The ancient city of Ile-Ife came alive on Friday night as the Arole Oduduwa, Olofin Adimula, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, emerged from his seven-day seclusion, marking a spiritual highlight of the 2025 Olojo Festival.
The revered monarch, who had withdrawn from the public eye to commune with the ancestors, cleanse the land, and intercede for his people, offered heartfelt prayers for Nigerians across all spheres of life.
“I have just left my seclusion. I am always happy to be there, and while inside, I prayed for the well-being of Nigerians. I prayed for families, for widows, for our leaders, and for everyone seeking divine help. Now, as I return to the people, I extend those same prayers openly,” the Ooni said.
His emergence was greeted with jubilation by residents, tourists, and dignitaries who had thronged Ile-Ife to witness the sacred rite. Many described his prayers as a source of reassurance at a time when the nation is grappling with economic hardship, insecurity, and social challenges.
The Ooni emphasized that his days of isolation were devoted to intense supplication for the peace, unity, and progress of the country. His prayers, both in private and later in public, underscored his role as a spiritual father and custodian of Yoruba culture.
This year’s Olojo Festival, themed “Cultural Rebirth,” commenced on Thursday, September 25, with traditional games, a cultural talent hunt, and a colloquium. The Ooni’s emergence from seclusion on Friday, September 26, was accompanied by community cleansing rituals and what observers called his “terrestrial message to the world.”
On Saturday, September 27, the monarch will don the sacred Aare crown—believed to be the original crown of Oduduwa, progenitor of the Yoruba people—for the grand cultural procession, the festival’s centerpiece.
Festivities will continue on Sunday, September 28, with the Ojo Ajaye (Grand Royal Reception), the Adire Oduduwa Cultural Exchange Exhibition, and the Ooni’s Ife Award for Community Service 2025. The festival concludes on Monday, September 29, with ancestral rites and the finale of the cultural talent hunt.
Traditional rulers, political leaders, and cultural enthusiasts present described the Ooni’s emergence as a moment of spiritual renewal, not only for Ile-Ife but for Nigeria as a whole. Many saw his prayers as timely, offering hope and direction in the face of national challenges.
The Ooni’s sacred seclusion remains a powerful symbol of the deep spiritual bond between the Yoruba people and their cultural heritage—one that continues to inspire reverence, unity, and faith in a brighter future.