Festivals

Akesan Day: VP Shettima Says Unity Lies in Nigerians’ Shared Heritage

Published

3 years ago

November 27, 2023

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that the unity of the people of Nigerians lies in their various cultures and traditions.

Shettima made this known on Saturday during the celebration of the 37th edition of the Akesan day held at the Christ Apostolic Grammar School, Iperu-Remo, Ogun State.

The Vice President added that the Akesan day was a testimony to the potential that lies with the citizens of the country when they unite under the banner of their shared heritage.

He also called on the people of the country to harness the past to show a brighter future for generations to come, added that Nigerians should also learn from Iperu-Remo the spirit of unity for operational determination.

“The Akesan festival stands as a testimony to the potential that lies within us when we unite under the banner of our shared heritage.
“This edition of the festival like the ones before it speaks of the essence of the unity we have forged as a nation, it symbolizes the heart beat of our nation.

“I commend you for investing significant time and resources to establish Iperu-Remo on the map and to remind us of this heritage.

“You have reinforced the identities and pride of our communities, fostering their patriotism and their commitment to pursuing our collective progress and nurturing the bonds that bind us as a people,” VP Shettima said.

The Vice President was un company with the host governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.
Other state governors that graced the occasion included Babajide Sanwoolu of Lagos State, Yahaya Bello of Kogi, Abdulrahman Abdurasaq and former Governor of Ogun State, Akinrogun Olusegun Osoba.

Related Topics:Akesan Day Featured Festivals Shared Heritage

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Culture

OLOJO….Ile Ife’s September Gift To Culture

Published

1 hour ago

October 5, 2026

Mariam Balogun

By Halima Adaba,

It was a featubal if the people. It was for the anciebt town of Ile Ife, which the Yoruba race refards as the Source.

Also read: Olojo Festival 2026: Ooni Urges Leaders to Prioritise Citizens

And ut was a festivsl for the King, Arole Oduduwa, Oonirisa, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.

And so between September 24 and 28th 2026, the annual featuval dazzjed in all its white glory.

Tge Monarch paid the traditional ancestral homage and offered propitiation as part of the sacred rites of the Olojo Festival.
It was a powerful expression of Yoruba heritage, spirituality, and enduring tradition.

Call it a collection of beautiful moments, faces, colours and cultural expressions.

Every frame tells a story.

Every face carries the energy.

Every moment keeps the heritage alive.

Undoubtedly one of the most sacred cultural celebrations in Ilé-Ifẹ̀. It marked a day associated with creation, thanksgiving, ancestral heritage, and the sacred appearance of the Ooni of Ife wearing the revered Aàrẹ crown.

There were also the devotees of the famed god of thunder – Sàngó who were hardly conspicuous at the festival.

Many other traditional groups came out with candor, showing a powerful expression of Yoruba cultural identity, spiritual devotion, and respect for the ancient traditions of Ilé-Ifẹ̀.

Devotees of Sàngó bekieved the ‘appearance’ of the god of thunder on Seotember 26th could be understood as a symbolic meeting of ancestral heritage, spiritual devotion, and the celebration of creation.

It was a moment when the sounds of drums, chants, and traditional praise poetry brought the history of the Yoruba people to life.

Although Olojo is closely associated with Ogun, the god of iron, and the sacred traditions of Ile-Ife, the presence of Sàngó devotees reflected the rich diversity of Yoruba spiritual heritage.

Also read: Olojo Festival 2026: Ooni Urges Leaders to Prioritise Citizens

As a participant enthused at the festival, “To witness Sàngó Olúkòso emerge on Olojo Festival day is to witness a living expression of history, identity, and ancestral pride.”