Over the weekend in Abeokuta, chants, bata drums, and the spirited energy of Egba people filled the air as indigenes gathered to honour Lisabi Agbongbo Akala at the 2025 Lisabi Festival.

Also known as Ègbáligánsà, the festival is held annually to honour the legendary Lisabi, a man who birthed a resistance and collective outrage among the Egba people against their common tormentor in the days of old. Lisabi was a brilliant military organiser and farmer.

Callused from years of tilling the soil, he united several Yoruba groups in revolt against the Oyo Empire between 1775 and 1780. After leading his people to victory, legend has it that Lisabi deliberately entered the forest that now bears his name and vanished. Others believe he took his own life. But early historians argue that he may have survived and migrated elsewhere.

Regardless of how he died, every year, the festival honouring him draws sons and daughters of Egba descent from across the globe to celebrate his legacy. In true Ogun State fashion — much like what we see at Ojude Oba Festival — it was a colourful spectacle of tradition and attire.

Among the notable guests were dignitaries like former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Governor Dapo Abiodun, star actor Richard Mofe-Damijo, and Tunde Delu. The men graced the event in beautifully adorned agbada with intricate embroidery and matching caps, while the women dressed in stylish and brightly coloured tailored iro and buba ensembles. The festival’s essence is to foster unity and reinforce a strong sense of togetherness among the Egba people.

Photographs from Lisabi Festival by Olumide Ijimakinwa (@oviesoft)