The Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Saka Adelola Matemilola, has admonished Yoruba people to stop placing foreign cultures above their own, warning that a people’s culture begins to drift towards extinction when it loses value in the eyes of its custodians.
The monarch, who is regarded as the eldest child of Oduduwa, progenitor of the Yoruba race, gave the admonition at on Sunday, December 28, 2025, at the Second Annual World Headdress Celebration held at the Single Tennis Court, Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
Speaking through his representatives, Chief Ayodele Ojelade, the Aare Onikoyi, and Chief Olaniyan Sofela, the Sakosi of Owu Kingdom, the Olowu described the event as a global cultural initiative that deserves the support of all stakeholders to fast-track its endorsement by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
He called for unity among the Yoruba people, stressing that collective action and speaking with one voice would help reposition the race both nationally and globally. The monarch also cautioned against the neglect of indigenous culture in the name of civilization, urging Yoruba people to embrace, protect and promote their cultural heritage.
The World Headdress Celebration featured exhibitions of diverse caps and headdresses drawn from different cultural backgrounds in Nigeria and beyond, highlighting their historical, spiritual and aesthetic significance. Awards were also presented to individuals renowned for their iconic caps and headgear.
A posthumous award was presented in honour of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the first Premier of Western Nigeria. The award was received on behalf of the late statesman by the Deputy Editor of the Nigerian Tribune, Mr Yinka Oladoyinbo.
Another awardee was Alhaji Onaolapo Gbolagun, a retired broadcaster with the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State, who was honoured for his enduring cultural legacy.
Some eminent personalities earlier billed to be honoured were absent from the event. They included the Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke; former Deputy Governor of Oyo State and current National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Taofeek Oladejo Arapaja; the Director-General of the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development, Barrister Wale Ojo-Lanre; and Honourable Farouq Arisekola, who was to receive a posthumous award on behalf of his late father, the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta.
Dignitaries present at the celebration included the Asẹyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Olawale Oyebola (Aderotutu I); the Chief Executive Officer of Agidigbo FM, Alhaji Oriyomi Hazmat, represented by the Head of Programmes, Aare Ismail Olabode Anosoloja; the Chief Executive Officer of Deborah Olufunke Nigeria Limited, Chief (Mrs) Deborah Olufunke Awoyele; the Deputy Director, News and Current Affairs, FRCN Ibadan Zonal Station, Mr Adewumi Faniran; and the General Manager of Amuludun FM, Mrs Tolulope Onafowokan, represented by the Manager, News, Mr Oluseye Arowolo.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chairman of Omo Yoruba Atata Socio-cultural Initiative (OYASI), organisers of the annual event, Mr Olawale Ajao, said caps and headdresses occupy a central place in Yoruba culture. According to him, beyond adornment, they serve purposes such as protection, medicinal use, fortune and spiritual balance.
Ajao added that the vision of the organisation goes beyond cultural preservation to encouraging scientific and academic research into the deeper meanings and functions of traditional headdresses.
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