World leaders, monarchs, and cultural icons will converge on Ile-Ife for the Ooni of Ife’s 10th coronation anniversary, an eight-day global cultural festival celebrating peace, culture, and unity
World Leaders, Monarchs to Attend Ooni of Ife’s 10th Coronation Anniversary
…To Mark Celebration With Global Cultural Festival in Ile-Ife
World leaders, prominent monarchs, scholars, and cultural icons from Africa and the diaspora will converge on Ile-Ife, Osun State, as the Ooni of Ife, Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, celebrates his 10th coronation anniversary with an international cultural festival.
Themed “Ten Years of Aṣé: A Reign of Peace, Culture and Unity,” the landmark eight-day celebration is scheduled to hold from November 30 to December 7, 2025.
According to the organisers, the anniversary is not just a local festivity but a global gathering to honour Yoruba civilisation and strengthen Africa’s cultural identity. Speaking at a press conference in the Ile-Oodua Palace, Ile-Ife, the Ooni was represented by Queen Olori Aderonke Ademiluyi Ogunwusi, his spokesman Otunba Moses Olafare, Chief of Staff of Slowe Ganzi International Bonike Thomas-Ojo, and anniversary committee member Olabisi Awope.
They revealed that the festival will attract royalty, political leaders, academics, cultural icons, and tourists—transforming Ile-Ife into the epicentre of African heritage and global unity.
Highlights include the premiere of a cultural film The Journey to Ife: A Renewal of Culture, a Yoruba Drama, Arts and Film Festival, a grand carnival, and an exhibition of a compendium of Yoruba lineage. Visitors will also tour shrines dedicated to deities such as Orunmila, Olodumare, and the Orisas.
Other attractions are a Yoruba food festival, fashion shows blending tradition with modernity, traditional sports and games, a royal gala night, and fireworks with a drone display narrating the Yoruba nation’s history.
The organisers noted that Ooni Ogunwusi’s reign since 2015 has been marked by peace-building, cultural preservation, and socio-economic empowerment. Notable projects include the Inagbe Cocowood Factory, OjajaMore Shopping Malls, and youth employment initiatives.
“Since ascending the throne in 2015, Arole Oodua has consistently championed initiatives that bridge Africa and its diaspora. This anniversary is not only a Nigerian celebration but a global gathering of the African spirit,” they said.
The festival will climax with royal homage by dignitaries and Obas, alongside a mystical procession of all 401 Ifa deities, offering a spiritual close to the historic celebration. Read More
