Across Yorubaland and the wider Oodua world, the name Odùduwà resonates not just as an ancestor, but as the divine progenitor from whom the Yoruba nation traces its identity. In Yoruba cosmology and oral traditions, Odùduwà is revered as the founder of Ilé-Ifẹ̀, the cradle of civilization, and the fountainhead of Yoruba kingship.
According to Samuel Johnson’s The History of the Yorubas (1921), Odùduwà is widely acknowledged as the patriarch of the Yoruba dynasty, whose descendants went on to establish kingdoms stretching across West Africa. From Ife to Oyo, Benin, Ondo, Ekiti, and beyond, the authority of Yoruba kingship is traced back to him.
This foundational role cements Ilé-Ifẹ̀ not just as a city, but as the sacred spiritual capital of the Yoruba people. And at the very heart of this legacy stands the Ooni of Ife, custodian of Odùduwà’s throne. Scholars such as Jacob Olupona, professor of African Religious Traditions at Harvard University, have described Ife as the “spiritual nucleus of the Yoruba world,” noting that the Ooni’s position is not merely political but deeply sacred, embodying the continuity of Odùduwà’s covenant with his descendants.
This is why the Ooni is regarded as the supreme traditional authority across Oodua land. Other monarchs, no matter how politically influential within their domains, acknowledge that their crowns ultimately derive from the Odùduwà dynasty. Historical accounts affirm that it is from Ife that the first crowns were bestowed, legitimizing kingship across Yorubaland and beyond.
Thus, Odùduwà’s legacy is not just history—it is the living foundation of Yoruba identity, culture, and monarchy. And as custodian of that sacred throne, the Ooni of Ife, today embodied by His Imperial Majesty, the Arole Oduduwa, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, remains the highest authority, the ultimate reference point, and the unifying symbol for Yoruba sons and daughters worldwide.
Under his reign, Ooni Enitan Ogunwusi has continued to reinforce the global recognition of the throne of Odùduwà, serving as a bridge between ancient heritage and contemporary relevance, and reaffirming the supremacy of the Ile-Ife stool in the Yoruba world.