Aje Festival is an annual celebration in Osun State to celebrate the goddess of riches led by Ooni Of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II and Iya Alaje of Oodua, Princess Toyin Kolade who welcomed guests and indigenes of Osun State to the celebration. Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II shared on his official Instagram page about the event.
In fulfilling the sacred duty that is entrusted into my care by our Ancestors, and in furtherance of my dedication to revitalize our cultural valuable elements which are integral parts of our nation’s economic revolution and history preservation, I led the descendants of Odùduwà across the globe and millions of others to broadly celebrate the goodness of Ajé (deity of fortunes, wealth, and economic prosperity), and to pay their obeisance.
AJÉ, the goddess of riches, was created at the beginning of time and sent to the world alongside Olokun, the goddess of the oceans. The first currency in the world, created by nature from beneath the sea, was spent by all races of the planet. It was initially spent and found in Èjìgbòmekùn Ifè’s market, which was run by AJÉ. AJÉ and Olokun are Elédùmarè’s ambassadors, and they continue to be the supernatural benefactors and custodians of earthly riches, directing human trade, commercial endeavours, and economic prosperity. Farmers tilt the ground and pray to Ajé, women perform minute transactions, young men utilise technology to make payments, members of various religious institutions make payments, global businesses etc. All pay obeisance to Ajé.
Our culture compellingly offers us hope for a more diverse and integrated country. We must believe passionately and strongly that our culture can lead our country to economic resurrection and national riches. It has the creed, importance, and natural advantages to take us back to the ancient past of wealth distribution and to turn our cities into centres of commerce and prosperity. Over the last six decades, our nation’s enforced governance system needs to be overhauled since some of its procedures are systemically ill-conceived and flawed.
In the twenty-first century, it’s worth noting that African culture is home to more than seventy percent of the core ingredients of human-generated riches. We must all work together to usher in a new age of governance that prioritises the integration of our cultural values into our daily lives. Nigeria’s economic progress and prosperity may be reached more quickly if its leaders follow the old route and return to the birthplace of trade and commerce. In Nigeria and Africa, no one should be impoverished.
