His Imperial Majesty, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife and Global Patron of the World Orisha Congress (WOOCON), has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his administration’s growing recognition of culture as a vital pillar of national identity, unity, and international diplomacy.
The royal statement was delivered during a high-profile press conference held at the Brazilian Consulate in Lagos, and organized by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) as part of preparations for the upcoming global cultural exchange between Nigeria and Brazil under the auspices of the World Orisha Congress (WOOCON).
In his remark as contained in a press release made available to Theliberationnews by Caleb Nor, Media Assistant to the Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, Ooni expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for creating a cultural-friendly environment and giving formal recognition to traditional heritage and spiritual institutions across the country.
“We are grateful that this administration is giving rightful recognition to our culture,” the Ooni declared. “Culture is the soul of a people. Without it, we have no identity. President Tinubu’s leadership is not only helping to reposition our cultural values on the global stage but bring us back to the very essence of our existence.”
Speaking earlier, the Brazilian Consular in Lagos, His Excellency, Ambassador Carlos José Areias Moreno Garcete, lauded the historical and spiritual connections between Brazil and Nigeria, particularly through the shared Yoruba heritage that continues to thrive across both nations.
Presenting an overview of the initiative and the WOOCON project, Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, the Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) and Secretary of the WOOCON Board of Trustees (BOT), emphasized the global cultural renaissance currently taking shape and the pivotal role Nigeria must play in this unfolding narrative.
“WOOCON is not just a congress—it’s a movement to reclaim and redefine African cultural consciousness and identity. This ground-breaking initiative is going to be one of the Global Cultural Festivals that will reposition Nigeria as a major tourism destination in the world by exploring new opportunities in cultural and spiritual tourism that can generate over 10 billion USD annually for the country in the next 3 years if planned well”.
“Nigeria’s decision to collaborate with Brazil in the area of culture, tradition and heritage is informed by the deep historical and cultural connections that exist between the two nations”.
“These cultural similarities are specifically profound and undeniable in the area of Yoruba heritage where thousands of Brazilians have over the years, visited Nigeria to participate in major cultural and religious festivals such as the Osun Oshogbo Festival, the Olojo Festival, and Sango Festival to mention a few”.
“These interactions reaffirm the strong ancestral ties between our people and highlight the need for structured engagements that will further solidify these bonds. Interestingly, it is not just Brazil but a whole lot of other countries in the carrebeans”, Otunba noted.
Also lending their voices through powerful goodwill messages were two eminent cultural icons who are Patrons of WOOCON; Professor Wole Soyinka and Professor Wande Abimbola. While the Nobel Laureate reaffirmed the importance of intellectual and spiritual engagement in reviving the African culture, Prof. Wande Abimbola, a renowned Yoruba Scholar who joined virtually from the United States, spoke passionately about the Orisha tradition as a global spiritual system that must be preserved and respected across continents.
Soyinka pointedly alluded to the fact that culture defines people and nationalities. He opined that this consciousness is long overdue and appreciates the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for encouraging and supporting this initiative, saying it is sincerely a step to greatness and global boost in Tourism Revenue and Relevance.
The press conference marked a significant moment in advancing Nigeria’s cultural diplomacy and underscored the commitment of WOOCON to building bridges between Africa and the diaspora through shared heritage, spirituality, and collaboration.
WOOCON’s full programme of cultural and intellectual engagements is expected to continue in the months ahead, with Nigeria positioned at the heart of this global movement.
