VIDEO: ASIWAJU YINKA FASUYI GROUP PICTURES WITH ELEGBEJEGBES
The rebranding of Iwude Ijesa into a two-day celebration, incorporating the Ijesa Unity Carnival on the Sunday following the traditional Saturday festival, has continued to demonstrate its potential to promote unity, cultural identity and community development across Ijesaland.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Iwude Ijesa Planning Committee under the leadership of its Chairman, Chief Afolabi Igbaroola, and Vice Chairman, Alagba Wale Idowu, expanded the scope of the annual celebration beyond its traditional cultural activities.
At the maiden Ijesa Unity Carnival on 22 December 2024, Asiwaju Olayinka Yinka Fasuyi, the Asiwaju of Ijesaland and Chairman of the event, reinforced the development dimension by challenging participating societies and clubs, popularly known as Elegbejegbes, to translate their collective strength into tangible community projects.
The subsequent interventions of Egbe Yeye Gbobaluyi Adimula Ijesaland provide practical examples of how the message is being translated into action, particularly in the area of educational support.
These developments form part of the 25 major milestones being highlighted in Asiwaju Fasuyi's decade-long stewardship of Ijesaland, reflecting the relationship between cultural mobilisation, leadership and grassroots development.
The Planning Committee's Vision: From One-Day Festival to Two-Day Celebration
The decision to expand Iwude Ijesa into a two-day programme originated at a meeting of the Iwude Ijesa Planning Committee with sons and daughters of Ijesaland at home and abroad on 26 July 2024.
The meeting resolved to widen the scope of Iwude Ijesa activities to make the celebration a catalyst for unity and development among Ijesa people.
Two proposals were subsequently presented to the late Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Dr Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran II, CFR, LLD, on 30 July 2024. They concerned the introduction of a Sunday grand reception following the traditional Saturday festival and the relocation of the reception venue from Obokungbusi Civic Centre to the Ilesa Grammar School Mini Sports Arena.
The late monarch approved and ratified the proposals, paving the way for the maiden Ijesa Unity Carnival in December 2024.
The achievement reflects the planning, coordination and leadership of the committee under Chief Afolabi Igbaroola and Alagba Wale Idowu. The expanded format also provided a broader platform for Ijesa societies, clubs and associations to participate in the celebration of their common heritage.
Fasuyi's Challenge: Making Community Development Part of the Celebration
At the maiden Ijesa Unity Carnival, Fasuyi challenged participating societies to look beyond their colourful uniforms, cultural displays and annual reunion by contributing meaningfully to the development of their respective communities.
He also appealed to the societies to participate in the Ijesa Development Fund (IDF), a development financing initiative intended to support a well-spread development agenda across Ijesaland.
The message was clear: the unity demonstrated at the carnival should extend beyond the festival ground and translate into practical benefits for the people.
The challenge placed greater emphasis on the responsibility of each society to harness its members, resources, professional expertise and networks for community service.
Egbe Yeye Gbobaluyi Adimula: Turning the Challenge into Educational Support
One prominent example of this development-oriented approach is Egbe Yeye Gbobaluyi Adimula Ijesaland, a registered society under the Iwude Ijesa Planning Committee.
Under the leadership of the society's Iya Egbe, Yeyemeso Kemi Gbangbalasa, the society has undertaken educational interventions that demonstrate how organised groups can contribute to the welfare of Ijesa communities.
In marking the 70th birthday of its patron, Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi, the society presented 300 customised school bags and 500 notebooks and pens to students in selected schools in Ilesa.
The gesture served both as a tribute to its patron and as an investment in the educational needs of young people. It also demonstrated how a celebratory occasion could be used to support students and promote education.
The society subsequently extended its intervention to Owa Agunlejika High School, Muroko, Ilesa, where it donated 130 school uniforms on 5 May 2026.
The donation was undertaken in line with the Iwude Ijesa Planning Committee's directive encouraging registered societies participating in the annual Ijesa Unity Carnival to execute community-focused projects ahead of the festival.
Together, these interventions represent measurable contributions to education: 300 school bags, 500 notebooks and pens, and 130 school uniforms distributed through the society's initiatives.
They provide concrete examples of how the collective strength of an Ijesa society can be channelled towards supporting students and addressing practical community needs.
Leadership by Example: Inspiring Societies to Contribute
The experience of Egbe Yeye Gbobaluyi Adimula illustrates the complementary roles of the Planning Committee and Fasuyi's development appeal.
The Planning Committee, under Chief Igbaroola and Alagba Idowu, established the expanded cultural platform and promoted the expectation that registered societies should undertake community-focused projects.
Fasuyi, as Chairman of the maiden Unity Carnival, used the occasion to challenge societies to make their participation meaningful through tangible contributions to Ijesaland.
The society's educational interventions demonstrate how these objectives can work together: cultural participation creates a point of unity, while community projects give that unity practical expression.
Vision and Accountability: Measuring Impact Through Practical Contributions
The emphasis on tangible projects gives the development initiative a measurable dimension. Rather than assessing participation solely by attendance at the carnival, societies can demonstrate their commitment through identifiable contributions to their communities.
Educational support is one example. Other societies are applying the same principle to healthcare, water provision, school rehabilitation, rural infrastructure and other locally identified needs, according to their capacity.
Transparency in reporting completed projects and accountability for commitments will remain important to sustaining public confidence and encouraging further participation.
The experience of Egbe Yeye Gbobaluyi Adimula offers an illustration of what such participation can achieve when a society directs its efforts towards practical needs.
Another Milestone in Fasuyi's Decade-Long Stewardship
Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi at the Egbe Yeye Gbobaluyi's Educational InterventionThe development dimension of the rebranded Iwude Ijesa reflects a broader ambition to connect cultural identity with community responsibility.
The credit for expanding Iwude Ijesa into a two-day celebration belongs to the Iwude Ijesa Planning Committee under Chief Afolabi Igbaroola and Vice Chairman Alagba Wale Idowu. The committee's initiative created the wider platform on which the Ijesa Unity Carnival was established.
Fasuyi's contribution as Chairman of the maiden carnival was his appeal for participating societies to translate their collective strength into tangible development projects. The educational interventions of Egbe Yeye Gbobaluyi Adimula provide concrete examples of that message finding expression in community service.
Together, these efforts demonstrate how cultural institutions can encourage unity while mobilising societies to contribute to the development of their homeland.
The underlying principles remain leadership by example, vision, integrity, transparency and accountability. Their practical significance lies in encouraging Ijesa societies to move from celebration to service and from collective pride to measurable community contributions.
In this evolving model, Iwude Ijesa is not merely an annual cultural gathering. It is an expanding platform for bringing Ijesa people together and encouraging them to invest their collective strength in the education, welfare and sustainable development of Ijesaland.
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