The 2025 Egungun Akanmu Wai Festival of the Tantan Family in Iwo, Osun, was celebrated in grand style, attracting worshipers from Nigeria and overseas.
The grand finale of the festival was held on Saturday in Iwo, marking many years of the family’s consistency in showcasing their cultural heritage annually.
Speaking with AMILOADED, the head of the Tantan Family, Pa Akanmu Wakili, said the ‘Egungun Akanmu Wai’ tradition began when the late grandpa, Oyetunde Akanmu’s first son, Muraina, was sick, unable to walk, and in need of more children.
Pa Wakili noted that the late Pa Oyetunde Akanmu was a devoted Muslim who, despite having an egungun, never stopped observing his daily rakats until his death.
While stating that Egungun is for entertainment, Pa Wakili cautioned egungun worshipers to avoid fights and embrace love. He insisted that Egungun does not fight, but that trouble is usually caused by unknown people who follow during the festival. He called for a more cordial relationship among egungun devotees.
Also speaking, the Oloponda Oje of Iwoland, High Chief Akanmu Oluseye Gbolagade, affirmed that the yearly egungun festival belongs to their late grandpa. He noted that this year’s festival was attended by people from Lagos, Saki, Port Harcourt, Abuja, and overseas.
Chief Akanmu advised egungun worshipers, especially in Iwo, to apply wisdom in celebrating the festival and ensure they observe it in accordance with laws and culture.
He urged them to preserve cultural heritage through the egungun festival, avoid violence and hatred, and worship with humility.
The chief also charged them to be good ambassadors of the cultural heritage of Iwo and Yorubaland at large.
The highlight of the event was a live performance by a female cultural musician and a public display of Egungun Akanmu Wai, leaving a lasting impression as the crowd watched and danced in celebration of the 2025 festival.
