The Ojude Oba Festival has become more than just a cultural celebration for the Ijebu people. According to Chief Sonny Kuku, the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland, it has sparked real progress and brought the community closer together.
Speaking at the 2026 edition of the festival in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Chief Kuku represented the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona. He said he was thrilled to see how the annual event has grown over the years. “It is very gratifying for me that what we started is getting bigger and bigger and bigger,” he told Channels Television.
Chief Kuku explained that the festival now serves as a catalyst for development, not just a gathering of traditions. “Ojude Oba has opened the eyes of the Ijebu people to the fact that we need to develop more. It has also opened our eyes to social welfare,” he said.
The festival’s core purpose remains paying homage to the Awujale on the third day after Eid al-Kabir. But Chief Kuku emphasized that it also unites people of different faiths. “It is a uniting factor. Christians, Muslims and traditional worshippers come together and pay homage to one person,” he added.
This year’s festival was the first since Oba Adetona’s death in 2025. Thousands of people from across Nigeria and the diaspora attended, celebrating the legacy of the revered monarch and the spirit of unity that defines Ojude Oba.
