The Lagos State Government has declared Thursday, August 20, 2026, a work-free day to enable residents and visitors participate in activities marking this year’s Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day.
The state government said the decision was aimed at facilitating participation in the annual celebration of Yoruba traditional religion, culture and heritage.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe, announced the declaration in a statement issued on Wednesday.
According to him, more than three million traditional worshippers are expected to participate in this year’s celebration, which marks the culmination of a week-long programme of traditional activities.
Aregbe said Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day represents more than a public holiday, describing it as an important expression of Yoruba spirituality and cultural identity.
He said the celebration had also become a platform for promoting and preserving Yoruba heritage among younger generations and across the global Yoruba community.
“Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” Aregbe said.
He noted that Yoruba cultural practices had continued to thrive in different parts of the world, including Cuba, Brazil and the Caribbean, where communities of Yoruba descent maintain aspects of the heritage.
Aregbe said Lagos, as a major centre of Yoruba culture, had a significant role to play in preserving and promoting the tradition.
The state has observed Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day as a work-free day since 2023, following a request by the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has continued the practice as part of his administration’s commitment to indigenous culture, traditional institutions and religious inclusiveness under the THEMES+ Agenda.
Aregbe commended Sanwo-Olu for sustaining the declaration and acknowledged the contributions of traditional rulers and custodians of Yoruba heritage to the preservation of Ìṣẹ̀ṣe.
He specifically recognised the roles played by the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I, traditional chiefs, Babaláwo, Ìyánífá, Olóòrìṣà and other custodians of traditional practices.
“Governments come and go. Custodians carry the culture,” he said.
This year’s celebration will feature traditional prayers and rituals, processions, drumming and other cultural displays dedicated to the Òrìṣà.
The activities are being coordinated by the Association of African Traditional Religion Nigeria and Overseas.
The special adviser urged participants to conduct themselves peacefully and respectfully throughout the celebration, saying the event was intended to promote cultural pride, unity and appreciation of indigenous heritage.
Aregbe also stressed that Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day was not intended to exclude people of other faiths, but to provide an opportunity for Lagos to celebrate its cultural heritage.
“Whether you worship in a mosque, a church or a grove, Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day belongs to you, because heritage has no denomination. Lagos remains the city where every heritage finds its place,” he said.
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