2026 Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day: Lagos Declares Thursday Work-Free Day

The Lagos State Government has declared Thursday, August 20, 2026, a work-free day for public servants, political appointees and other workers in the state to mark this year’s Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day.

The government said the decision would allow residents and visitors to participate in activities celebrating Yoruba traditional religion, culture and heritage.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe, described Ìṣẹ̀ṣe as a living tradition and an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious identity.

“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.

Aregbe said the celebration reflects the global spread of Yoruba culture, particularly across parts of the Caribbean and Latin America where Yoruba traditions have been preserved over generations.

“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,” he said.

Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day is 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 continued the practice annually as part of his administration’s commitment to indigenous culture and religious inclusiveness under the THEMES+ Agenda.

Aregbe expressed profound appreciation to Sanwo-Olu for his courageous support for a noble cause, and reserved special honour for the traditional institution.

“We thank His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. It takes real conviction for a leader to stand publicly with heritage, and he has done so without hesitation and without apology. We also bow to Kábíyèsí, the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I, foremost custodian of Lagos culture, to all our royal fathers, our revered White Cap Chiefs, our Babaláwo and Ìyánífá, our Olóòrìṣà and every custodian and promoter who kept these rites alive when it was neither fashionable nor convenient. Governments come and go. Custodians carry the culture,” he said.

This year’s celebration will feature prayers, traditional 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.

The commissioner urged participants to celebrate peacefully and respectfully, stressing that the event is intended to promote cultural pride and inclusiveness.

“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.”