The International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) has made a passionate appeal to President Bola Tinubu to officially recognise Isese adherents by declaring August 20 and 21 as national public holidays across Nigeria. The call was made by Fayemi Fakayode, President of the council, in a statement released in Ibadan, Oyo State, ahead of the 2025 Isese Day celebration.
Fakayode noted that some South-West states like Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, and Osun had already declared a work-free day to mark this year’s Isese Day, while urging governors of Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara, Kogi, Edo, and Delta to adopt the same recognition. He further called on the Federal Government to ensure fairness by giving Isese practitioners the same respect accorded to Christianity and Islam.
He stressed the need for the government to fund cultural festivals, protect sacred lands, and integrate traditional religion practitioners into cultural councils, saying such steps would preserve Nigeria’s heritage and strengthen African identity. According to him, Isese is more than a religion — it represents morality, unity, honesty, respect, hard work, and communal living.
Fakayode applauded South-West governors for their support and urged the federal government to also invest in cultural sites nationwide to boost tourism, revenue generation, and community development.
