Monarch Receives Award of Excellence for Championing and Uplifting Yoruba Cultural Heritage
Oriontimes Culture & Heritage Desk | August 20, 2026
The Olowu of Kuta Kingdom, Oba Dr. Adekunle Oyelude Makama CON (Tegbosun III), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to establish the office of a Special Adviser on Culture and African Traditions, describing such an appointment as a crucial step towards deepening the inclusion of traditional institutions and practitioners of indigenous spirituality in the Federal Government’s cultural policy framework.
The monarch made the call while addressing journalists during the 2026 Isese Day celebration at Freedom Park, Osogbo, the Osun State capital. The gathering brought together traditionalists and cultural custodians from across the state in a collective reaffirmation of Yoruba cultural identity, indigenous traditions and the enduring heritage of the Yoruba people.
Oba Oyelude recalled that traditionalists had previously enjoyed representation at the federal level during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when Professor Wande Abimbola served as Special Adviser on Culture and African Traditions.
He argued that the time was ripe for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to revive the practice by appointing a suitably qualified traditionalist to the position, contending that such an initiative would foster a stronger sense of inclusion and recognition among practitioners of indigenous traditions.
According to the monarch, the traditionalist community has expanded considerably and now constitutes a significant stakeholder in Nigeria’s political and electoral landscape. He maintained that traditionalists deserved equitable consideration in governmental appointments, just as adherents of the country’s other major religious traditions are accorded representation.
“The time is ripe for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make this appointment from among traditionalists so that they can also feel the inclusiveness of the government,” the monarch said.
Beyond the question of governmental representation, Oba Oyelude urged Osun residents, particularly the Yoruba people, to renew their connection with the cultural heritage and indigenous traditions of their forebears.
He expressed concern over what he described as the increasing abandonment of indigenous cultural practices in favour of foreign or borrowed customs, warning that such a trajectory could undermine the preservation and transmission of Yoruba identity to future generations.
The Olowu emphasised that Yoruba culture transcends clothing, appearance or other outward manifestations, noting that it constitutes a profound repository of values, worldview, spirituality, history, communal ethics and the Yoruba understanding of humanity.
He therefore charged the younger generation to acquaint themselves with, preserve and promote the traditions bequeathed to them by their ancestors, stressing the importance of transmitting indigenous knowledge from one generation to another.
The 2026 Isese Day celebration attracted the Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, who was represented by the Special Adviser on Culture and African Traditions.
Also in attendance were the Araba Awo of Osogbo, Chief Yemi Elebuibon; the Olufon of Ifon; and several traditional rulers drawn from different parts of Osun State.
The celebration featured a rich array of cultural activities, alongside the presentation of Awards of Excellence to distinguished traditionalists recognised for their contributions to the promotion, preservation and advancement of Yoruba culture and indigenous traditions.
Among the honourees was Oba Dr. Adekunle Oyelude Makama CON (Tegbosun III), who received an Award of Excellence in recognition of his sustained efforts and contributions to the preservation and advancement of Yoruba cultural heritage.
The event ultimately underscored renewed calls for the preservation of indigenous cultural heritage, while reinforcing the case for greater institutional recognition of traditional institutions and practitioners as integral stakeholders in Nigeria’s cultural development.
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