The International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) has urged President Bola Tinubu to designate August 20 and 21 as national public holidays to honor Isese adherents, advocating for equal recognition alongside other major religions in Nigeria. The call was made by ICIR President Fayemi Fakayode in a statement released Wednesday in Ibadan, Oyo State, marking the 2025 Isese Day celebration.

Fakayode highlighted that Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, and Osun states have declared Wednesday a work-free day for this year’s observance, as reported by Punch Newspaper. He called on the governors of Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara, Kogi, Edo, and Delta states to follow suit by recognizing August 20 as an annual Isese holiday.

The ICIR leader further requested government funding for cultural festivals, protection of shrines and sacred lands, and the inclusion of Isese practitioners in cultural councils, aligning their status with that of Muslim and Christian communities. Fakayode appealed to the Presidency to address the “current inequality” among Nigeria’s three major religions by granting national holiday status to Isese observance.