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| Ooni of Ife’s |
In the sacred city of Ile-Ife, long regarded in Yoruba tradition as the cradle of civilization and the ancestral homeland of the Oduduwa lineage, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife (Ojaja II), continues a mission that bridges centuries of separation.
The monarch has repeatedly urged Afro-Brazilians—descendants of millions of Africans forcibly transported across the Atlantic—to reconnect with their roots in Africa, particularly among the Yoruba people of Nigeria and beyond. This call, renewed in statements tied to his engagement with Brazilian leaders including President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, emphasizes unity, cultural heritage, and practical cooperation. It is not mere rhetoric but part of a broader “Back to Home” programme aimed at healing historical ruptures while fostering economic, cultural, and spiritual ties.
The Ooni’s message draws power from a profound historical reality. Brazil received more enslaved Africans than any other destination in the Americas—estimates place the number at roughly 4.8 to 4.9 million people between the 16th and 19th centuries. Significant numbers came from West Africa, including Yoruba-speaking regions of present-day Nigeria, Benin, and Togo (often referred to as Nagô in Brazilian contexts). These captives carried with them languages, cosmologies, rituals, and social structures that proved remarkably resilient.
In Bahia and other regions, they reconstituted elements of Yoruba religion into Candomblé, a living faith centered on the orixás (orishas)—deities such as Shango (Xangô), Ogun (Ogum), Yemoja (Iemanjá), and Obatala (Oxalá).
Practitioners often conduct ceremonies with Yoruba terminology and maintain terreiros (temples) that preserve African spiritual geography in a New World setting.
Syncretism with Catholicism allowed the tradition to survive under colonial pressure, but its core remains distinctly Yoruba-influenced.
Today, Brazil is home to the largest population of people of African descent outside the African continent. Census data show that those identifying as preto (Black) or pardo (mixed) together constitute a majority—over 55% in recent figures—reflecting deep African ancestry, even if specific ethnic breakdowns (such as precise Yoruba numbers) are not officially tracked and claims of tens of millions of “Yoruba” must be treated carefully as cultural rather than strictly demographic.
Quilombo communities, descendants of runaway slave settlements, further embody this continuity. Many Afro-Brazilians already feel a living connection through Candomblé, music, cuisine, and festivals; the Ooni’s appeal seeks to deepen that into intentional reconnection with the physical homeland.
The Ooni’s 2023 five-day visit to Brazil crystallized these efforts. Invited amid the early days of Lula’s return to power, the monarch traveled to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador (Bahia), and Brasília. He participated in the unveiling of Brazil’s National Isese Day (or Orisa/African Traditional Religion Day), a formal recognition of traditional African spiritual practices that had long faced marginalization. In addresses to parliament and communities, Ogunwusi stressed shared identity: “We cannot afford to be divided again. We are one, irrespective of colour and race.
What we need now is to unite for the growth of all persons regardless of religious and cultural differences.” He offered a tangible invitation: free land in Ile-Ife and across Africa for those wishing to build, reside, and invest, describing the city as an ancestral home open to Yoruba heritage bearers.
Private discussions with Lula focused on cultural and trade relations, including advocacy for direct air links between Nigeria and Brazil to ease commerce, tourism, and exchange.
Lula, who has long expressed affinity for Africa and whose wife reportedly addresses the Ooni familiarly, responded positively, affirming commitment to stronger ties and recognizing the contributions of Afro-Brazilians. The Ooni even inducted Lula and his wife as “Omo Oduduwa” (descendants of Oduduwa), a symbolic gesture of inclusion.
This is not an isolated gesture. Ogunwusi’s “Back to Home” initiative forms part of a longer pattern of diaspora engagement by Yoruba traditional institutions and Nigerian cultural figures. Earlier groundwork included delegations and projects highlighting “Treasures of Our Ancestors.” More recently, in late 2025, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka visited the Ooni’s palace in Ile-Ife to discuss efforts focused on Afro-Brazilians of Yoruba origin.
Soyinka underscored the urgency of educating diaspora communities about slavery’s historical realities and facilitating returns that could contribute economic, cultural, and intellectual capital: “If we do not take decisive steps now, it may take much longer to rebuild this bridge. When they come home, they can contribute to economic, cultural, and intellectual development. But above all, their deepest desire is to rediscover their origin.” The Ooni pledged support, framing the work as aligned with Ile-Ife’s role as the spiritual source. Such collaborations signal growing institutional momentum.
The potential benefits are multifaceted. Culturally, returns or visits could revitalize language learning, pilgrimage tourism to Ile-Ife’s sacred sites, and mutual enrichment of festivals and scholarship. Economically, stronger Nigeria-Brazil links—already underpinned by South-South cooperation—could expand trade in agriculture, energy, technology, and creative industries. Direct flights would lower barriers for people-to-people exchange.
Spiritually, it offers diaspora practitioners of Candomblé and related traditions a chance to engage source communities and Ifá divination centers. For Nigeria and Africa more broadly, diaspora engagement has long been viewed as a resource for development, investment, and soft power—echoing broader pan-African ideals while remaining grounded in specific ethnic-historical ties.
Challenges remain substantial and warrant honest analysis. Practical barriers include immigration processes, land allocation logistics, infrastructure in host communities, language differences (Portuguese vs. Yoruba/English), and the economic realities facing many potential returnees.
Not all Afro-Brazilians identify primarily through a Yoruba lens; African origins in Brazil are diverse, encompassing Bantu and other West African groups. Identity is complex and layered—many prioritize Brazilian nationality while valuing African heritage. Large-scale physical return is unlikely; symbolic, educational, tourism, and selective settlement models are more realistic.
Historical trauma, ongoing inequalities faced by Afro-Brazilians in Brazil, and development gaps in parts of Nigeria must also be acknowledged rather than romanticized. Successful reconnection requires partnership, not one-way invitation: investments in education about shared history on both sides, legal frameworks for dual engagement, and avoidance of elite-only projects.
Yet the Ooni’s persistent advocacy carries unique weight. As custodian of Ile-Ife’s throne—one of the most symbolic in Yoruba civilization—he embodies continuity. His statements consistently frame the diaspora not as lost but as extended family: “Beyond here in Brazil, I am delighted to inform you that you all have a home in my Kingdom and there are free lands for you to come, build and reside across Africa.” The broader vision is collaborative: “This is what we want to see: a journey back home, where our people in the diaspora join hands with their brothers and sisters on the continent to build a better Africa.”
In an era of global identity politics, climate pressures, and shifting geopolitics, such cultural diplomacy offers a constructive path. It counters narratives of permanent rupture from the slave trade by asserting living connections. Whether through increased pilgrimages, academic exchanges, business partnerships, or selective resettlement under the “Back to Home” banner, the call invites Afro-Brazilians to claim a dual belonging.
For the Yoruba world and Africa, it reinforces the idea that the continent’s story did not end at the ports of departure. The Ooni’s renewed emphasis, rooted in historical memory and practical outreach, keeps that bridge open—urging unity not as nostalgia, but as a foundation for shared progress.
Samuel O. Sulaimon is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Naijapiz. He covers Global, News, Sports, Finance, Faiths, Education, Politics and Technology.
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