Nigeria to Host Inaugural World Orisa Congress –Official

Last updated Jan 24, 2025

Nigeria is set to host the inaugural World Orisa Congress, according to an official announcement.

Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, the Executive Secretary and CEO of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), made this known during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.

He revealed that preparations are already in progress for the landmark event.

The World Orisa Congress, planned as an annual gathering, will bring together practitioners, scholars, and enthusiasts of the Orisa tradition and Yoruba traditional religion from across the globe.

Ajiboye noted that countries such as Brazil, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, and other Caribbean nations that practice the Orisa tradition are expected to participate in the congress, with the exact date yet to be announced.
“The World Orisa Congress is an affirmation of the coalescence of cultural identity with Africans in the Diaspora.

“It is our ultimate spiritual connection to all of us as a people with a common goal and destiny.

“This has become necessary, following the yearnings of Africans in the Diaspora who were taken from Nigeria into slavery over 500 years ago to connect back to their roots.

“There are about 500 million people across the globe that are related to the traditional religion of the African people and as Devotees of different deities, they are yearning to return home.

“It is therefore the Institute’s desire to tap into the vast treasure strove of these 500 million people of Orisa descents from Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil and others to converge in their ancestral home/roots regularly.

“In Brazil alone, there are over 89 million people who are ready to key into this vision.

“Sequel to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s State visit to Brazil, we received a lot of proposals and initiatives from the Brazilian authorities and people.

“These proposals are in tandem with what we have already conceived in NICO as an all-embracing spiritual, cultural and socio-economic collaboration: World Orisa Congress”, he said.
The NICO chief noted that the proposed congress would serve as a platform for exchanging knowledge, experiences, and best practices in promoting and preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

He emphasized that the initiative is aimed at showcasing and preserving Nigeria’s cultural history and heritage on a global stage.

Ajiboye expressed confidence that the event could generate between five to six billion U.S. dollars, with Nigeria expected to host over one million visitors.

In addition to fostering cultural exchange and enrichment, he highlighted the economic benefits of the congress, including boosting tourism and cultural trade, as well as promoting global understanding and peace.
“This project is also necessitated by the exigency of pushing up Nigeria’s GDP, thereby generating revenue to improve living standard of Nigerians as promised by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his Renewed Hope Agenda.

“While Nigeria remains in dire need of creating ways and means of generating revenue and reflating the economy, one of the solutions to this challenge is through increased foreign exchange earnings.

“So far, the Diaspora in the United States of America, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil and other Caribbean countries are ready materials and human resource for this project.

“The World Orisa Congress further seeks to break down cultural barriers and stereotypes, create a psychology profile for our foreign policy trust.
“This is in the actualisation of Africans in the Diaspora and other global audiences, create future exponential revenue base on a sustainable basis in order to diversify our economy.

“It will use our traditional institutions as gatekeepers and standard bearers of our cultural patrimony, encourage cultural exchange and collaboration, and make Nigeria a foremost cultural tourism destination on an expansive scale of pilgrimage,” he said.
Ajiboye stated that this project positions Nigeria to foster cross-cultural understanding and empathy while promoting increased global cooperation and harmony.

He added that, if maintained, the initiative could allow the country to consistently benefit from the significant revenue generated by nearly one million annual visitors.

NAN/Oluchi