The Lagos State Government has approved Thursday, August 20, 2026, as a work-free day to allow residents and visitors to take part in this year’s Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day celebration.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe.
According to Aregbe, the decision is aimed at giving people enough opportunity to participate in the various cultural and religious activities planned for the celebration.
More than three million traditional worshippers are expected to take part in this year’s event.
Aregbe said the occasion should not be viewed simply as another public holiday, describing Ìṣẹ̀ṣe as an important part of Yoruba identity, spirituality and cultural heritage.
“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 noted that Yoruba culture has continued to spread beyond Nigeria through communities established by Yoruba descendants in different parts of the world.
Aregbe said Yoruba people, estimated at more than 55 million globally, have continued to preserve their traditions and pass them from one generation to another.
He also pointed to the continued observance of Ìṣẹ̀ṣe-related traditions in places including 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 said.
Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day brings to a close a week-long programme of traditional activities across Lagos.
The state has observed the occasion as a work-free day since 2023, following a request from the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has continued the practice as part of his administration’s stated commitment to indigenous culture and religious inclusiveness under its THEMES+ development agenda.
Aregbe praised the governor for continuing to support the celebration and also acknowledged traditional rulers and other custodians involved in preserving Yoruba heritage.
“We thank His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. It takes real conviction for a leader to stand publicly with heritage, and he has done so without hesitation and without apology,” he said.
He also recognised the contributions of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I, traditional chiefs, Babaláwo, Ìyánífá, Olóòrìṣà and other custodians of Yoruba traditions.
“Governments come and go. Custodians carry the culture,” Aregbe said.
The 2026 Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day programme is expected to include prayers, traditional rituals, processions, drumming and other cultural displays dedicated to the Òrìṣà.
The activities will be coordinated by the Association of African Traditional Religion Nigeria and Overseas.
The state government urged participants to conduct themselves peacefully and respectfully throughout the celebration, with emphasis placed on cultural pride, tolerance and unity.
Aregbe said the scale of the event reflects the continuing importance of traditional heritage to many people.
“Three million voices rising in honour of tradition is not noise. It is history, faith and cultural pride in harmony,” he said.
He added, “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.”
