Oba of Lagos Oba Rilwan Akiolu has announced that the Eyo Festival will take place on Saturday, December 27.
The festival will honour the late chief Abibatu Mogaji, mother of President Bola Tinubu, as well as the late Lateef Jakande and Sir Michael Otedola.
Oba Akiolu made the announcement on Monday during a media briefing at the palace in Iga Idunganran, Lagos Island, attended by the White Cap Chiefs.
He assured residents and tourists that security measures would be in place before, during and after the event.
The monarch also warned participating masquerades against harassing spectators, fun seekers, or other participants.
“Eyo is not an avenue to make money for any chief. It is our sacred heritage and must be treated with dignity, not an avenue for personal profit,” Oba Akiolu said.
This year’s festival will be held at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) and will be restricted to Lagos Island.
Authorities plan to deploy 100 buses to transport participants from across the state to the venue.
The Eyo Festival, also known as the Adamu Orisha Play, is a Yoruba festival held on Lagos Island.
It celebrates the city’s ancestral heritage and is used to guide the souls of departed kings and chiefs to the afterlife.
Participants, known as Eyo, wear white robes, veils and color-coded hats (Aga cap) and carry long staffs (Opambata).
Eyo groups emerge from the palaces (Iga) of ruling families and proceed to the shrine (Agodo), accompanied by singing, drumming, and dancing.
In modern practice, the festival also attracts tourists and is sometimes organized for special state functions while retaining its cultural and spiritual significance.
