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The Lagos State Government has announced that Thursday, August 20, 2026, will serve as a work-free day, allowing residents to fully engage in the upcoming Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day festivities.
According to Idris Aregbe, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, who released an official statement on Wednesday, the break is designed to accommodate locals and visitors joining in the celebrations, which are anticipated to draw over three million adherents of traditional religion.
Aregbe characterized Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day as a vibrant manifestation of indigenous practices and a crucial pillar of Yoruba spirituality within the nation’s diverse cultural and religious fabric.
Emphasizing the worldwide dimension of the heritage, he noted that the global Yoruba community, numbering upwards of 55 million individuals, actively preserves and transmits these cultural traditions to younger generations, sustaining traditional observances across regions such as Cuba, Brazil, and parts of the Caribbean.
“When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe stated.
Designated as a work-free day in Lagos since 2023 following appeals from the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs, the observance has remained a fixture under the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The 2026 schedule comprises traditional prayers, sacred rituals, community processions, drumming sessions, and cultural exhibitions dedicated to the Òrìṣà, organized in collaboration with the Association of African Traditional Religion Nigeria and Overseas.
Aregbe encouraged all attendees to observe the events with peace and mutual respect, underscoring that the gathering is meant to foster cultural pride and unity.
“Whether you worship in a mosque, a church or a grove, Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day belongs to you, because heritage has no denomination. Lagos remains the city where every heritage finds its place,” he concluded.
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