Yoruba Lakotun, the quarterly cultural flagship programme, took place on September 4, 2016, at the Ethnic Heritage Centre, Ikoyi, amidst pomp and pageantry. The first anniversary celebration was heavily decorated with the talking drum and the beaded gourd (sekere) because of their significance as royal musical instrument that elicits excitement at all celebrations.

The special guest at the programme, Pa Lasunkanmi Tela, author of Egun Ori Ikunle, spoke about how Yoruba Oral Narrations have been distorted by many people for selfish gain. Some of the distorted narrations caused by colonialism and other selfish reasons are Yoruba history, traditions and even the culture.

According to him, ‘the Yoruba nation should be united since we are all progenitors of Oduduwa. It is unnecessary for people to tweak the history of their communities in order to pursue their selfish ambition because it would mislead a lot of generations after them and instil hatred. The damage done by the colonialist still abounds in the ways in which names of communities and families have been changed to suit their understanding.’

Tela called for the preservation of various Yoruba traditions, which are gradually fading away. These traditions include building reputable family names cum legacies; respect for elders; background checks of the families before marriage; the dignity of hard work and contentment.

Another great feature of the evening was the Bata dance class led by Khalid Ayanshina, the renowned Eesa Egungun chanter and dancer, from Oyo town. Ayanshina revealed that the Yoruba oral chant is a specialised art form that differs from one type of chant to another. Some of the specialist chants are ekun Iyawo, Rara, and Ijala, among others. While Edaoto Agbeniyi, the renowned guitarist and folklorist, was on the bandstand dishing out melodious folk songs to the delight of the audience.

The host of the event, Olutayo Irantiola, dedicated the anniversary edition to the media houses that educate and inform Nigerians about the country’s diverse cultures. He encouraged the media to conduct investigative research to produce insightful documentaries that would enhance Nigerians’ knowledge of their immediate environment.

Ethnic Heritage Centre is a foremost learning centre for the learning of Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and French that exposes people to the cultural elements surrounding Nigerian languages thereby promoting and preserving our cultural heritage. This is achieved through a modern, creative and innovative method of learning. The centre also has a library stocked with books in all the languages for everyone. The centre also has a ‘Kasuwa’, which means Market in Hausa, where different creative works can be purchased.

The edition of Yoruba Lakotun was attended by cultural enthusiasts drawn from Corporate and Social Nigeria.