Ojude Oba vs The World: Can Nigeria’s grandest cultural event go global?

The Ojude Oba festival, held yearly in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria, attracts participants, spectators, and media coverage from all over the world.

Although it started over 100 years ago, it has drawn widespread attention in recent times for its unique display of cultural fashion.

Kudos, of course, goes to the various committees and planning teams that devote commitment to its production and sustenance through mobilisation, financial contributions, and accessible sponsorship packages.

The result of the dedication shows at every year's outing: cultural elegance and unity that yields a thrilling experience for everyone (well, almost everyone).

The members of the individual egbes, known as the regberegbes, the event planning committee members, the top-ranking dignitaries, and even the side attraction artists like drummers can all indeed find the experience incredibly fulfilling and rewarding. But the visitors?

The photographers? The videographers? The media personnel? The bystanders? The culture enthusiasts-cum-spectators? The tourists?

Their experience largely depends on how accommodating the physical space is, the intentionality of the crowd control strategy, and the consideration given to their welfare throughout the duration of the event at the planning stage.

From the 2025 edition recently held on Sunday, June 8th, it is clear that these aspects have not been well-optimised for all-round satisfaction.

Now one can argue that festivals are not designed to be perfect and that a sense of fulfillment from the experience should be individual-based and not collective.

But then again, no one wants an exciting cultural event to devolve into an unexpected crime scene, especially when the country's Renewed Hope Agenda seeks to diversify economic opportunites beyond oil to cultural investments.

The Federal Government has also expressed its plans to position the country's rich cultural heritage as a magnet for economic growth; Ojude Oba stands as a worthy contender for the task, as it has undoubtedly gained youth appeal and contemporary relevance.

However, the level of consideration given to visitors needs to be intensified to broaden its global attraction.

Welfare facilities including emergency health ambulances, restrooms, and decent food stalls should be set up for ease and convenience.

The preservation of cultural legacy, in a world of innovation and technology, should not exist at the expense of physical safety, compliant (and fair) security, and basic human decency.

Yes, Ojude Oba is first for the people (royal families, Baloguns, noblemen and women) of Ijebu; but the world is now a global village — let's be mindful of that.