2026 Aje Festival: Ooni Prays For Nigerians, Reaffirms Faith In Tinubu’s Economic Reforms

 

The Permanent Chairman of the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council (SNTRC) Olofin Adimula and the Natural Head of the Oduduwa race worldwide, the Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II on Monday offered special prayers for Nigerians as activities for the 2026 Aje Festival gathered momentum at the historic Ile Oodua Palace, Enuwa, Ile-Ife.

The revered monarch used the spiritual and cultural occasion to express optimism about the nation’s economic trajectory under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a press statement on Monday signed by the Director of Media and Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Otunba Moses Olafare said the Ooni made the remarks during the festival at his palace.

The Ooni expressed confidence in the economic reforms being implemented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing them as bold but necessary steps towards long-term national prosperity. 

According to the Ooni, while the reforms initially brought hardship and adjustment pains, they are gradually laying a sustainable foundation for economic stability, improved revenue generation and renewed investor confidence. 

He emphasised that transformational policies often require patience and collective sacrifice, urging Nigerians to remain hopeful and supportive of the administration’s efforts.

The Ooni maintained that Nigeria’s economic revival is achievable through unity, resilience and prayerful backing of the nation’s leadership.

He noted that reforms aimed at restructuring fiscal systems, strengthening local production and encouraging enterprise will, in time, yield visible dividends for citizens. 

Reaffirming his faith in the President’s vision, the Ooni called on traditional institutions, religious leaders and stakeholders to continue offering moral and spiritual support to the Federal Government, stressing that consistent reforms anchored on discipline and accountability would reposition Nigeria for sustainable growth.

The Ooni declared that no one engages with Aje (the deity of wealth and prosperity) without experiencing divine favour. 

According to him, the Aje Festival remains a sacred platform for invoking blessings of abundance, economic stability and national development.

“No one fights with Aje. After every Aje Festival, I receive favour across the world. I do not joke with Aje. We are here to pray for Nigeria and for our President. Everything was difficult before, but it is getting easier. If we are patient, this country will become better. President Tinubu has been doing well; let us continue to pray for our leader. Wealth should be in abundance,” the Ooni stated.

He also extolled the virtues of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, describing her as a woman of godly virtue who deserves continuous prayers for strength and wisdom in supporting national leadership.

The Obalufe of Ife, Oba Idowu Adediwura, in his remarks, aligned with the Ooni’s prayers, seeking divine prosperity and enduring peace for Nigeria. He emphasised the need for unity among Nigerians, noting that peace remains the bedrock of sustainable development.

Similarly, the Lowa Adimula of Ife, Oba Ademola Adeyeye, appreciated the Ooni for sustaining and elevating the Aje Festival to global prominence. 

He commended the Ooni for ongoing infrastructural development in Ile-Ife and urged residents to continue to embrace peace and communal harmony.

The Iyalaje Oodua and Global Coordinator of Aje Festival International, Dr Toyin Kolade, described the festival as a unique convergence of spirituality, culture and commerce. 

She explained that Aje Festival 2026 is deliberately structured to promote economic empowerment, women’s advancement and international trade partnerships rooted in Yoruba heritage.

Dignitaries at the festival included prominent traditional rulers, Nollywood stars, priests, devotees of Aje, cultural troupes, and eminent personalities from across Nigeria and the diaspora. 

The 2026 Aje Festival, themed “Trading for Prosperity: Aje, The Cultural Commerce,” started from January 6 to February 16, 2026, with a series of pre-festival engagements preceding the grand finale at the Ooni’s Palace, Enuwa, Ile-Ife.

Pre-festival events commenced on January 6, 2026 with the CPPP Sponsors’ Affirmation. This was followed by Aje Festival press engagements on January 28 and the Aje Corporate Luncheon and Sponsors’ Unveiling on February 5.

The grand finale activities started from Friday, February 13 to Monday, February 16, 2026. Events done included the Aje Oja Ife Exposition on February 13; Women Empowerment Initiatives and the Aje Summit on Commerce and Trade on February 14; as well as Widows and Orphans Care Initiatives alongside a Cultural Night on February 15.

The festival climaxed on Monday, February 16, 2026, with the Aje Heritage Procession and a Grand Royal Invitational Reception. The royal procession, led by the Ooni of Ife and his council of chiefs, moved to the sacred Aje Shrine at Ejigbomẹkun Market, where special rites and prayers will be offered for prosperity, economic stability and national development.

The Aje Festival is an ancient and revered cultural celebration dedicated to Aje, the goddess of wealth, prosperity and profitable trade, believed to be one of the 401 primordial spiritual beings of Ootu Ife, regarded as the cradle of mankind in Yoruba cosmology. For centuries, the festival has symbolised abundance, economic fortune and spiritual renewal among the Yoruba people.

The House of Oduduwa described Aje Festival 2026 as a strategic platform for cultural revival, economic empowerment and heritage diplomacy, expected to attract traditional rulers, Aje devotees, cultural groups, investors and guests from across Nigeria and the global diaspora.