Ilogbo Ekiti set for 43rd Ilogbo Day celebration

…Targets N650m Civic Centre fund

The ancient town of Ilogbo Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State is set to come alive from Monday, September 7, to Saturday, September 12, for the 43rd edition of Ilogbo Day.

The annual celebration, which began in 1983, brings together indigenes, dignitaries and well-wishers to reflect on the town’s development and chart a course for its continued progress.

According to the Chairman of the Ilogbo Day Planning Committee, Pastor Samuel Oladele Bamigboye, this year’s six-day programme will feature prayer, sports, culture, entertainment, and fundraising, with the major objective of raising funds to complete the N650 million Ilogbo Ekiti Civic Centre.

Residents are expected to turn out for the procession as they pray for peace, progress and prosperity in the community.

From Monday through Thursday, September 10, attention will shift to football, with eight youth sports clubs representing the town’s eight Ebis, or ruling houses and quarters, competing in the annual tournament.

The competition aims to promote unity and healthy rivalry among the youth while providing an avenue to showcase local sporting talent.

The tournament will climax on Thursday with the grand final, after which the community will host the Ere Uponna cultural display, featuring the Elebijebi, custodians of Ilogbo’s cultural heritage.

The cultural presentation will showcase traditional Orikis, regal costumes, music and other aspects of the town’s heritage.

Friday’s programme will begin with a marathon race, followed by the Egbe Ayetutu Socials at 10 am and an award ceremony at 4 pm.

The celebration will culminate on Saturday, September 12, with a grand finale featuring prominent dignitaries, awards and the conferment of chieftaincy titles.

Beyond the festivities, organisers said the N650 million civic centre remains the major focus of this year’s celebration, with funds raised during the event expected to support the project.

The centre, currently under construction, is expected to serve as a hub for community meetings, gatherings and other civic activities when completed.

The competition, now a fixture of the Ilogbo Day calendar, is designed to foster unity and healthy rivalry among the town’s youth while showcasing local sporting talent.

The keenly contested tournament will reach its climax on Thursday, September 10, with the grand final expected to draw a large crowd of supporters cheering on their respective Ebis.

Immediately after the final whistle, the mood shifts from sport to culture with the staging of the Ere Uponna, a once nationally recognised cultural display that has long been a highlight of the Ilogbo Day celebrations.

During this segment, the Elebijebi, custodians of the town’s cultural heritage, will take centre stage to showcase their unique Orikis (traditional oral praise poetry), regal costumes, music and other cultural displays that reflect the rich history and traditions of Ilogbo Ekiti.

Friday, September 11, promises to be one of the busiest days of the celebration. The day begins with a marathon race, which will test participants’ endurance across the town’s streets. This will be followed at 10 am by the Egbe Ayetutu Socials, organised by this year’s official sponsors.

By 4 pm the same day, attention turns to the Award Ceremony, where individuals, including the Chief Executive Officer of The Elite Creative Solutions, Nigeria and the United Kingdom, Prince Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye, PhD, Ex-Army Officer, Mr Gabriel Ogunyemi, Pastor Ashaolu Adebayo, Pastor Matthew Adelusi, Engr Tayo Gegeoju, Mr Tunde Akeju, Mr Femi Awosusi, Mr Femi Alonge and Ven. Sup Evang Adesodun Aina, will be honoured.

Other award winners are Mr Gbenga Adeniran, CEO of Jafro Foods, UK; Mr Joseph Ayeola Ogunleye; Hon D.B. Agboola; and Pa Gabriel Olorunfemi. Three posthumous awards will be presented to the Among those expected to be honoured for their service to the community are the late President of Egbe Omo Ilogbo-Ekiti, Chief Daniel Adeleye; the late Chief Ajana Gabriel Ariyo; and the late Chief Imam Olusola Bakare, along with groups that have contributed to the growth and development of Ilogbo Ekiti. As evening falls on Friday, the celebration takes on a glamorous turn with the staging of the annual beauty pageant, an event that has, over the years, become a crowd favourite, drawing residents and visitors alike to witness the parade of contestants vying for the crown.

The grand finale of the 43rd Ilogbo Day celebration will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2026, and promises to be the most star-studded event of the week. The occasion will be chaired by the Leader of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, who will be conferred with the Global Impactful Leadership Award by the community.

The Final Session of Ilogbo Day will witness the conferment of Chieftaincy titles on prominent Nigerians, including Hon Babatunde Dada, a member of the North West Development Commission. Others include Dr and Mrs Sampson Uchenna Charles, the CEO of ANOG Group; Alhaji Nureni Olaseni; and Ambassador Adebayo Adewale Fatoki. The Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Prof Joseph Ayodele, and his counterpart at the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Studies, Prof Gbenga Aribisala, will receive awards to honour their outstanding public service delivery. The calibre of personalities attending Ilogbo Ekiti during the array of events underscores the growing profile of the annual event and the calibre of dignitaries it continues to attract. Serving as the Royal Father of the Day will be Oba (Dr) Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin, Aroyinkeye I, the Orangun of Oke Ila in Osun State, whose presence is expected to lend royal weight and blessing to the occasion.

Beyond the festivities, organisers say the overriding aim of this year’s celebration is developmental. The N650 million Ilogbo Ekiti Civic Centre, currently under construction, has been identified as the flagship project the town hopes to accelerate through funds realised from this year’s Ilogbo Day activities. The centre, when completed, is expected to serve as a focal point for community gatherings, meetings and other civic activities in the town.

Since it began in 1983, the Ilogbo Day Ceremony has grown from a simple homecoming gathering into a structured annual event combining faith, sport, culture and glamour, all in service of the town’s development. This year’s edition, organisers say, is no different, as it seeks once again to bring together indigenes at home and in the diaspora in support of a common cause.

Residents of Ilogbo Ekiti and well-wishers of the town are invited to participate in the various activities lined up for the week, as the community looks forward to another successful outing that will further consolidate its long-standing tradition of unity, and culture.