Organisers of the Sen. Gbenga Daniel Choir competition, “The Asiwaju of Remo Christians Choir Festival on Monday, announced that N30 million is up for grabs in the 2025 competition.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the festival is an annual event, founded and sponsored in the last 20 years by Daniel, the senator representing Ogun East.
NAN recalls that the festival, which held annually in Ogun, was expanded in the last four years to include price for winners, becoming more competitive and allowing for participation by Choirs nationwide and beyond the country.
The 2024 edition held in Remo, Shagamu, hometown of Daniel, a former governor of Ogun and Asiwaju of Remo.
In 2024, the winning choir received N3 million
as against the N5 million for the winning choir in the 2025 competition.
“The total amount of prizes to be won at this year’s edition of the Choir Festival is N30 million, with the winner going hone with N5 million.
” The second prize is N3,5 million, the third prize is N2,5 million, fourth prize N1 million , fifth prize is N900,000, Sixth prize is N800,000, seventh prize N700,000, eight prize N600,000 and ninth prize N500,000.
” We have 21 observing choirs and they will go
home with N500,000 each,” the organisers said.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos on Monday, Daniel said he was motivated by his experience as a member of the Baptist Boys’ High School, Ogun, as a chorister and college pianist.
The senator said that music played a p pivotal role in shaping his spiritual and musical
journey, particularly singing the iconic Hallelujah Chorus, which instilled in him a deep appreciation for good singing.
choir development, and nurturing young minds through music.
These formative experiences laid the
foundation for my passion for music and its potential to inspire and uplift others,” he said.
The senator said he realised that he could use the festival to mold and influence the values and morals of the younger generation.
He lamented that so much has changed in the society, with people no longer asking questions on morals.
“My passion is how to support upcoming generations and change the psyche of our people, using this festival.
“We need to create more interest in misc/choir and use it to influence the upbringing of future generations, influencing their morals and redirecting them to what is right.
“Growing up, people ask the source of sudden wealth but these days, nobody cares. The moral decadence is such that must be addressed.
” This is one of the ways I chose to influence the young minds into being disciplined and doing the right thing,” he said.
The Asiwaju of Remo urged parents to do more in changing the value system, which he said, would go a long way in reshaping the society.
Also speaking, Dr Opeyemi Asaolu, Curator of the festival, said that 850 choristers are expected at the event, which would hold at the Abraham Tabernacle Church, Sagamu, an Ecumenical Church under the management of the Nigerian Baptist Convention.
Asaolu said that Nine choirs qualified for the competition, from the usual Six choirs in the past three editions.
“The only choir that has automatic qualification for the competition is the host choir, the Abraham Tabernacle Choir.
“Also. the choir defending its title of
winning the previous edition, qualifies automatically for the next.”
He said that participants were chosen after auditioning, saying that the choirs for the 2025 edition, coming from various parts of the country, were selected after they entered and auditioned for it.
He urged Nigerians to join in sponsoring the festival to make room for greater participation.
(NAN)
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