Think Yoruba First Advocates Yoruba Language and Heritage Education in Oyo Schools
September 5, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
The Oyo State Chapter of Think Yoruba First (TYF) on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, paid an advocacy visit to the Oyo State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, to present a proposal that requests the introduction of “Yoruba Heritage & Religious Studies” as part of the official curriculum, alongside the extensive teaching of the Yoruba language across primary and secondary schools in Yorubaland, South West, and all other Yoruba communities.
TYF emphasized that the primary focus of the advocacy is to introduce Yoruba Heritage and Religious Studies across schools even for early education (Kindergarten and nursery schools). Secondarily, the group also called for the extensive and comprehensive teaching of Yoruba language since it’s already being taught in schools. According to the group, this model will ensure that Yoruba wards are not only literate in their mother tongue but also grounded in the values, traditions, and spiritual systems that define Yoruba identity.
Yoruba Heritage and Religious Studies, they added, should be a core subject for the development of well-rounded Yoruba wards who are the leaders and innovators of tomorrow. The Yoruba faith and belief system is one of the most recognised and accepted spiritualities globally, aside from Christianity and Islam which already have their own religious studies in school curricula across Yorubaland. TYF stressed that the Yoruba belief system and tradition are not just a religion, as they have often been reduced to, but an embodiment of Yoruba identity, ethos, culture, science, philosophy, heritage, history, and many other layers of richness. Therefore, it should be included in school curricula across Yorubaland.
The delegation, led by Comrades Nike Seweje, Bolarinwa Ayoola, Oladipupo Ahmed, and Yinka Akinola, submitted copies of the proposal to the offices of Governor Seyi Makinde and the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly. They were advised to formally request an official audience with both offices for deeper deliberations.
TYF further argued that grounding children in their language, history, and cultural values is crucial to halting the decline of Yoruba identity while laying a strong foundation for future advancement in commerce, technology, defence, and other strategic sectors. They also noted that building academic curricula and technologies in Yoruba would mirror the successful models of Germany, France, China, and Japan, countries that rely on their indigenous languages as the backbone of national development.
At the Oyo State Commission for Culture, the delegation was warmly received by the Director for Culture, Alhaja A. T. Lawal; Deputy Director, Mrs. M. B. Adeyemo; and Cultural Officer, Mrs. M. M. Oyedele. TYF expressed readiness to collaborate with the Commission on initiatives to safeguard Yoruba heritage and foster deliberate measures to preserve Yoruba civilization.
In her response, the Director for Culture commended TYF’s vision and assured the group of the Commission’s willingness to partner on cultural revival programmes. She encouraged the organization to formally register with the Commission with a fee of ₦150,000 to qualify for endorsements and sponsorship of its initiatives.
She reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to promoting Yoruba culture, citing the recent Isese Day celebration and continued support for cultural festivals as proof of its dedication to preserving and celebrating Yoruba heritage.