The Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, has announced plans to verify and accredit traditional practitioners in Nigeria in a bid to rid the system of fraudulent activities.
Ajiboye also revealed a new partnership with the Brazilian Consulate, which will require accreditation of Yoruba traditional practitioners as a prerequisite for visa issuance to Brazil.
Speaking at a press conference on the World Orisha Congress (WOOCON), held at the Brazilian Consulate in Lagos on Monday, May 12, 2025, Ajiboye said NICO is working closely with key traditional institutions and stakeholders to establish a robust verification and accreditation system. This, he noted, would help facilitate travel to culturally aligned countries such as Cuba, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the United States.
“The institute aims to create a system that ensures only credible and authentic practitioners represent the Yoruba Orisha tradition abroad,” he stated. “NICO will also create a structured platform to support traditional worshippers worldwide who wish to visit Nigeria for cultural exploration and spiritual convergence, ensuring they enjoy the best hospitality and a genuine connection to their heritage.”
The initiative, he explained, was prompted by continued reports of unethical practices by individuals posing as babalawos, Ifa priests, and traditional healers—acts that have damaged the global reputation of the Yoruba Orisha tradition.
The Consul General of Brazil in Lagos, His Excellency Ambassador Manuel Inocencio de Lacerda Santos Junior, expressed appreciation to the Nigerian government for taking a bold step to uphold the enduring legacy of Yoruba and Orisha culture in Brazil.
He highlighted that in Brazil, the Yoruba spiritual tradition evolved into Candomblé—particularly the Ketu nation within it—a religion centered on the veneration of Orishas, divine forces representing natural elements and human traits.
“We are bonded by a history that unites us in a very special way,” the ambassador said. “Afro-Brazilian culture forms a foundation for genuine partnership, rooted in mutual respect and cooperation. Despite unimaginable hardships, these communities preserved their spiritual beliefs.”
Also speaking at the event, Ajoyemi Olabisi Osunleye, President of Oduduwa Heritage Home in Brazil and International Consultant to WOOCON, lamented the marginalisation of sacred Yoruba traditions. He called for a reconnection to ancestral roots and a reclaiming of identity beyond the pressures of foreign ideologies and expectations.
He stressed the importance of the Congress as a platform for re-education, global perception shifts, and cultural dialogue. “This is where priests will sit beside professors, where ritual meets reason, and where heritage meets innovation,” he said.
