Festivals

Top Diplomats to Attend Sango Festival

Published

2 years ago

August 16, 2024

Oyo State’s Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun has said that the maiden edition of the Sango Oyo Festival, a UNESCO World Heritage, would be attended by top diplomats from around the world.

He noted that Governor ‘Seyi Makinde’s commitment to exploring culture and tourism to expand the state’s economy has already begun to pay off, noting that culture and tourism would place the state in its rightful place on the world map.

The commissioner stated that the festival, whose grand finale would be held on August 17 at the Aafin Oyo, Oyo, Oyo State, would be attended by Portugal’s Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Mr Santos Paulo and the Ambassador of Cuba in Nigeria, Her Excellency, Ms. Miriam Morales Palmero.

According to the commissioner, the Consular, Embassy of Portugal in Nigeria, Ms Cunha Johana Prata; the Cultural Adviser, Royal Embassy of Spain in Nigeria, Ms Eva Barta Martin and Ms. Maria, an official of the Royal Embassy of Spain in Nigeria, would also be in attendance.

Dr Olatunbosun equally noted that two other diplomats from the European Union would attend the cultural event.

Recall that the Sango Oyo Festival was designated as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 2023.

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Culture

OLOJO….Ile Ife’s September Gift To Culture

Published

2 hours 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.”