Community leaders in Lagos State have urged Nigerians to preserve indigenous culture and values, noting that the yearly Ìṣèse Day offers an opportunity to reconnect with heritage and promote unity.
The community leaders made the call on Thursday in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to mark the 2026 Ìsèse Day celebration
Chief Fatai Owoyelu of Fadare Town, Mile 12, said Ìṣèse Day embodied Yoruba identity and cultural heritage, adding that indigenous traditions existed long before Christianity and Islam.
“Before the advent of the missionaries, we lived our lives according to our culture and traditions. Every nation and every people have their own ways of doing things.
“If we can all go back to our roots and abide by the good values in our culture, I think we can get things right because it will make us conscious of doing no harm to one another,” he said.
Owoyelu said that Nigeria’s cultural diversity should foster unity and strength, not division.
“The Igbos have their own culture, the Hausas have their own culture and the Yorubas have their own culture. If we can all respect our different roots, I believe it can bring more stability and unity to the country,” he said.
Owoyelu said traditional values such as truthfulness, loyalty, and respect for one another could foster a more peaceful society.
He added that people would be more conscious of their actions if they remained connected to their cultural values.
Also, Chief Shakirudeen Orefuwa, Baale of Ilado Inu in Igbogbo, Ikorodu, described Ìṣèse as an important aspect of Yoruba heritage that should not be abandoned.
“Ìsèse is something traditional that we don’t need to forget at all. It is one of the paramount aspects of our tradition, and we must preserve it because of continuity,” he said.
Orefuwa said traditional practices had contributed to societal organisation over the years.
He stressed that the positive aspects should be preserved for future generations.
“This traditional heritage encompasses many things that have helped our society. We need to work on preserving it so that things will continue to go on peacefully in our society.”
He said the celebration of Ìṣèse Day also provided an opportunity for people to come together in prayer and thanksgiving.
He noted that Christians and Muslims also had their own ways of praying and giving thanks to God.
Orefuwa expressed appreciation to the state government for recognising Ìṣèse Day, saying the development would further promote awareness of indigenous culture.
Chief Surajudeen Lasisi, the Baale of Olubori Odunfa Ikore Community, Oworonshoki, described the recognition of Ìṣèse Day as a positive step toward preserving Yoruba culture.
Lasisi said the celebration would help to ensure that younger generations understood their cultural heritage and did not completely lose touch with their roots.
“By knowing the value and contribution of our culture to society, we can appreciate the importance of preserving it. This is something we should not forget from where we are coming from,” he said.
He called on governments and traditional institutions to keep supporting cultural programmes aimed at educating the public on indigenous traditions and values.
He said Ìṣèse Day should be used to promote peaceful coexistence, noting that Nigeria’s cultural diversity could become a unifying force when people respected one another’s traditions and beliefs.
Chief Jamiu Abass, Baale of Agunfoye in Igbogbo-Baiyeku, Ikorodu, said Ìṣèse Day had provided an important platform for traditional institutions to promote Yoruba culture and strengthen communal ties.
Abass said the celebration was more than observing a traditional festival, adding that it reminded people of the values and principles upheld by their ancestors.
“Isese is about our roots, our identity and the values that have guided our people. We must not allow those values to disappear because of modernisation,” he said.
He urged traditional rulers and community leaders to continue educating young people about the positive aspects of Yoruba culture, saying this would help preserve the heritage for future generations.
Abass also called for more unity among Nigerians, saying cultural differences should not be used as a basis for discrimination.
He said the continued celebration of Ìṣèse Day would help strengthen cultural consciousness and encourage Nigerians to appreciate their diverse backgrounds while working together for the development of the country.(NAN)
