Lagos Declares Thursday Work-Free For Isese Day

The Lagos State Government has declared Thursday, August 20, 2026, a work-free day to enable residents and visitors participate in this year’s Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day celebrations, an annual Yoruba religious festival, with more than three million people expected to take part in the event.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe, announced the declaration in a statement on Wednesday, describing Ìṣẹ̀ṣe as more than a public holiday and an important expression of Yoruba heritage and spirituality.

Aregbe said the day would provide Lagosians and tourists with an opportunity to experience the state’s indigenous culture through a series of traditional activities.

“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 said the Yoruba people, numbering more than 55 million globally, had continued to preserve their cultural heritage and pass it on to younger generations.

According to him, the resilience of Yoruba culture has also sustained Ìṣẹ̀ṣe festivals in Cuba, Brazil and the Caribbean, where Yoruba-descendant communities continue to observe the traditions.

“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 marks the culmination of a week-long programme of traditional activities and has been observed as a work-free day in Lagos since 2023, following a request by the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has maintained the declaration annually as part of his administration’s commitment to indigenous values and religious inclusiveness under the THEMES+ Agenda.

Aregbe commended Sanwo-Olu for his continued support for the celebration, while also acknowledging the role of traditional rulers and other custodians of Yoruba culture.

He paid tribute to the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, royal fathers, White Cap Chiefs, Babaláwo, Ìyánífá, Olóòrìṣà and other custodians and promoters of indigenous traditions for preserving the culture over the years.

The 2026 celebration will feature traditional prayers and rituals, processions, drumming and cultural displays dedicated to the Òrìṣà. The activities are being coordinated by the Association of African Traditional Religion Nigeria and Overseas (AATREN).

Aregbe urged participants to celebrate peacefully and respectfully, stressing that the event reflects Lagos’ position as a city that accommodates diverse cultural and religious traditions.

“Three million voices rising in honour of tradition is not noise. It is history, faith and cultural pride in harmony. 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,” he said.