Oyo declares Thursday work-free for Isese day

Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has declared Thursday a work-free day in commemoration of Isese Day, a celebration of the African traditional religion.

This is contained in a memo by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, on Wednesday in Ibadan.

In the memo, the governor extended his felicitations to adherents of African Traditional Religion across Oyo State, Nigeria, and beyond, wishing them a successful and spiritually enriching celebration.

Makinde reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to fairness to all religions, expressing gratitude to traditional worshippers for their support to his government over the past seven years.

The governor said that the work-free day would enable workers and residents to fully participate in the celebration of the state’s cultural heritage and pray for the peace, unity, and stability of the state and the country in general.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Makinde introduced the Isese day celebration as part of his administration’s efforts to honour adherents of traditional religion.

Isese day was also introduced to harness cultural tourism as a driver of economic growth, emphasizing that cultural tourism remains one of the state’s greatest strengths.