By Ayodele Abere
The Egungun (masquerade) tradition remains a cornerstone of Yoruba cultural identity and a vital instrument for moral guidance, Professor Ogunmola Michael Olusola stated.
The Vice-Chancellor introducing the inaugural lecturer.
Speaking on Tuesday at the 8th inaugural lecture of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti [BOUESTI], Prof. Ogunmola said the tradition continues to preserve history, ethics, and spiritual values despite pressures from modern lifestyles, new religious movements, and global cultural influences.
The lecture, titled “Ancestral Heritage at the Crossroads: Restoring and Safeguarding Egungun Culture Amid Modernity, Religion and Global Change,” was held at the university’s main campus in Ikere-Ekiti.
Prof. Ogunmola, a Professor of Art History, described Egungun as one of the most enduring institutions of the Yoruba people, rooted in ancestral veneration, indigenous cosmology, and the social evolution of Yoruba society.
He said the institution functions beyond religion as a social regulator and informal judicial authority, using performances, satire, praise, and sanctions to reinforce communal ethics.
“Egungun’s presence symbolizes wisdom and moral guidance through the coded language of drums,” he said. “Dance movements convey authority, blessings, warnings, or ancestral instructions to the community.”
According to him, the masquerade appears during festivals and in times of moral crisis such as corruption, marital infidelity, and disrespect for elders, serving as a corrective force and moral guide for society. He added that Egungun operates as both a living cultural archive and a system of indigenous education.
While acknowledging that modernity poses challenges to the tradition, Prof. Ogunmola said these challenges also create opportunities to rethink how cultural heritage can be protected without losing authenticity.
In his remarks, the University Vice-Chancellor Chancellor, Prof. Andrew Babatunde Omojola, described the lecture as distinctive and impactful.
In his word, “Today’s inaugural lecture was extremely unique. The originality speaks for itself. It was straight to the point,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor commended the lecturer for delivering the address within one hour and urged other academics to emulate the time discipline.
“As educators, we must model what we teach our students,” he said.
Professor Omojola described BOUESTI as one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing state universities.
The lecture was well graced by family, friends, colleagues and several well wishers.
