Alaafin Calls for Yoruba Unity, Cultural Revival to Drive Tourism and Economic Growth

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, has called on Yorubas across the world to unite in restoring key values, traditions, and cultural heritage, noting that cultural tourism remains a major pathway to Nigeria’s economic diversification.

Speaking at the 2025 Iyake International Festival in Ado-Awaye, Oyo State, the monarch said Nigeria must reduce overreliance on oil and refocus national development through tourism-driven cultural revival.

He stressed that nations that have made significant progress did so by strengthening their cultural identities, adding that cultural cohesion often forms the foundation for long-term national development.

Citing China as an example, Oba Owoade recalled how the Cultural Revolution of 1965–1968 reshaped political behaviour, restored national pride, and helped position China among the world’s strongest economies.

The monarch said Nigeria must draw lessons from such transformations by protecting, rejuvenating, and confidently projecting its cultural heritage, especially to foster unity within the Yoruba race.

“If we do not appreciate our own cultural values, there is no way we can harness them for our development. We must strive to maximise the economic opportunities of our cultural artifacts and festivals for our development. All these can be developed to meet international tourist standards and thus yield enormous foreign earnings to our governments at various levels.”

“In the first instance, there would be a stimulation of rural development since most tourist attraction areas are located in rural communities. In the second, it would also lead to a drastic reduction in rural-urban migration and human congestion in urban centres, because of the employment opportunities and income generation that will be opened up for rural dwellers.”

The Alaafin, who attended the festival with his Queen Consort, Ayaba Abiwunmi, said the Yoruba historically possessed rich artistic traditions because their productive economies and vibrant commercial systems enabled artists to thrive with access to metals, woods, and clay.