{"id":214743,"date":"2025-07-25T21:07:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T21:07:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.withinnigeria.com\/entertainment\/?p=214743"},"modified":"2025-07-25T21:26:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T21:26:11","slug":"memorial-ooni-of-ife-remembers-the-throne-before-him-lagos-hosts-rare-tribute-to-late-oba-sijuwade-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.withinnigeria.com\/entertainment\/2025\/07\/25\/memorial-ooni-of-ife-remembers-the-throne-before-him-lagos-hosts-rare-tribute-to-late-oba-sijuwade-video\/","title":{"rendered":"Memorial: Ooni of Ife remembers the throne before him \u2014 Lagos hosts rare tribute to late Oba Sijuwade (VIDEO)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has honoured his late predecessor, Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II, at a grand memorial event in Lagos marking ten years since the revered monarch\u2019s passing.<\/p>\n

The remembrance ceremony, held on Friday July 25, at Harbour Point in Victoria Island, brought together an array of royal dignitaries, traditional rulers, diplomats, scholars, and members of the business community, as well as family and friends of the late monarch.<\/p>\n

The event, organized by the Sijuwade Royal Family in partnership with the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), included a memorial exhibition titled \u201cThe Life and Times of Oba Okunade Sijuwade\u201d, featuring rare photographs, heirlooms, and artifacts from the Ooni\u2019s reign.<\/p>\n

Speaking at the event, Oba Ogunwusi, in viral video, praised the late Sijuwade as a transformational figure who left an indelible mark on Yoruba culture, traditional governance, and national unity. \u201cHe came, he saw, he conquered, and we\u2019re all the result of his handiwork<\/strong>,\u201d the Ooni said in tribute.<\/p>\n

He noted that although the late Ooni\u2019s roots were in Ile\u2011Ife, Lagos was chosen for the 10th remembrance to allow broader public participation, especially from descendants and associates living across Nigeria and the diaspora.<\/p>\n

Highlights of the ceremony included a symposium on \u201cSecuring and Unifying Nigeria through Traditional Institutions\u201d, where leading scholars and traditional leaders discussed the evolving role of royal authority in contemporary society. Guest speakers included Professor Jacob Olupona of Harvard Divinity School, the Emir of Lafia, the Tor Tiv, the Orangun of Oke-Ila, and former DSS director Kayode Are (Rtd.).<\/p>\n

SEE VIDEOS BELOW\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n