The Owa Obokun Adimula and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland, His Imperial Majesty Owa Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, Ajimoko III, has charged the 95 groups registered for the 2026 Iwude Ijesa celebration to embrace unity, cooperation and collective responsibility for the success of the annual homecoming event.
The Owa gave the charge during an interactive session with members of the Iwude Ijesa Planning Committee on Friday evening, September 25, 2026, at the Owa Obokun Adimula Palace in Ilesa.
His Imperial Majesty urged all the registered groups participating under the platform of the Planning Committee to cooperate with the constituted body and work together in the overall interest of Ijesaland.
The Owa Obokun specifically cautioned the groups against engaging in activities that could undermine the collective arrangements for the celebration.
He stressed that under no circumstance should any group organise a parallel event on the same day as the main Iwude Ijesa celebration or undertake any activity contrary to the general interest of the homecoming.
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The 2026 Iwude Ijesa celebration is scheduled for Saturday, December 19, and Sunday, December 20, 2026, and is expected to bring together Ijesa sons and daughters from across Ijesaland, different parts of Nigeria and the diaspora.
The traditional and statutory Iwude Ijesa celebration will take centre stage on Saturday, December 19, with the annual royal outing providing the traditional foundation of the homecoming celebration.
The celebration will continue on Sunday, December 20, with the rebranded Iwude Ijesa Unity Carnival taking place at the Sports Arena of Ilesa Grammar School.
The rebranding of the carnival reflects efforts by the organisers to give the annual gathering a broader developmental and unifying purpose beyond cultural festivities.
Speaking during the palace interaction, the Chairman of the Iwude Ijesa Planning Committee, Chief Afolabi Igbaroola, informed the Owa Obokun that the committee had introduced a community development component into this year’s celebration as part of efforts to diversify the focus and impact of Iwude Ijesa.
According to him, each of the registered Iwude groups has embarked on a Community Development Project within its area of interest.
He explained that the initiative was designed to ensure that the annual homecoming translates into tangible benefits for communities, rather than remaining solely a cultural and social gathering.
Chief Igbaroola further disclosed that the best of the projects undertaken by the participating groups is proposed to be commissioned by His Imperial Majesty as part of activities surrounding the 2026 celebration.
The development initiative is expected to encourage the various groups participating in Iwude Ijesa to demonstrate their commitment to the growth and wellbeing of Ijesaland through practical interventions.
Also speaking, the Ajirowa of Ijesaland, Chief Lateef Bakare, commended members of the Planning Committee for what he described as their commitment, transparency and doggedness in preparing for the celebration.
Chief Bakare particularly welcomed the decision by the various Iwude groups to undertake Community Development Projects, describing such interventions as long overdue.
He noted that the initiative would give the celebration an additional dimension by connecting the cultural gathering with concrete development efforts in Ijesaland.
The Ajirowa therefore called on all sons and daughters of Ijesaland to rally around the Owa Obokun Adimula and the Iwude Ijesa Planning Committee in order to achieve a grand and successful celebration.
The 2026 Iwude Ijesa is consequently being positioned as a celebration that combines culture, unity, community service and development, bringing together Ijesa people at home and abroad under the leadership of the Owa Obokun Adimula.
With the statutory traditional celebration scheduled for December 19 and the Unity Carnival following on December 20, the organisers are expecting the 2026 edition to provide another opportunity for Ijesa sons and daughters to reconnect with their ancestral homeland, celebrate their heritage and contribute to the development of their communities.
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