Alaafin unveils 37-member Oyo Empire Day celebration committee

Oba Akeem Owoade, the Alaafin of Oyo, has inaugurated a 37-member Central Working Committee tasked with organizing the 2026 Oyo Empire Day Celebration. During the inauguration in Oyo town, the monarch stressed the critical importance of preserving the rich Yoruba cultural heritage.

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The Oyo Empire occupies a unique and distinguished place in the history of Yorubaland, West Africa and indeed the wider African continent. It was an empire renowned for its sophisticated political institutions, military organization, diplomacy, commerce, intellectual traditions and rich cultural heritage.

Oba Owoade called upon the committee members to approach their duties with integrity, unity, and commitment. He highlighted the Oyo Empire's distinguished historical position, not only within Yorubaland and West Africa but also on the broader African continent. The traditional ruler pointed to the empire's advanced political institutions, military organization, diplomatic practices, commercial activities, and intellectual traditions as evidence of its sophisticated civilization.

"Our ancestors-built institutions that sustained powerful and influential civilisations for centuries," Oba Owoade stated. "They demonstrated that governance, accountability, diplomacy, courage and collective responsibility are not foreign concepts to our people." He emphasized that these elements are part of the Yoruba inheritance. The theme for the celebration, "Celebrating Our Heritage, Preserving Our Legacy, Building Our Future," underscores the initiative's goal to safeguard and promote this legacy for present and future generations.

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Our ancestors-built institutions that sustained powerful and influential civilisations for centuries. They demonstrated that governance, accountability, diplomacy, courage and collective responsibility are not foreign concepts to our people.

The monarch further elaborated that heritage preservation involves more than recounting past stories; it requires understanding the values and achievements that defined the Oyo civilization. He warned that losing history leads to losing a part of identity, and that history should serve as a foundation for future progress, not merely a collection of memories. The celebration is intended to unite traditional institutions, scholars, cultural practitioners, government bodies, businesses, youth, and international supporters of Oyo, encouraging participation from communities within Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.

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We must celebrate our heritage, not merely by recounting stories of the past, but by understanding the values, institutions and achievements that made the Oyo civilisation remarkable. We must preserve our legacy because people who lose their history gradually lose an important part of their identity and we must build our future because history should not become a museum of memories. It should become a foundation upon which future generations can build.