The Ojude Oba festival heralds an unprecedented display of the rich culture of the southwestern people of Nigeria. Since the wake of the 18th century, the Ijebus, one of the predominant inhabitants of Ogun State in south west Nigeria, have preserved an age long tradition of honouring humanity. The ‘Ojude Oba’, as it is called in the Yoruba dialect, means the king’s fore-court, in essence, it is a festival where the reigning king in Ijebuland hosts the various age groups that exist in his kingdom in a colourful ceremony with pomp and pageantry.
It is a yearly event that occurs after the second day of the notable Muslim holiday of Eld-al-Kabir. It brings together hundreds of thousands of sons and daughters of the Ijebu land from within and around the country. During this celebration, they cede themselves into various age grade groups, which are differentiated uniquely by their dress style, and sterling performances.
In the next few lines, Eventpaadi would share intriguing truths that make the Ojude Oba unique among other festivals celebrated in Nigeria and indeed Africa.
Let’s dive right in;
The dominating “Regberegbes” of Ojude Oba Festival
Regberegbes may obviously be the most used vocabulary in the festival, It is a Yoruba word, stylishly coined to refer to the intrinsic characteristics of age groups that dominate the event. Essentially, every Regberegbes presents the majority of the activities that are seen during the event. To gain or maintain dominance over other groups, (this is not a “do or die” situation.) each Regberegbe needs to be ingenious, resourceful, and capable of generating some surprises that will not only entertain and persuade but also become the talk of the event for a while.
As one of the major high points of the festival, the Regberegbes must pay homage to the king. They line up according to their age groups in a colourful parade, present gifts and offer prayers to the monarch. At the end of the event, the king announces the dominating Regberegbes, who will be named the year’s winner. In addition, to a cash reward, they will hold the title for that year until the next Ojude Oba’s Festival.
The festival with glamourous dressing style
This ancient Ojude Oba festival is known for its intentional dressing style. Interestingly, in recent times, it has assumed a more glamourous dimension, where men and women deck their freshly sewn attires, not to only show class and status but to competitively, outshine other age grade groups. Even though it is not officially stated, one could assume that a full dress worn by the women at this festival would cost at least 200k naira (about $120 USD).
More interestingly, the classic dressing styles of both men and women at the festival exposed the sensational dress sense of the southwestern people, their choice of colour and the combination of modernity with locally stitched head gears (‘Abeti aja) for the men’ , (the ‘gele’), for the women, etc. Apart from other indigenous and classic Yoruba dresses adorned by guests at the event, ‘Aso Oke” may be seen to dominate, This is because it is a locally woven clothing material in the region.
Ojude Oba Festival, Hub for Networking and Event Marketing
Over the years, Ojude Oba’s festival has grown from just a locally observed festival, to an internationally acclaimed one. It now offers a rare stage for the convergence of internationally recognized and notable personalities, in the southwestern region of Nigeria. In addition, international communities, state governors, representatives of the federal government, national assembly members, business tycoons, MDs and CEOs of financial institutions, communications, and food industries, as well wishers from around the country, have ample time to network, fraternize, and exchange ideas for economic, growth, business, and/or personal collaborations.
Notably, there is also the visible presence of big brands that leverage the Ojude Oba festival’s huge attendance and participate as sponsors and partners to promote and market their brands to the thousands of guests present at the venue. Their presence may also be an indication of their commitment to the economic growth and social development of the region, as well as the wellbeing of the southwestern people.
In conclusion, Nigeria still remains a potential tourist destination in Africa; replete with enormous natural endowments, loving people, and a rich cultural heritage. Despite being the most glamorous event in southwest Nigeria, Ojude Oba is only one of many festivals held throughout Africa with rich cultural traditions. Events that highlight the rich cultural diversity of a nation with the largest concentration of Black people worldwide include the Argungu fishing festival, the Osun-Oshogbo, the Calabar festival, and many more.
