Festivals

Official assures tourists of safety for visiting Osogbo grove on August 9

Published

2 years ago

August 7, 2024

Official assures tourists of safety for visiting Osogbo grove on August 9

Visitors planning to attend this year’s Osun-Osogbo festival can rest assured of their safety at the grove, according to the Group Head and Media Manager for the event, Mr. Oyindamola Olukanmi. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Osogbo, he confirmed that various sub-groups involved in organizing the annual festival have made necessary arrangements to ensure a successful event on August 9.

Olukanmi mentioned that ongoing plans with security agencies in the state aim to create a secure environment for all participants, including tourists both locally and internationally.

He emphasized that an extensive deployment of security personnel is in place to guarantee a memorable and hassle-free experience for all attendees at the grand finale.

Meetings are being held with various security bodies such as the Nigerian Army, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Odua People Congress, Amotekun, and different vigilance groups to ensure comprehensive security measures.

“We are fully prepared for the event and anticipate hundreds of tourists from different parts of the country and around the globe,” Olukanmi stated.

Hotels, Ataoja’s Palace, Freedom Park, and other key locations surrounding the grove have been meticulously arranged for the convenience of visitors. Olukanmi urged all stakeholders in the cultural and tourism sector to support and ensure the success of this global event.

However, he affirmed that the organizers are committed to making the 2024 edition one of the most remarkable events for tourists.

Prior to this, the Osun Police Command had assured adequate security measures for the Osun-Osogbo Festival, with the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Yemisi Opalola, stating that the “End Bad Governance/End Hunger” protests will not disrupt the event as organizers have agreed to suspend their protest activities on August 9 in the vicinity.

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Culture

OLOJO….Ile Ife’s September Gift To Culture

Published

2 days 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.”