Oyo State Government is set to host the annual Isese Day celebrations and the World Sango Festival to showcase, promote, and preserve the rich heritage of the state.

Addressing journalists at the Cultural Centre, Mokola, Ibadan, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatunbosun, disclosed that the celebration of the day has been decentralised across the state.

He explained that the Isese Festival has started in the Oke-Ogun Zone on August 10, while the Ogbomoso Zone would host the festival on August 12, 2024.

According to him, the Ibarapa Zone will celebrate the festival on August 14, and the Oyo Zone on August 16, this month.

Dr Olatunbosun stated that the grand-finale of the Isese Festival would be held on August 20, at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex in Ibadan.

“This day has been declared a public holiday in Oyo State by Governor Seyi Makinde to honor the Isese tradition.”

“The World Sango Festival, which celebrates the Yoruba deity Sango, will be held from August 8 to 17, 2024, in Oyo Town. This festival was recently approved for inclusion in the UNESCO Representative List for Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”

“As part of the World Sango Festival, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will host a symposium on August 13, 2024, at the Bode Wasimi residence in Ibadan, titled “Sango’s Heritage: The Duro Ladipo Theatrics.” This event will celebrate the renowned theater icon Duro Ladipo and his popular work “Oba Koso.”

“The 2024 World Sango Festival is being organized by a Steering Committee comprising representatives from the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture and the Creative Industry, the Oyo State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Deputy Governor’s Office, the Oyo State House of Assembly, and other stakeholders, including cultural ambassadors, local government representatives, and Sango devotees.”

“The festival will feature performances, exhibitions of arts and crafts, indigenous cuisines, and the participation of envoys from countries such as Portugal, Cuba, Brazil, and Spain.”

“The Ministry of Culture and Tourism invites the general public to attend these celebrations and experience the rich cultural heritage of Oyo State, a premier tourist destination,” Olatunbosun stated.

It would recalled that Governor Seyi Makinde had in August 2023, approved that the 20th day of August annually be observed as a public holiday in Oyo State in honour of Isese Day which had hitherto been set aside by traditional adherents as a day of worship annually.