President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday participated in the grand finale of the 2025 Adamu Orisha Play Eyo Festival at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, marking the return of the historic cultural celebration after an eight-year hiatus.
Dressed in traditional white attire with a damask sash and a distinctive hat adorned with decorative stars, the President joined other revellers carrying the ceremonial staff known as opambata. The festivities formally began earlier in the week with the presentation of the festival staff to the President at his Lagos residence on Sunday, December 21.
The Eyo Festival, which dates back to 1854, is one of Lagos’ most significant cultural events. This year’s edition was notable for honouring four distinguished Lagos personalities—an expansion from the usual one or three honourees.
Those celebrated were Brigadier-General Mobolaji Johnson, the first military administrator of Lagos State; Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, the first civilian governor; former governor Sir Michael Otedola; and Alhaja Abibat Mogaji, former Iyaloja of Lagos and mother of President Tinubu.
The carnival showcased Lagos’ rich cultural heritage, with various Yoruba families participating in colourful regalia, traditional dances, music, chants, and a procession of Eyo groups symbolising unity, peace, and purity.
In a message to the organisers, President Tinubu described the festival as “a great rekindling of our culture,” noting that it celebrates the achievements and exemplary lives of distinguished Nigerians beyond Lagos alone. He said the honourees were leaders whose visionary service helped position Lagos for national and international prominence.
The President also highlighted the festival’s timing during the popular “Detty December” period, when Lagos hosts thousands of Nigerians in the diaspora and foreign visitors. According to him, the spectacle of white-robed Eyos parading the streets underscores the tourism potential of Nigeria’s cultural assets and sends a strong message about the country’s identity. He urged all participants to celebrate peacefully and ensure public safety.
In his welcome address, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu described the event as both historic and symbolic, calling it a homecoming for the President.
He said the return of the Eyo Festival after eight years affirmed Lagos’ resilience, identity, and enduring connection to its history.
Governor Sanwo-Olu commended the Oba of Lagos, His Royal Majesty Oba Rilwan Akiolu, and traditional institutions for their leadership in reviving the festival. He assured that his administration would continue to pursue socio-economic development while preserving Lagos’ cultural heritage, noting that the Eyo Festival remains a powerful platform for projecting the state on the global stage.
Dignitaries at the event included the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma; Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; members of the diplomatic corps; and senior federal and Lagos State government officials.
The celebration concluded with special prayers for President Tinubu and the nation, reinforcing the festival’s role as a unifying symbol of Lagos’ past, present, and future.
