- Obasanjo urges Egba heritage revival to boost global tourism appeal
- Historic sites listed for urgent renovation across Abeokuta and Egbaland
- Lisabi Festival 2026 set for March 16 with cultural exhibitions
- Call to document Egba icons and history for future generations
Former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has called on organisers of the Lisabi Pre-Festival Heritage Tour and Cultural Art Exhibition to revive and promote Egbaland’s historical personalities and heritage sites, saying the move is key to repositioning the region as a major tourism destination.
Obasanjo made the appeal when members of the Lisabi Pre-Festival Heritage Tour and Cultural Art/Exhibition team paid him a courtesy visit ahead of the 2026 Lisabi Festival, scheduled for March 16.
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In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, the former president stressed the importance of preserving and renovating historical landmarks across Egbaland, warning that neglect could erase valuable cultural history.
“There is no doubt that Egbaland is filled with notable people and places which must be preserved and given a facelift to boost tourism,” Obasanjo said.
He explained that the stories, backgrounds, and achievements of prominent Egba figures should be properly documented and showcased to the world.
Obasanjo listed several heritage sites that urgently need attention, including Iwe Irohin House, home of Nigeria’s first newspaper; Abeokuta Prison, Ibara, one of the country’s oldest correctional facilities; the old Ibara Railway Station; Okoshokori, the former residence of Efunsetan Aniwura; Madam Tinubu’s storey building near Akin Olugbade Hospital; Madam Tinubu’s burial ground in Gbagura; and Abeokuta’s first flyover.
He also highlighted the need to celebrate notable Egba families and institutions such as the Ransome-Kutis, Toye Cokers, Majekodunmis, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, and Abeokuta Grammar School, describing them as pillars of the region’s historical identity.
The Lisabi Day Festival is an annual cultural celebration held in honour of Lisabi Agbongbo Akala, a legendary Egba warrior believed to have mysteriously disappeared into the Oba Forest over 200 years ago in present-day Obafemi Owode Local Government Area.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Lisabi Festival Committee and Asipa of Egbaland, Navy Captain Rasheed Adisa Raji (retd.), said the visit was to brief Obasanjo on preparations for the 2026 festival.
“We are also here to seek your blessings on the cultural and festival tours, which will include a special exhibition of traditional herbs and medicines known as Ewe ati Egbo,” Raji said.
