This year’s Ojude Oba Festival was a spectacle of fun, entertainment and reward as its main sponsor, Globacom, showered cash prizes on outstanding age grades and horse riders at the event held in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, on Friday.

Egbe Bobakeye Okunrin Akile Ijebu came tops as the best Regberegbe in the male category, winning the cash prize of N750,000, followed closely by Egbe Bobagunte Okunrin Akile Ijebu and Egbe Bobamayegun, which won N600,000 and N500,000, respectively. Egbe Arobayo Obinrin Precious came first in the female category, with Egbe Jagunmolu Obinrin Stainless and Egbe Bobamayegun Obinrin Aremo coming second and third, respectively.

In the Eleshin-horse riders’ competition, the Kuku family won the star prize of N750,000, as the Oreagba family clinched N600,000, while the Shoye family came third and went home with N500,000.

The Regberegbe and Eleshin competitions are highlights of the annual festival during which the groups compete for the winning spots through their comportment, presence and dexterity in horse-riding.

Earlier in his goodwill message to the festival, the Chairman of Globacom, Dr Mike Adenuga Jr., had described the event as a force capable of promoting unity, tourism, economic growth and social cohesion.

He noted that Ojude Oba, as a culture, is not a fading relic, but a living force aimed at binding the people and fostering peace, progress and prosperity.

Themed Ojude Oba 2026: Celebrating the Legacy of Oba Sikiru Adetona, the business mogul paid glowing tribute to the late monarch
“whose wisdom and steadfast devotion to cultural preservation elevated Ijebuland to global prominence”, adding, “Under his remarkable reign, Ojude Oba blossomed into an internationally admired cultural institution”

While saying that the community would continue to miss the departed Oba for his fatherly guidance and unwavering commitment to the heritage of Ijebuland, Dr Adenuga prayed that Almighty Allah continue to grant him eternal rest.

He further posited that “In an era where globalisation threatens indigenous identity, the festival reminds us that a people who preserve their culture ultimately preserve their future”.

In his views, “What distinguishes Ojude Oba is its rare ability to unite people across religion, class and generation. Muslims, Christians and traditional worshippers celebrate harmoniously, while the Regberegbe groups display discipline and elegance, and the horse-riding families embody valour, prestige and continuity. Music, fashion, dance and cuisine converge into a vibrant cultural mosaic. This is not merely entertainment; it is civilisation eloquently displayed”.

As principal sponsors, he added that Globacom was honoured to support a festival that promotes unity, enterprise, excellence, respect and cultural continuity.