Attempts by Our Heritage Branding and Advertising Limited to patent Osun-Osogbo Festival as a brand has sparked backlash from Yoruba community and cultural enthusiasts.

Osun-Osogbo Festival, a cultural and spiritual event, honours the river goddess, Osun, and vital to Yoruba heritage, identity, and spirituality.

The festival features sacred rituals, such as lighting of the 16-point lamp (Atupa Olojumerindinlogun), Ibo-Osun divination ceremony, and procession to Osun Sacred Grove, UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For centuries, devotees and visitors gather, to and celebrate their commitments to the orisha and the community.

Yoruba view attempt to patent the festival as an affront to their cultural heritage. It is also ethically questionable, raising concerns about the commercialisation of cultural heritage.

Critics argue that cultural heritage, particularly one deeply rooted in spiritual and communal values like the Osun-Osogbo Festival, should remain accessible to all. Patenting the festival, they argue, would commodify Yoruba heritage, transforming a sacred tradition into a commercial entity and undermining its essence. (The Nation)