OAU dons describes Elebuibon as repository of Yoruba tradition

…holds maiden lecture in his honour

By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

Scholars from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile‑Ifè, Osun State, have praised the renowned Ifa priest Ifayemi Elebuibon as a custodian of Yoruba tradition.

The remarks were made during the first annual lecture held in his honour by the Institute of Cultural Studies at the university’s Oduduwa Hall on Tuesday.

Professor Adebisi Ademakinwa delivered the lecture titled “Osundagbonu Ifayemi Elebuibon: The Man, The Myth and the Messenger of Ife,” noting that the Araba of Osogbo is among the few traditionalists whose deep knowledge of Yoruba culture helps preserve the people’s heritage.

He highlighted that the priest’s mythic origins are not only significant for cultural scholars but also that his work in safeguarding Yoruba heritage is revolutionary.

“As a custodian of Yoruba cultural beliefs, culture, and philosophy, Chief Elebuibon stands as a bulwark against the erosion of Yoruba history and culture by Western influences,” he said. “Through organizations such as Ancient Philosophy International in Osogbo, which he founded, the Ifa priest advances learning and culture, linking him with OAU, Ile‑Ifè.”

“His relationships with the Department of Linguistics and African Languages, where he served as a visiting scholar, and the Institute of Cultural Studies, where he acts as a resource person, lay a solid foundation for preserving Yoruba tangible and intangible cultural beliefs, cultures, and traditions,” Professor Ademakinwa added.

“The Faculty of Arts at OAU proudly celebrates Chief Ifáyẹmi Ọ̀súndàgbonù Elebuibon as a colossus and an outstanding light on the path of promoting an indigenous knowledge system,” he concluded.

Earlier, the Institute’s director, Professor Olusegun Oladosu, described Elebuibon’s temple as a university without walls, welcoming diaspora researchers.

“Baba represents many positive qualities in Yoruba culture. He is a scholar‑practitioner who bridges the ancient and the modern, spanning the whispers of the grove and the lecture halls of Ivy League institutions,” Oladosu said.

“From OAU to San Francisco State University, Baba has shown that indigenous knowledge is not antithetical to scholarship; it is scholarship. Although he has taught the boundless wisdom of Ifa on global platforms, he never stops learning at the feet of Olodumare. He has written plays and films for television, yet every line is rooted in the verses of Ifa.”

“He is a custodian of the worthy legacies of the ancestors. When Osun‑Osogbo faced encroachment and neglect, he was among those who spoke, sang, and worked until UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. When Ifa was dismissed as superstition, Baba carried its verses to international conferences and proved that it is philosophy, science, and ethics.”

“Chief Elebuibon is a teacher. He has trained students, promoted Ifa studies, and initiated a new generation of Yoruba epistemic devotees. The Ogbeyonu Temple in Osogbo is a university without walls, where researchers from Nigeria, Europe, and the Americas come to drink from the well of Yoruba wisdom.”

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