By Bode Durojaiye, Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Paramount Ruler of Oyo Kingdom and the Superior Head of Yorubaland.
Our identity is shaped by more than our own experiences. It is also influenced by the lives, choices, struggles, and achievements of the people who came before us. Every family carries a history filled with lessons about courage, adaptation, survival, and hope.
Understanding one family's history helps answer important questions about identity. Where did one's family come from? What challenges did they face? What traditions and values did they pass down?
The above analogies propelled the people of Igbeji Community in the Great South local government area of Ogun State to search and traced their ancestral root to Oyo Royal Dynasty.
However, Friday, the 25th of September, 2026 would remain indelible in the minds of Igbeji people ,as joy knew no bounds for them when they finally discovered and visited their ancestral home in the ancient City of Oyo.
The atmosphere was electrifying , as the Alaafin and the Titan of Yorubaland, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1, treated the Princes and Princesses from Igbeji community to a civic reception , with the Palace traditional drummers rolled the drums to welcome the royal guests.
They were received in the ancient Palace by Princes and Princesses of Oyo Royal Dynasty with fanfare.
In his address, spokesman for the Igbeji people, Prince Dr. Jide Ajayi, said Igbeji community in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State was founded and established by Prince Adelakun, a direct son of Alaafin Atiba of Oyo, after his migration from his home town.
According to him, "" the traditional ruler of the town is styled the Oni Igbeji or Onigbeji of Igbeji land, reflecting deep historical and cultural ties to the broader Yoruba and Oyo heritage.
"" While historically populated and governed by the royal heirs and descendants tied to the Oyo lineage, the community has over time welcomed and accommodated neighboring farming and trading groups, including settlers of Egun and Ketu extractions"".
Dr. Ajayi who expressed appreciation to Prince Sherif Onisile-Adebayo, a renowned Yoruba Historian for his support and assistance in enabling them traced their root to Oyo, also thanked both Pa Prince Hassan Oranlola and Arch- Bishop Emeritus Prince Lawrence Ayoade Ladigbolu for their reception when they first came to their ancestral home for an event.
While expressing their innermost appreciation to the Alaafin for the warmth reception accorded them, pledged their unalloyed commitments to their ancestral root and the Alaafin who he described as "" a formidable Paramount Ruler of Yorubaland"".
Pa Prince Hassan Oranlola and Arch-Bishop Emeritus Prince Ayoade Ladigbolu who congratulated the people of Igbeji for the visitation to their root, also lauded the Alaafin for the reception.
Also speaking, Prince Sherif Onisile-Adebayo, noted that roots are necessary and important for plants as well as for people, said just about every society, a family which can trace its origin yo many generations is regarded as a proud family.
"" The Alaafin is "" a Legend, Pathfinder, upright and selfless Monarch
whose contributions at ensuring the continuity of collective
historical facts which were being upset is second to none "", Onisile-Adebayo stressed.
While congratulating the Princes and Princesses of Oyo Royal Dynasty from Igbeji community for the historic and identification with their roots, charged Younger Yoruba generation on the "" need for knowledge improvement through the media, and resurrection and introduction of stories and background images that established a sense of celebration of their ancestry"".
Said he, "" the wisdom in alaafin’s advocacy is that sound education and proper enlightenment would generate positive actions and attitudes thus ensuring the preservation of the value of our common heritage"".
In his address, the Alaafin said "" in a world that often emphasizes individuality and forward movement, ancestral connection grounds people in continuity, as it reminds the soul that life is not a solitary journey but part of a much larger story"".
He stated that when one feels adrift or uncertain, recalling the lives of ancestors provides stability, adding that they too endured seasons of change, faced uncertainty, and found ways to persevere, as their stories become a compass for navigating our challenges of today.
According to him, "" this grounding is especially powerful in times of transition. A person who feels disconnected from their purpose may find strength in recalling the resilience of a great-grandparent. Someone experiencing loss may find comfort in remembering that previous generations also bore grief yet found joy again. Ancestral connection offers perspective: the struggles of the present are part of a larger river of life that has always flowed toward renewal.
"Identifying with our ancestral roots enable us to understanding the cultural roots and identities, learn from past mistakes to avoid repeating them, appreciate the struggles and triumphs of those before us, build critical thinking and analytical skills, and create a more informed and engaged society. The events in the past shows how change unfolds over time reminding us that today’s issues are not isolated but part of a larger continuum.
"" The essence of a sense of history is an intuitive and deep awareness that all human actions, thoughts, and institutions are shaped by time and continuous development. It goes beyond simple memorization of facts or dates to see how the past creates and complicates the present. It connects where we came from with where we are now, establishing a bridge between past realities and modern interpretations. While it fosters a sober habit of mind, realism, and caution regarding human nature and society"".
The Paramount Ruler asserted that by understanding the patterns and consequences of previous actions, it gives us the perspective needed to navigate tomorrow. It helps individuals and societies avoid repeating past mistakes.It anchors societal norms, civic duty, and a shared sense of belonging.
While congratulating and appreciating the Princes and Princesses of Oyo Royal Dynasty in Igbeji community for successfully identifying with their roots , Oba Owoade assured them of his readiness to support and cooperate with them whenever the need arises.
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