President Bola Ahmed Tinubu joined thousands of revellers at the Grand Finale of the 2025 Eyo Festival on Saturday, describing the event as “a great rekindling of our culture.”
The President, dressed in traditional white robes with a damask sash and a star-emblazoned hat, carried the ceremonial opambata staff as he participated in the colourful celebration at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed the President’s attendance in a weekend statement from Lagos.
The week-long festival, which began with a traditional homage ceremony at the President’s Lagos residence on December 21, marked the first staging of the historic event in eight years. Dating back to 1854, the Eyo Festival is one of Lagos’s most significant cultural celebrations.
This year’s edition broke with tradition by honouring four distinguished personalities instead of the usual one to three. The honourees were Lagos State’s first military administrator, Mobolaji Johnson; its first civilian governor, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande; former civilian governor Sir Michael Otedola; and former Iyaloja Alhaja Abibat Mogaji, mother of President Tinubu.
In his message to the organisers, President Tinubu emphasised the festival’s importance as a celebration of Lagos heritage and its potential for tourism development.
“The Eyo Festival is a vibrant expression of the rich traditions of Lagos. It celebrates the achievements, outstanding contributions, and exemplary lives of distinguished Nigerians—not only eminent Lagosians,” he stated.
The President praised all four honourees as visionary leaders whose contributions helped establish Lagos as a city of national and international prominence.
Highlighting the festival’s timing during “Detty December,” when Lagos welcomes diaspora Nigerians and foreign visitors, President Tinubu noted the significant tourism opportunities embedded in Nigeria’s cultural traditions.
“Our culture and traditions hold great tourism potential. Indeed, our cultural assets can serve as valuable resources for destination promotion. The glamour of white-robed figures parading our streets sends a resounding message about our identity and our country,” he said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu described the occasion as historic, calling it both a cultural milestone and a homecoming for the President.
“What we’re celebrating here today is the first of its kind. We are seated with the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to witness a history of the cultural heritage of Lagos,” Governor Sanwo-Olu said.
He commended the traditional institutions under the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, for their leadership in reviving the festival after its eight-year hiatus.
“The Eyo Festival is far more than pageantry. It is a living archive of our Yoruba heritage and a symbol of unity, purity and the communal strength of Lagos,” the governor added.
Governor Sanwo-Olu pledged that his administration would continue advancing the state’s development while preserving its cultural heritage, promising to maximise the festival’s potential on the global stage.
The celebration attracted prominent dignitaries including Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum; Minister of State for Finance Doris Uzoka; Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila; members of the diplomatic corps; and senior officials from federal and state governments.
The festival featured traditional dances, indigenous music and chants, cultural performances, and processions by various Eyo groups representing different Yoruba families. The carnival, which showcases Lagos’s deep cultural history through regalia, dance, unity and peace, concluded with special prayers for the President and the nation.
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