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Lagos, Ogun and Oyo Mark Isese Day to Celebrate Yoruba Culture
Today, August 20, 2025, marks the annual celebration of Isese Day, a special occasion dedicated to honoring Yoruba cultural heritage and traditional religious practices. In recognition of the day, Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo states have declared public holidays, allowing citizens to fully participate in festivities and reflect on the importance of indigenous traditions.
In Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced a work-free day for public servants, emphasizing the need to promote cultural unity and preserve Yoruba heritage. He encouraged residents to engage in activities that celebrate traditional beliefs and values.
Ogun State also joined in the celebration, with Governor Dapo Abiodun declaring today a public holiday. The state highlighted Isese Day as a platform for community members to connect with their roots, honor ancestors, and appreciate the rich Yoruba cultural landscape.
Oyo State observed the day as well, with Governor Seyi Makinde approving a work-free day for citizens. Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Olanike Adeyemo, urged residents to use the occasion to pray for peace, unity, and stability while reflecting on the state’s cultural heritage.
Isese Day is marked by traditional worship, cultural performances, and community gatherings, all aimed at keeping Yoruba traditions alive. The celebration provides an opportunity for both practitioners and the broader public to recognize the significance of indigenous customs and their contribution to Nigeria’s diverse cultural identity.
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
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