by Sunday Ani
president Founder of Omo Yoruba Niwa, Olaseni Bokini, has raised eyebrows over the attempt by Our Heritage Branding and Advertising Ltd to patent the Osun-Oshogbo festival, stressing that the festival embodies Yoruba tradition, identity and spirituality and should never be patented.
He described it as an important cultural and spiritual event celebrated annually in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria, saying: “It has immense importance to the Yoruba people and the international community which cherishes indigenous traditions.”
The festival, which worships the river goddess Osun, is more than a series of rituals and celebrations; it is a profound expression of Yoruba tradition, identity and spirituality.”
He said the attempt by advertising companies to patent the Osun-Osogbo festival was an affront to the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba people and also raised serious ethical and legal concerns.
He condemned those behind the attempt, saying, “This action led by Mr Wilson Chibututu, who is not Yoruba, and Mr Oyindamola Olukanni, who unfortunately does not know more about the festival when in fact they should, is seen as an affront to the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba people and raises serious ethical and legal concerns.”
Speaking further on the cultural nature of the festival, he said: “The Osun-Oshogbo festival is not just a cultural event, it is a spiritual journey that connects the present with the past. For centuries, it has been a time when devotees and visitors come together to honour Osun, seek blessings and celebrate the renewal of vows to the Orishas and the community. The festival includes a series of sacred ceremonies such as the lighting of the 16-pointed lamp (Atupa Olojumerindinlogun), Igbo-Osun divination ceremony and a grand procession to the Sacred Grove of Osun, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation World Heritage Site.”
He said the festival was not just a local event but a global cultural asset that attracted people from all over the world and contributed greatly to cultural tourism and the local economy.
“Its status as intangible cultural heritage underlines the need to preserve its authenticity and accessibility for future generations,” he said.
He also commented on the inappropriateness of patenting the festival, saying, “Patenting the Osun-Osogbo festival as a brand is not only inappropriate but also ethically questionable. Cultural heritage, especially one that is so deeply rooted in spiritual and communal values as the Osun-Osogbo festival, should remain in the public domain, available to all who wish to participate in its significance. Commercialising such an important cultural event through patenting undermines the essence that the festival represents.”
“Attempts to patent this festival commercialise Yoruba traditions and turn a sacred tradition into a commercial entity. This is an insult to the Yoruba people who have preserved and cherished this tradition for generations. It ignores the collective ownership of cultural heritage and its spiritual dimension which cannot be seen through a commercial lens.”
He also noted that IP and Osun-Osogbo are an incompatible combination because bringing IP into the realm of cultural and spiritual practices like the Osun-Osogbo festival is not just a faux pas but a form of cultural barbarism.
“Intellectual property laws were created to protect individual innovations and creations, but they are inherently inadequate to govern collective and sacred traditions.
“The imposition of an intellectual property framework on such practices risks turning culturally and spiritually significant events into commodities subject to legal regulation and commercial gain. Patenting a festival as profound and communal as Osun-Osogbo ignores the intrinsic value of a collective heritage and reduces it to a mere commercial asset,” he said.
He also noted that patenting the festival would raise ethical questions.He called for the immediate cancellation of the patent granted to the Osun-Osogbo festival, claiming that the festival is a testament to the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of the Yoruba people.
“It must be preserved and protected as public heritage, free from commercial exploitation. We call on all parties involved to take immediate action to revoke this patent and safeguard the world’s cultural and spiritual heritage,” he said.
