NIGERIA: Lisabi Festival To Tackle Youths’ Drift From Hard Work – Alake Of Egba Land.

By Balogun Azeez, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, has said the 39th edition of the Lisabi Festival will address the growing trend of youths abandoning hard work, professional careers and technical vocations, which he described as critical drivers of sustainable development.

The monarch disclosed this during a press conference at the Alake Palace in Abeokuta, as part of activities marking the beginning of 2026 Lisabi Festival.

Oba Gbadebo noted that this year’s celebration would go beyond cultural festivities, stressing that the celebration would serve as a platform to promote apprenticeship and vocational skills among youths.

The festival, themed: “Integrating Apprenticeship Training into Education: Opportunities and Challenges”, according to the royal father, reflects the progressive and nation-building ideals of the Egba forebears, particularly the legendary warrior, Lisabi Agbongbo Akala.

The monarch added that the choice was deliberate in view of the growing shift of youths away from productive ventures.

“This year’s theme could not have been more appropriate when we consider the current counter-progressive trends occasioned by the massive shift of our youths away from hard work, professional callings and technical vocations, which serve as core pillars and drivers of sustainable development,” he said.

He said: “Let it be sounded and richly re-echoed from the four corners of the universe that our season of genuine in-depth celebration has berthed with its pomp and pageantry, and with a rich stock of transformative ideas that have continued to ignite the remarkable achievements of Egbaland and the resilient, hardworking and progressive spirit of every true Egba son and daughter.”

Oba Gbadebo stressed that Egbaland possesses a rich cultural heritage that has been preserved and strengthened across generations.

“It is no gainsaying that we are richly endowed with an enviable heritage which we have kept very dear to our hearts, with every generation, adding qualitative inputs to make it globally attractive, stronger and more acceptable,” he said.

The Alake also revealed that the festival is increasingly gaining international recognition, noting that flags of several countries would be hoisted at the festival pavilion to represent Egba sons and daughters in the diaspora.

He further disclosed that no fewer than 250 horse riders, led by the monarch, would participate in the traditional Woro procession, one of the highlights of the festival.

The former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, is also expected to speak at an exhibition on traditional and herbal medicine as part of activities lined up for the celebration.

Earlier, Chairman of the Organising Committee, Chief Rasheed Raji, said the 13-day festival, scheduled to run in the month of March 2026, would feature a wide range of cultural, educational and sporting activities.

According to him, programmes lined up for the celebration include a secondary school quiz and debate competition, exhibitions of arts and crafts, seminars, conferment of chieftaincy titles, football competitions, free medical outreach, traditional prayers and the ceremonial booming of guns at Olumo Rock.

Raji said the grand finale of the festival would hold at the Amphitheatre, Ake Palace, on March 28, while a thanksgiving service will take place the following day at the Cathedral of St. Peter, Ake, Abeokuta.

He assured residents and visitors of adequate security throughout the celebration.

The Lisabi Festival is held annually in honour of Lisabi Agbongbo Akala, the 18th-century Egba hero celebrated for uniting the Egba people and leading their strug

gle for freedom and independence.