Festivals

Oyo Inaugurates World Sango Festival 2024 Committee

Published

2 years ago

May 3, 2024

Ahead of the 2024 World Sango Festival in Oyo State, the Honourable Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in the state, Dr Wasiu Olatubosun, on Tuesday inaugurated a ten-man organising committee.

In his opening remarks, the commissioner acknowledged the contributions of two key individuals: Mr. Emmanuel Odekanyin, who represented the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO Division) and International Cultural Relations Department, Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy Desk, and Dr. Paula Gomez, the Cultural Ambassador to Alaafin of Oyo.

He expressed his appreciation for their effort in securing UNESCO’s approval for the World Sango Festival last year.

Recall that UNESCO recognition and inscription of the Sango Oyo Festival in the lists of World Heritage has ranked Oyo State as a giant in the tourism industry.

The next Sango Festival in Oyo Town, which will be held in August 2024, is expected to attract over 15,000 local and international tourists.

Olatubosun urged the committee to show respect to the memory of the founder of Sango promotion, Duro Ladipo, by including his family members in the planning process. He also emphasised the importance of attracting international audience by ensuring the festival meets international standards.

He also counseled them to accord great respect to the Sango worshippers they will be interacting with and respect their culture.

The committee is headed by the general manager of the Cultural Center, Ibadan, Chief Mrs Olayinka Adedeji, co-chaired by Dr Gomez. The committee comprises stakeholders and officials of the ministry.

The commissioner tasked the committee with securing sponsorships, promoting the festival locally and within UNESCO member countries, finding a safe and appropriate venue, and identifying cost-effective solutions that enhance the festival’s value.

The festival will be a week long and some of the activities to be carried out include; a symposium with a distinguished speaker, various Sango performances, entertainment and parades.

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OLOJO….Ile Ife’s September Gift To Culture

Published

1 week 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.”