Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, has hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his administration’s growing recognition of culture as a vital pillar of national identity, unity and international diplomacy.
The monarch, who is the Global Patron of the World Orisha Congress (WOOCON), expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for creating a cultural-friendly environment and giving formal recognition to traditional heritage and spiritual institutions across the country.
“We are grateful that this administration is giving rightful recognition to our culture,” the Ooni declared. “Culture is the soul of a people. Without it, we have no identity. President Tinubu’s leadership is not only helping to reposition our cultural values on the global stage, but also bringing us back to the very essence of our existence,” he added.
Oba Ogunwusi, who spoke at a conference held at the Brazilian Consulate in Lagos, organised by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), as part of preparations for the upcoming global cultural exchange between Nigeria and Brazil under the auspices of WOOCON, called for religious tolerance among adherents of religions, saying humanity should be paramount in all that religion stood for.
The Ife monarch urged the Yoruba across the globe to reconnect with one another in order to shift global perceptions about Orisa, saying Orisa was a propellant energy that no one could survive without.
Brazilian Consular in Lagos, Ambassador Carlos José Areias Moreno Garcete, lauded the historical and spiritual connections between Brazil and Nigeria, particularly through the shared Yoruba heritage that continued to thrive across both nations.
Executive Secretary/CEO, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) and Secretary of the WOOCON Board of Trustees (BOT), Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, emphasised the global cultural renaissance currently taking shape and the pivotal role Nigeria must play in the unfolding narrative.
“WOOCON is not just a congress—it’s a movement to reclaim and redefine African cultural consciousness and identity. This ground-breaking initiative is going to be one of the global cultural festivals that will reposition Nigeria as a major tourism destination in the world by exploring new opportunities in cultural and spiritual tourism that can generate over 10 billion USD annually for the country in the next three years if planned well.
“Nigeria’s decision to collaborate with Brazil in the area of culture, tradition and heritage is informed by the deep historical and cultural connections that exist between the two nations.
“These cultural similarities are specifically profound and undeniable in the area of Yoruba heritage where thousands of Brazilians have over the years, visited Nigeria to participate in major cultural and religious festivals such as the Osun Oshogbo Festival, the Olojo Festival, and Sango Festival to mention a few.
“These interactions reaffirm the strong ancestral ties between our people and highlight the need for structured engagements that will further solidify these bonds. Interestingly, it is not just Brazil but a whole lot of other countries in the Caribbean’s”, Otunba noted.
Two eminent cultural icons who are Patrons of WOOCON; Prof Wole Soyinka and Prof Wande Abimbola lent their voices for the movement.
While the Nobel laureate reaffirmed the importance of intellectual and spiritual engagement in reviving the African culture, Prof. Abimbola, a renowned Yoruba scholar, who joined virtually from the United States, spoke passionately about the Orisha tradition as a global spiritual system that must be preserved and respected across continents.
Soyinka alluded to the fact that culture defines people and nationalities. He opined that this consciousness is long overdue and appreciates the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for encouraging and supporting this initiative, saying it is sincerely a step to greatness and global boost in tourism revenue and relevance.
The gathering marked a significant moment in advancing Nigeria’s cultural diplomacy and underscored the commitment of WOOCON to building bridges between Africa and the diaspora through shared heritage, spirituality, and collaboration.