Now, Heritage Tourism Gains Momentum in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa Through Traditional Festivals: Know More About Yoruba Leaders’ Heritage Tourism Models

A vibrant celebration of Yoruba culture and an impassioned call for action, the 2025 iteration of the Okota Festival took place under the balmy July skies of Arigidi-Akoko in Ondo State. Traditional rulers, cultural leaders and festival goers converged to pay homage to the deity, Okota and to implore South-West governments to utilise the vast cultural repository in the region as a tool for tourism and economic boom.

The festival was anchored by the Olokun Festival Foundation and its visionary leader, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams. It was endorsed by leading Yoruba traditional rulers, among who were Oba Victor Adetona, the Chairman of the Akoko Northwest Council of Obas and the Owa of Ogbagi, and Oba Yisa Olanipekun, the Zaki of Arigidi-Akoko. Between them, they echoed in unison a similar demand for a renaissance of culture by means of state-funded tourism investment.

The Economic Clout of Cultural Festivals

During the event, Iba Gani Adams, stressed that promotion of culture is not about keeping our tradition alone, stressing that culture is a great factor in the economic development. He urged the Ondo State Government to ensure the Okota Festival was elevated to the national level, on a par with the UNESCO-listed Osun-Osogbo Festival. Adams thinks that with the right help and exposure, the Okota River could become an internationally renowned cultural and spiritual destination.

There were dozens of culturally significant sites in the Yoruba homeland — from sacred groves to royal courts — that are under-promoted and underused, he said. The economic benefit of developing these sites could be felt for years to come, with jobs, infrastructure expansion and tourism opportunities.

‘State-Level Infrastructure and Support Network’ Advocacy

The monarchs at the festival expressed the same feelings with the Ooni of Ife, His royal majesty, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi echoing Adam’s view. Oba Adetona revealed that he recently reintroduced an authority cultural festival in his kingdom but maintains that such initiatives are not sustainable without regular funding from the government. The traditional ruler wants the Ondo State government led by Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Adesoji Afolabi to return to the system of providing financial and structural support to them and their institutions.

He added that the onus of these cultural events – hosting them and running them – falls on the shoulders of many a monarch with not very much money to enable them to do it as well as they might be able to do. “Our stools are not just symbols, they are the living preservers of culture. “But they are being sucked out without the backing of the state,” he said.

Bringing the Heritage in the National Tourism Strategy

The Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in Nigeria has heralded tourism as a potential strategically growth subsidy for years, but often the focus is on its natural resources and the modern landscape. The Okota Festival is a reminder to stakeholders that we have other cultural heritages —our rituals, our oral traditions, our historical sites — that can be equally powerful draws.

South West Nigeria is strategically positioned to take over the cultural tourism of the country. With groundbreaking heritage resources in Osogbo, Ile-Ife, Oyo, and Benin City and less known but no less valuable resources such as Arigidi-Akoko, the possibilities for a cultural tourism corridor are great. If harnessed and sold well, these destinations could be packaged into a regional tourism circuit that would pull in visitors from around Nigeria as well as the Pan-african diaspora.

The Osun-Osogbo Example

A great deal of the advocacy at the festival was around replicating the Osun-Osogbo Festival, which attracts thousands of people annually. The Sacred Grove and its values are maintained – as they always have been – through UNESCO’s cooperation with local communities and the Government of Osun State, which has enjoyed tremendous support at national levels.

The model has shown that, with government policy, community participation and international support, heritage festivals can make money, maintain culture and foster pride. Cultural leaders believe the Okota Festival can bring the same economic dividends as long as it is listed as a national heritage site and the required infrastructure for tourism developed.

Festival Activities and Community Engagement

More than orations and advocacy, the 2025 Okota Festival was a cultural feast of the senses. Colorful costumed masses paraded through the streets in masquerade. Drummers and griots recited the old myths. Yoruba healers and craftsmen exhibited Yoruba cures and crafts. Tourists and residents feasted on local fare while community elders recounted the history of the Okota River and its spiritual importance.

Some organizers said small hotels and guesthouses in Arigidi-Akoko were occupied, and here were reports of good trading of souvenirs and foodstuff from vendors. It’s this kind of immediate economic impact that is the latent value of these festivals, even before the state begins to invest in regional enterprise there on a larger scale.

Strategic Actions Suggested by Many Cultural Elite

At the event, cultural leaders, and industry leaders, suggested a way forward:

Government Recognition: The Okota Festival should be listed in the state and national cultural calendars and there must be a budget line to support the festival.

Tourist Infrastructure: Construct access roads, signboards, rest-houses and lodging to serve the tourists.

Training: Train local tour guides, artisans and youth in cultural entrepreneurship.

Diaspora Engagement: Collaborate with Nigerian missions abroad to popularise heritage festivals to the African diaspora.

If adopted, these are game-changer approaches to cultural tourism in Nigeria’s South-West region.

Home voices and the emotional economy of heritage

The festival chairman, Ogunbi Abiodun is very proud of the success of the event. He also promised to bankroll the next edition and began to mobilise every stakeholder from traditional rulers to local businesses to sustain the momentum. “Let’s not leave it for someone else to put money into our culture.” Let us be the first to believe in it,” he said.

For a lot of the young Malaysians there, home was a faraway place miles and miles away and something in the recent past they had either spent time abroad or a comforting memory that was waiting for them back Malaysia. “This is not just entertainment,” said one attendee. This is who we are. I’ll never forget this.”

Conclusion: The Transformation of Cultural Identity to Economic Strength

As the Okota Festival wound down, the sound of talking drums faded in the evening. But the message reverberated louder than any year: Yoruba culture is not just a matter of pride — it’s a catalyst for progress. With investment and intention, festivals like Okota can elevate local economies, pass down ancestral wisdom and solidify Nigeria’s place as a leader in cultural tourism on the African continent.

To achieve this it will take political will, cross-sector collaboration and, most crucially, a shared belief that culture is not a cost—it is capital. Now is the time to act while the drums are beating, and stories are being told.