International Council for Ifa Religion has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to accord equal national recognition to traditional worshippers by declaring August 20 and 21 as public holidays in celebration of Isese Day across Nigeria.
ICIR President, Fayemi Fakayode, made the appeal in a statement issued on Wednesday in Ibadan, Oyo State, as traditionalists in parts of the country marked the 2025 Isese Day.
While several South-West state governments — including Oyo, Lagos, Ogun and Osun — declared Wednesday a work-free day to commemorate the festival, Fakayode urged governors of Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara, Kogi, Edo and Delta states to follow suit.
“We are asking President Tinubu to recognise Isese at the national level just as Muslims and Christians are, by proclaiming August 20 and 21 as public holidays for traditional religion adherents,” Fakayode said.
He argued that such recognition would help bridge what he called the “current inequality” experienced by practitioners of indigenous faiths.
According to him, the Federal Government should “fund cultural festivals, protect shrines and sacred lands, and include traditional practitioners in cultural councils, the same way space is provided for other religions.”
Fakayode stated that celebrating Isese nationally would not only preserve the country’s indigenous heritage but also stimulate tourism and local development.
“Isese represents the origin of Yoruba and African civilisation. It promotes honesty, unity, reverence for nature and communal values. Honouring it reinforces cultural pride and strengthens our moral fabric,” he added.
He commended South-West governors for “demonstrating leadership” by officially supporting this year’s celebration and called on the Federal Government to invest in upgrading cultural and heritage sites nationwide.
Isese Day is a yearly festival observed by practitioners of Yoruba traditional religion to honour deities, commemorate ancestral practices and promote African cultural identity.