Ojude Oba has long stood as a cultural masterpiece.
It is a festival where tradition meets glamour, where heritage parades on horseback, and where the pride of Ijebuland echoes through vibrant age-grade displays and royal splendour.
Also, It’s more than an event, it’s a symbol of unity, identity, and celebration.
But in 2025, while the colours remained bright and the music loud, something felt off.
Beneath the surface of elegance and euphoria, key flaws threatened to overshadow the grandeur.
From overcrowding to absent dignitaries, here are the top 6 issues issues that nearly turned this beloved celebration into a chaotic spectacle.
1. Crowd Control
One of the biggest issues this year was the complete breakdown of crowd management.
Rather than a well-organised festival, attendees were greeted with a wild rush of bodies, cars, canopies, and parades with no structure or guidance.
Also, the streets of Ijebu-Ode became scenes of confusion, with federal roads blocked and emergency access routes non-existent.
Attendees, some travelling long distances, found themselves stuck in gridlock for hours.
There were no visible safety marshals, no directional signage, and absolutely no plan for emergency evacuation.
What could’ve been a smooth cultural flow turned into a chaotic bottleneck.
2. Venue – Too Small For The Crowd
The venue, though historic and symbolic, simply could not handle the crowd size this year.
Thousands poured in without a clear entry structure.
Canopies sprung up without spacing logic. Age-grade groups clashed for space.
Spectators had nowhere to sit, rest or even breathe properly. E-choke!
Despite being one of Nigeria’s most iconic festivals, basic logistics like designated walkways, signage, security control zones, or crowd dispersal strategies were completely missing.
Money and effort are poured into the aesthetics of Ojude Oba, but ignored the infrastructure required to keep people safe and organised.
3. The Injured Festivalgoers
The fireworks made the festival a memorable one for some persons, whipping up phobia for the next year’s event.
Some persons who came whole ended up in the hospital.
Two ladies we saw and attended to were injured as a result of the fire from the firework.
Unfortunately, this could deter some persons from showing up in 2026 if same venue would be used.
4. Lack Of Stationed Ambulance By The Gate
After the festivalgoers were injured and were led out of the main pavilion, it was a surprising thing to find that there was no ambulance anywhere near the entrance gate at the time.
They walked all the way to Secretariate Road Roundabout with their injuries before they could get a bike-man to take them to ‘any hospital’ at all.
Indeed, it became glaring that the organisers had made a poor plan for first aid in situations of injuries.
Also, several other persons collapsed as a result of the crowd and suffocating effect of the number.
5. Lack Of Dustbins Within The Pavilion
At the end of the event, the morning after, the beautiful tomato-red rug was nothing good to behold.
While the event was on, we walked around the pavilion to remove all doubts, but the reality stared us in the face.
Everyone threw all the waste anywhere they liked.
At the end, it was a morning full of litters.
6. The Disappearing Dignitaries
In a celebration that thrives on presence and prestige, the absence of key figures was both surprising and symbolic.
The Awujale of Ijebuland, a central figure to the event, was missing.
So were other respected names like billionaire philanthropist Otunba Subomi Balogun and Billionaire Olu Okeowo.
Their ‘no-show’ didn’t go unnoticed.
Was it due to health? Protest? Or simply disinterest in a celebration that no longer lives up to its prestige?
Whatever the reason, their absence added to the sense that something was off this year.
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Ojude Oba is no longer just a cultural festival, it is an international showcase of Yoruba pride and Nigerian culture.
But global recognition must come with global-standard planning.
This year proved that popularity without preparation is dangerous.
Until event organisers take logistics as seriously as they take visuals, Ojude Oba risks losing not only its dignity but its very essence.