Mahmudat Yussuf is a legal practitioner with passion for social growth and development. She is also the convener of Ibadan ‘EidFest’, a curated to promote family bonding during the Ramadan festivities. She spoke to ROTIMI IGE about plans for this year’s edition.
What is Ibadan EidFest?
Ibadan Eidfest is an annual family get-together held after the 29 or 30 days of the Ramadan fast, where Muslim families come to relax, network, play games and have fun in a serene environment. The objective is to create a memorable experience of Eid for everyone. We provide lots of indoor and outdoor games for the enjoyment of all attendees. The idea was borne out of the fact that people mostly stay at home and simply watch TV after observing the Eid prayer or go to the malls which are always crowded, but do not meet the demands of a lot of us. Even the days after Eid are just as boring as the Eid day. So, we thought of creating an avenue for Muslim families to enjoy Eid with one another in a park-like setting, while shopping from vendors who come to sell their wares. And here we are, organising Ibadan Eidfest since 2018.
You have been doing this for six years. How has the experience been?
The experience has been awesome. Each year comes with its uniqueness and excitement, but I will say it has been amazing year on year. We have seen the joy on the faces of the attendees, the positive feedbacks, the excitement on the faces of kids and how a lot of families look forward to every next event gives the team a sense of fulfillment. We have Allah to thank for these wonderful experiences. I believe Ibadan Eidfest has become a permanent part of the post-Eid ecosystem for a lot of people.
In addition to the merriment, we also have vendors who come to sell food and other non-edible items rejoice over the sales they make. That makes me happy too.
What challenges have you faced?
Well, challenges will be a constant occurrence and it is how we deal with them that matters. One of the challenges we have faced is getting a perfect location for the increasingly higher turnout. Another is financing. My team and I go all out to get sponsors and talk about what Ibadan Eidfest is all about. It is getting better now, but we still have a lot of grounds to cover as we need to keep improving in order to meet the various demands and expectations of attendees.
What will be different this year?
This year, we are introducing more fun games as well as lots of prizes to be won. We are more intentional about networking sessions as well as meet and greet, in order to strengthen the spirit of community and togetherness.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
I am Mahmudat Yussuf, a Legal practitioner with passion for social growth and development. I was the Publicity Secretary of NBA Ibadan Branch between 2020 and 2022 and as a matter of fact, the only female that has occupied that position in the 68 years of existence of the Ibadan Bar. I belong to professional bodies like the NBA, NBA-SBL and Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, to mention a few. I am the convener of Ibadan Eidfest. I’m married to a medical doctor and blessed with four amazing boys.
What other projects/interests are you involved in?
I will describe myself as a development practitioner and that is why you will see me involved in environmental issues like recycling and sustainable energy, agriculture and health. I look forward to when Nigeria takes these development issues seriously in order to drive economic growth.
Other things that interest me are governance and effective representation. These, combined with strong institutions, will bring about development in our dear country.
