The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has started mobilizing Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin for the upcoming Oyo Empire Day celebration. The monarch sent a representative, Prince Sheriff Adebayo-Onisile, a Yoruba historian, on a three-day special mission to the neighboring country. The mission aimed to promote unity and commemorate the history, heritage, and civilization of the old Oyo Empire.
During the mission, Prince Onisile visited Igolo, where he was received by the Aladjache of Adjache-Ile (Porto-Novo), Oba Dr Rafiu Atanda Adesakin, and other traditional and community leaders. He also met prominent Yoruba elders, politicians, socio-cultural association leaders, and traders in Porto-Novo. Discussions focused on Yoruba unity, preservation and promotion of Yoruba culture, and the historical relationship between Dahomey and the old Oyo Empire.
The Alaafin’s representative also met Chief Clement Kouchade, Minister for Secondary Education and Bashorun of Pobeland in Plateau Province, at his office at the Federal Secretariat in Cotonou. The meeting centered on Oyo heritage in the Republic of Benin, historical and cultural ties between Yoruba communities and Oyo, and concerns about unity and peaceful coexistence among Yoruba people in the country.
Onisile met leaders of Ẹgbẹ Isokan Ọmọ Yoruba in the Republic of Benin, alongside representatives of the Agboluaje and Oníkòyí families. Those present included the Aladjache of Adjache-Ile, Oba Rafiu Atanda Adesakin, and Prof Oyedekpo Mouftaou Laleye, former Beninese ambassador to Nigeria. Onisile delivered the Alaafin’s message of peace and unity and discussed the expected participation of Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin in the Oyo Empire Day celebration.
In their response, the leadership of Ẹgbẹ Isokan Ọmọ Yoruba expressed appreciation for the Alaafin’s intervention in promoting peace, reconciliation, and unity among Yoruba communities in Porto-Novo. The group pledged to work towards reconciling factions within the Yoruba community and resolving their differences amicably.
The Alaafin’s representative also visited Ayogo-Ile, an ancient settlement said to have historical links with Oyo-Ile. According to the traditional account presented during the visit, the ancestors of the Alayogo were linked to Ona-Efa, an emissary of the Alaafin who settled in the area to collect Isakole (tribute) on behalf of the Alaafin about four centuries ago.
The mission represented another step towards strengthening ties between the Alaafin’s Palace, Yoruba traditional institutions, and Yoruba communities across the Republic of Benin and the wider Yoruba cultural sphere. The Alaafin’s media office stated that the visit reinforced historical and cultural connections between the old Oyo Empire and Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin.
Key points
- The Alaafin of Oyo sent an envoy to Benin to mobilize Yoruba communities for the Oyo Empire Day celebration.
- The mission aimed to promote unity and commemorate the history, heritage, and civilization of the old Oyo Empire.
- The Alaafin’s representative met with traditional leaders, politicians, and community leaders to discuss Yoruba unity and cultural preservation.
