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Breaking traditions at Nigeria's Ojude Oba festival

August 1, 2025

Ojude Oba is a colorful Nigerian festival where the Ijebu people come together in honor of their king and celebrate their culture. This includes precise horse-riding skills. And Princess Adesile is the only one to do it.

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In Nigeria's Ijebu-Ode, the annual Ojude Oba festival brings history, religion, and royalty together in a vibrant display of tradition. Originating over a century ago as a post-Eid tribute to the local monarch, the event now features elaborate fashion, music, and horseback parades. This year marks a historic moment: Princess Adesile becomes the first female horse rider in the festival's history, challenging long-held norms and redefining royal participation. DW explores how one woman's determination is reshaping cultural narratives in southwestern Nigeria.