The Eyo Festival returned to Lagos on Saturday after an eight-year break, marking the resumption of one of the city’s most significant cultural traditions and a renewed effort to promote Nigeria’s heritage through tourism.
President Bola Tinubu attended the 2025 Adamu Orisha Play at Tafawa Balewa Square on Lagos Island, where he said the festival demonstrates how culture and tradition can strengthen Lagos’ global profile.
The event was hosted by Lagos State Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and drew Imo State Gov. Hope Uzodinma; Lagos Deputy Gov. Obafemi Hamzat; Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly Mudashiru Obasa; the Oba of Lagos, Oba Riliwanu Akiolu; senior business leaders; former and serving public officials; traditional rulers; and visitors from Nigeria’s diaspora and abroad.
Tinubu said the procession of white-robed Eyo masquerades, led by Adamu Orisha, reflects Lagos’ identity and its historical continuity.
He noted that the festival coincided with the peak holiday period known as Detty December, when Lagos attracts large numbers of visitors, and said Nigeria’s cultural heritage could support tourism development.
The president said the 2025 festival was held in honor of late Brig.-Gen. Mobolaji Johnson, former Lagos Gov. Lateef Jakande, Chief Michael Otedola and his late mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji.
He thanked the Lagos State government for recognizing the families of those honored and congratulated the people and traditional institutions of the state, particularly the Oba of Lagos, on the successful staging of the festival.
Earlier, Sanwo-Olu described the Eyo Festival as a defining symbol of Lagos’ identity and history.
He said the tradition affirms the state’s resilience and its enduring connection to its cultural heritage.
The Eyo Festival, also known as the Adamu Orisha Play, is a Yoruba cultural tradition unique to Lagos. It has deep historical roots linked to Iperu-Remo, a town in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State.
In modern times, the people of Lagos have presented the festival as a major cultural and tourism event, drawing visitors from across Nigeria and the diaspora.
