monarch praised the brand for its consistency in promoting the cultural values of the Osogbo people.
According to Oba Oyetunji, “Goldberg has contributed immensely in uplifting the Osun Osogbo festival to its recent international status. This partnership has been mutually beneficial to both Goldberg and the Osogbo kingdom and this makes us very proud,” he said.
The royal father who described NB Plc as a friend of the Osogbo people given its continued support for the Osun Osogbo festival expressed happiness that Goldberg was yet again a major sponsor of the annual festival. While acknowledging the benefits such sponsorship has brought to his kingdom, he urged the team not to relent in its support for the culture and good values of the Nigerian people.
In his response, the Public Affairs Manager, West/Mid-West, NB Plc, Mr. Tayo Adelaja who represented the company’s Corporate Affairs Adviser, Mr. Kufre Ekanem pledged his company’s commitment to Winning with Nigeria by championing causes that add value to the society.
According to Mr. Adelaja, “For three years now, our company has been partnering with the organisers of this age-long festival that continues to put Nigeria on the global tourism map. There is no doubt that this partnership is a working one between two global brands; Osun Osogbo, a 600-year old festival that truly reflects the traditional culture of the Yoruba race and Goldberg, a brand that is the fastest growing beer in the western region. In a way, these two brands were meant to work together. They are both locally originated and they are both decidedly global in quality,” he said.
While describing Goldberg as the befitting beer, he said the brand has continued to keep its consumers actively engaged all year round through its exciting consumer engagement platforms. He said Goldberg is a brand that sponsors relevant community festivals that showcase and celebrate the rich traditions of consumers.
Among those in the team were Mr. Joseph Bodurin, Regional Business Manager Ibadan, Mr. Ayodele Oke; Regional Trade Marketing Manager Ibadan, Mr. Fredrick Van Os; Trade Marketing Manager and Mr. Olatunji Josiah, Area Sales Manager Osogbo.
Meanwhile, commercial activities in Osogbo, the Osun State capital received a boost recently following the opening of Goldberg beer village in the city. The beer village located in the city center is part of Goldberg’s activities to herald this year’s Osun Osogbo festival. Food vendors and retailers of as well as transporters in the city who are first-line beneficiaries of the improved economic activities, in separate interviews commended NB Plc yet again for the gesture.
One of the respondents Mrs. Idowu Bakare who runs a pub called Mojibade Cool Spot within the premises of the beer village said the opening of the beer village which will last for 21 days has brought new business to her. She said sales was good at the beer village and expressed optimism that it would be better in days to come. Also, Latifat Adegbami who was in charge of Mama Muri Cool Spot said the beer village has always given them new businesses. Adegbami who sold food and drinks to the visitors to the beer village said she was impressed with the turn-out at the Beer village; a development she said implied more sales would be made.
Speaking on the beer village, Brand Manager for Goldberg, Mr. Mfon Bassey said the partnership between Osogbo people and Goldberg has over the years yielded mutual benefits. He added that the partnership with the Osun Osogbo festival will not only enhance commercial activities in the town, but also increase trade transactions where thousands of visitors will be visiting daily thereby impacting positively on the economy of the town and the state in general.
In a unique consumer reward initiative, Goldberg rewarded its loyal consumers via a raffle draw where lucky winners went home with flat screen television sets, DVD players, and a generator. Yinka Babalola, a civil servant who won a generator expressed appreciation to Goldberg for engaging its consumers positively..
