The New Era Foundation for Yoruba Festival and Culture Intervention has celebrated the sixth edition of its annual Olokun Festival, reaffirming its commitment to preserving, promoting and transmitting Yoruba culture and traditional values to future generations.
The 2026 edition of the festival was held at Debojo Beach, Eleko, in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State, with members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) New Era, traditional rulers, cultural enthusiasts and Yoruba sons and daughters in attendance.
Speaking at the event, President of OPC New Era, Comrade Rasak Arogundade, described the annual festival as a significant platform for celebrating Yoruba heritage, spirituality and traditions.
Arogundade said the gathering provided an opportunity for Yoruba people to come together in prayer and thanksgiving, likening it to the way Christians travel to Jerusalem and Muslims journey to Mecca for religious observances.
According to him, the festival also offers participants an opportunity to pray for prosperity, peace, unity and progress in their communities.
He urged members of OPC New Era to remain peaceful, disciplined and committed to protecting Yoruba cultural heritage and promoting the interests of their communities wherever they operate.
Also speaking, the Chairman of OPC New Era in Oyo State, Comrade Rotimi Olumo, said those who were absent from the celebration had missed an important cultural gathering.
Olumo stressed that the festival was not exclusively for OPC members, but was open to all Yoruba people committed to celebrating and preserving their cultural heritage.
He said the event provided an avenue to pray for prosperity, long life, peace and continued progress for the Yoruba people.
Olumo also offered prayers for the traditional rulers who attended the festival, asking God to grant them long and peaceful reigns.
He further prayed for Arogundade, seeking divine wisdom, strength and good health for him to continue leading OPC New Era to greater heights.
The festival featured prayers, cultural activities and traditional observances, with some participants collecting water to take home as part of their personal spiritual and cultural practices.
The celebration was further enlivened by a musical performance from Ibadan-born Fuji musician Taye Currency, whose performance thrilled participants and added colour to the occasion.
The organisers said the annual Olokun Festival would continue to serve as a platform for promoting Yoruba identity, cultural values, unity, peaceful coexistence and the preservation of the rich heritage of the Yoruba people.
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