Ooni of Ife Highlights Deeper History of Ile-Ife at International Conference

In a recent press conference held at his palace in Ile-Ife, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11, unveiled a profound perspective on the history of the ancient city of Ile-Ife. The conference, themed “International Conference on Ile-Ife and Yoruba Civilisation: The Nexus between Tradition and Modernity,” was organized to shed light on the rich history of the region.

During the conference, Ooni Ogunwusi emphasized that the history of Ile-Ife goes beyond what is currently available in academic institutions. He stressed the importance of documenting the oral traditions and preserving the facts and figures that have been distorted over time.

“As the 51st Ooni of Ife, in the third dynasty of Ife, I noted that there are so many facts that were not written down about the nexus of tradition and modernity,” Ooni Ogunwusi stated. “Our oral tradition has not been adequately written down, so many facts and figures were distorted from the original history of Kaaro-o-o-jiire. For me to build the legacy for the entire Kaaro-o-o-jiire race, that is known as Yoruba people, we are discovering every day that our history is deeper than what we have in various academic institutions.”

The Ooni praised the organizing team led by Prof. Siyan Oyefeso for their passion and dedication to putting Ile-Ife’s history into the right perspective. He also shared fascinating insights about the historical connections between Ile-Ife and other African countries, such as Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, where descendants of Ile-Ife are said to have migrated.

Ooni Ogunwusi called upon the indigenous people to support the conference’s organizers in documenting the history of their race. He emphasized the importance of taking control of their own historical narrative and not relying on Western countries for documentation.

Prof. Siyan Oyefeso, a lecturer at the Department of History, International Studies, Osun State University, expressed the significance of the conference in deepening the body of literature on Ile-Ife and Yoruba civilization. He highlighted that the conference aimed to establish the historical significance of Ile-Ife as the cradle of the Yoruba race and a place where Yoruba identity was formed.

The International Conference on Ile-Ife and Yoruba Civilisation is poised to provide new insights into the history of this ancient city and its impact on the broader African context.