In a move that has sparked widespread outrage among the Yoruba people, the 2024 Osun Osogbo Festival has been contracted to an Igbo-owned company, raising concerns over the protection of the intrinsic Yoruba cultural heritage.
The Osun Osogbo Festival is one of the most revered cultural programs among the Yoruba sub-national communities, dating back almost 700 years. The festival is deeply rooted in Yoruba beliefs, traditions, and spirituality, with a complex blend of overt celebrations and covert, Ifa-based rituals.
However, it has now been revealed that the hosting and organization of this year’s Osun Osogbo Festival has been handed over to an Igbo-owned company, allegedly owned by one Chief Wilson Chibututu. This decision has been met with strong criticism from the Yoruba cultural custodians, who argue that the festival’s inner sanctum must remain sacrosanct and can only be handled by the indigenous Yoruba people.
The Idande Organisation, a Yoruba cultural advocacy group, has condemned the move, stating that it is a “sacrilege” to hand over the organization of such a delicate aspect of Yoruba culture to a non-native. They have questioned the criteria used in selecting the Igbo company, arguing that there are capable Yoruba individuals and organizations that could have handled the festival better.
The group has also called out Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, urging him to revoke the contract immediately and ensure that the festival’s organization remains in the hands of the Yoruba people. They have warned that failure to do so could have severe political consequences, as they will vigorously campaign against the governor’s re-election bid in 2026.
The Osun Osogbo Festival is a two-week program that includes a cleansing parade, the lighting of a 500-year-old sixteen-point lamp, and a grand procession to the Osun riverside for propitiations and sacrifices to the river goddess, Yeye Osun. The festival is a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba people, and the Idande Organisation has vowed to protect its sanctity.
