… Prof. Toyin Falola to Deliver Coronation Lecture
The Coronation Committee for the installation of the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, has officially announced a week-long programme of activities that will precede the historic event slated for Friday, September 26, 2025 at Mapo Hall.
The inaugural committee meeting, chaired by Chief Bayo Oyero and attended by key stakeholders including the Oyo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Demola Ojo, deliberated extensively on the details of the coronation rites and ancillary ceremonies designed to reflect Ibadan’s rich cultural heritage.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, the activities will commence on Monday, September 22 with an interdenominational service at the Olubadan Palace, Oke-Aremo, under the auspices of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII).
On Tuesday, September 23, the spotlight will shift to a Cultural Day jointly organised by the CCII and the Oyo State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, featuring traditional music, dance, and exhibitions celebrating Ibadan’s legacy as one of Africa’s most vibrant urban centres.
The programme will continue on Wednesday, September 24, with the much-anticipated Coronation Lecture to be delivered by renowned historian and global scholar, Prof. Toyin Falola, whose address is expected to contextualise Ibadan’s place in Yoruba history and its significance in Nigeria’s sociopolitical evolution.
A Mega Praise Worship session has been scheduled for Thursday, September 25 at the Civic Centre, Idi Ape, where leading clerics and gospel artists will lead prayers and music in thanksgiving for the new monarch’s reign.
The grand finale will take place on Friday, September 26, when Oba Rashidi Ladoja will be formally installed as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland at the iconic Mapo Hall, a venue steeped in the city’s political and traditional symbolism.
The committee meeting also witnessed broad representation from the Olubadan-in-Council, including the Asipa Olubadan-designate, Oba Hamidu Ajibade; Chief Nureni Adisa; and Chief Adeola Oloko, media aide to the Olubadan.
Also in attendance were the Commissioners for Culture and Tourism, Women Affairs, and Information, as well as the chairmen of Egbeda and Ibadan South East Local Governments, representing the 11 councils of Ibadanland. Members of the Oyo State House of Assembly, the Governor’s Protocol Director General, and Permanent Secretaries from relevant ministries also participated in the deliberations, underscoring the significance of the forthcoming coronation as both a cultural and political event.
