Lisabi Day 2025: The Spirit of Egba Rising in Elegance and Pride

In the ancient city of Abeokuta, where the rocks whisper stories of warriors past, the soul of the Egba people rose once more in a spectacle of culture, history, and honor. Lisabi Day 2025 with the theme “Ègbáliganza” was more than a celebration; it was a declaration that tradition is alive, regal, and resoundingly beautiful.

Under the April sun, Abeokuta transformed into a vibrant canvas. The streets pulsed with rhythm. Drums spoke in thunderous tones. From Itoku to Ake, the city glowed in Adire blue and the gold of royalty. Women danced in flowing fabrics, every step weaving poetry. Men arrived in agbadas that whispered stories with every sway. Children stared wide-eyed at the living pageant of their heritage.

This festival is not just about fanfare, it’s about legacy. At its heart stands Lisabi Agbongbo Akala, the quiet revolutionary of the 18th century. When the Oyo Empire tightened its grip on Egba communities, Lisabi rose not with noise, but with strategy. He transformed the Aaro cooperative into a resistance force. And between 1775 and 1780, he led a successful rebellion that freed his people from subjugation. He gave them not just freedom, but identity. To this day, every Egba child carries his name like an heirloom: “Omo Lisabi ni mi.”

Lisabi Day is that memory made flesh. This year’s Ègbáliganza theme brought elegance to resistance and style to remembrance. It was a dance of heritage and pride. Monarchs paraded in majestic unity. Local artists displayed handcrafted Adire. Young creatives turned tradition into fashion-forward statements. Even former President Olusegun Obasanjo graced the grounds, his outfit and aura drawing cheers that rippled through the crowd like music.

The energy was electric, not just from the pageantry, but from what it meant. That in a world where cultures fade, the Egba people choose to amplify theirs. The ambiance, the outfits, the music, all came together to say: “We are still here. We are still proud. We are still Egba.”

And in the background of this joyful noise is the memory of another beloved Yoruba celebration, Ojude Oba. Though different in roots, it echoes Lisabi Day’s spirit: a festival where heritage walks proudly into the present. Later this year, as we turn our eyes to Ijebu-Ode for Ojude Oba, the connection will be clear — that Yoruba culture does not just survive, it thrives.

Governor Dapo Abiodun’s words reminded us why this matters. Festivals like Lisabi Day do more than preserve culture, they ignite it. They pass torches from generation to generation. They call on the past to walk with us into the future.

Lisabi Day 2025 was not just an event. It was a homecoming. A heartbeat. A legacy dressed in gold, wrapped in Adire, dancing to the sound of freedom.