Professional stakeholders from the fields of academia, film, culture, tourism, and history have concluded plans to converge on Oyo Town in November for the commemoration of the 130th anniversary of the 1895 Ogun Pepe (Pepe War), a historic battle in which Alaafin Adeyemi Alowolodu resisted British imperial forces.
The week-long event, organized in collaboration with His Imperial Majesty, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, the Alaafin of Oyo, will feature cultural, academic, and artistic activities aimed at preserving the legacy of Oyo’s resistance and celebrating its enduring heritage.
According to the Chairman of the Event Planning Committee and Coordinator of Ogun Pepe 130, Segun Oke, a retired Federal Director, the commemoration will begin on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, with fasting and prayers by all religious groups for peace and harmony in Oyo.
The following day, Wednesday, November 12, will feature tree planting and a symbolic ‘Fitila Night’, a torch procession from Owode to the Aafin (palace) of the Alaafin.
A public lecture will hold on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at the Federal School of Surveying, Oyo, to be delivered by Prof. Akin Alao, Associate Professor of Legal History at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife. His keynote address, titled “Ogun Pepe @130: Memory as a Call to Renewal,” will examine the historical significance of the war and its lessons for contemporary Nigeria.
The lecture will feature panel discussions led by eminent scholars, including Prof. Sekinat Kola-Aderoju, a distinguished historian and proud daughter of Oyo; Prof. Niyi Gbadegesin, an expert in Biogeography and Environmental Resource Management; Prof. Ladun Oloruntoba of the University of Ibadan; and Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo, a renowned cultural advocate.
The Father of the Day for all Ogun Pepe events will be the Alaafin of Oyo, while the Chairman of the Central Planning Committee is Dr. Sokan Ojebode, founder of Atiba University, Oyo.
Oke further disclosed that the celebration will include a command performance of the stage play “Ogun Pepe,” written and produced by Gbemi Faleti and directed by Yomi Duro-Ladipo, an accomplished filmmaker, actor, and choreographer.
The grand finale of the week-long event will take place on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at the Old Oyo National Park, featuring a cultural exhibition and fundraising ceremony. The cultural segment will be curated by Funmi Ajofeebo, while the exhibition will be coordinated by Folasade Adeyemi (popularly known as Arewa).
The 130th Ogun Pepe commemoration is expected to draw participation from scholars, traditional rulers, cultural enthusiasts, and history lovers from across Nigeria and the diaspora, in what organizers describe as “a celebration of resistance, memory, and renewal.”
