The Alaafin of Oyo has inaugurated a 37-member committee to organise the maiden Oyo Empire Day, scheduled for December 2026, in a major initiative to celebrate and preserve the legacy of the ancient Oyo civilisation.
The committee, inaugurated on Tuesday, is chaired by Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, with Prof. Soji Adejumo as Vice Chairman and Prince Dapo Olakulehin as Secretary.
The Alaafin said the celebration is intended to reconnect younger generations with the history, institutions and cultural achievements of the Oyo Empire, which once wielded significant political, military and economic influence across Yorubaland and parts of West Africa.
Themed “Celebrating Our Heritage, Preserving Our Legacy, Building Our Future,” the programme will feature cultural exhibitions, a historical colloquium, book presentations, tourism activities and other heritage events.
The monarch said the initiative would also create opportunities for historical research, tourism, youth development, cultural preservation and economic partnerships, urging historians, traditional rulers, Oyo indigenes at home and abroad, businesses and development partners to support it.
He noted that the historical footprints of the Oyo Empire stretch beyond present-day Oyo State into parts of Osun, Kwara, Ogun and Ondo states, as well as the Republic of Benin.
The Alaafin charged the committee to ensure that the celebration becomes an annual event with global recognition, rather than a one-off commemoration.