Lagos declares Thursday work-free for Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day
Lagos will fall silent from its usual weekday rush on Thursday as the state government opens the city to a day of prayers, rituals, drumming and cultural celebrations for the 2026 Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day.
The Lagos State Government has declared August 20 a work-free day to enable residents and visitors to take part in activities marking the annual celebration of Yoruba traditional religion and cultural heritage.
Etim Ekpimah
Lagos will fall silent from its usual weekday rush on Thursday as the state government opens the city to a day of prayers, rituals, drumming and cultural celebrations for the 2026 Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day.
The Lagos State Government has declared August 20 a work-free day to enable residents and visitors to take part in activities marking the annual celebration of Yoruba traditional religion and cultural heritage.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe.
Aregbe said more than three million traditional worshippers were expected to participate in this year’s celebration, describing Ìṣẹ̀ṣe as a living tradition rather than a relic of the past.
“Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He said the celebration also reflected the global reach of Yoruba heritage, noting that Yoruba descendants in Cuba, Brazil and parts of the Caribbean had continued to preserve and practise aspects of the tradition.
“When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain,” Aregbe said. “Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage.”
The work-free day marks the culmination of a week-long programme of traditional activities. Lagos has observed Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day as a work-free day since 2023, following a request by the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs.
Sanwo-Olu has continued the practice as part of his administration’s stated commitment to indigenous culture and religious inclusiveness under its THEMES+ agenda.
Aregbe praised the governor for sustaining the initiative and acknowledged the role of traditional rulers and cultural custodians in preserving Yoruba heritage.
He particularly recognised the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I, traditional chiefs, Babaláwo, Ìyánífá, Olóòrìṣà and others involved in maintaining the traditions.
“Governments come and go. Custodians carry the culture,” he said.
The 2026 celebration will include prayers, traditional rites, processions, drumming and cultural performances dedicated to the Òrìṣà. The activities will be coordinated by the Association of African Traditional Religion Nigeria and Overseas.
Aregbe urged worshippers and other participants to conduct themselves peacefully and respectfully, saying the celebration should serve as a platform for cultural pride, unity and appreciation of Nigeria’s diverse heritage.
“Three million voices rising in honour of tradition is not noise. It is history, faith and cultural pride in harmony,” he said.
He added that the celebration was not intended to divide Lagosians along religious lines.
“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 said.
