Lagos celebrates Nigerian culture through Eyo festival – Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu attended the 2025 Adamu Orisha Play Eyo Festival on Saturday, highlighting how the event showcases the richness of Nigerian culture.

He remarked that the festival drew notable attendees, including Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Imo State Governor Senator Hope Uzodinma, Lagos Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Oba of Lagos His Royal Majesty Riliwanu Akiolu, leaders from various sectors, public figures, and numerous Nigerians from abroad alongside foreign visitors. Tinubu noted that the festival illustrates the significant potential of culture and tradition for tourism development.

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The Eyo Festival is a key cultural event in Lagos, emphasizing the city’s historical significance while sharing its customs with a global audience. During the festival, various Eyo groups donned distinctive traditional colors and paraded, guided by Adamu Orisha, offering prayers along the way.

In his address at the 2025 Eyo Festival at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos Island, President Tinubu recognized the symbolic procession of the Eyo masquerades in white robes, which powerfully represents Lagos’ identity and cultural pride.

He expressed, “Witnessing the Eyo 2025 Festival honoring our late distinguished leaders—Brigadier-General Mobolaji Olufunsho Johnson (rtd), Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, Chief Michael Agbolade Otedola—and my beloved mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, the revered Iyaloja General of Nigeria, is truly heartwarming.

“The Eyo Festival vividly showcases Lagos’ rich traditions, celebrating the contributions and legacies of remarkable Nigerians—far beyond just notable Lagosians.

“This event is more than mere celebration; it encapsulates the rich culture and beliefs of the Lagos people and highlights Nigeria’s vibrant cultural heritage.

“The festival’s timing, coinciding with Detty December, attracts numerous Nigerians from the Diaspora and international visitors, serving as a reminder of the tourism potential embedded in our culture and traditions. Our cultural wealth can be leveraged as a valuable resource for promoting tourism destinations.

“The elegance of the white-robed figures parading our streets highlights our identity and national pride.”

President Tinubu also expressed gratitude to Governor Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor Hamzat, and the State Executive Council on behalf of the families of Johnson, Jakande, and Otedola for their exceptional tribute, particularly to his late mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji.

He congratulated the people and government of Lagos State and its traditional institutions, especially Oba Riliwanu Akiolu, for the successful 2025 Eyo Festival.