Mediating Indigenous Knowledge: The Politicisation and Commodification of the Oro Festival in Nigeria

The Oro festival, a sacred tradition among the Yoruba of Nigeria, has increasingly become a contested site of political appropriation and commodification. Historically a communal ritual reinforcing social cohesion, the festival has been recontextualised by political actors in response to shifting socio-political realities and modernity. This research explores the mediation and renegotiation of the Oro festival in the digital age, focusing on its intersections with political structures, media representations, and Indigenous epistemologies.

The politicisation of the Oro festival underscores the instrumentalisation of Indigenous religious practices by political elites as tools for consolidating power and asserting hegemony. By manipulating ritual timings, orchestrating public declarations, and leveraging media visibility, political actors co-opt the festival to suppress opposition, bolster authority, and sometimes pursue exclusionary agendas. These interventions often generate tensions between traditional custodians, political elites, and legal governance, positioning the festival as a mechanism of political intimidation and strategic leverage.

In the digital era, the commodification of the Oro festival has taken on new dimensions as its representations circulate widely across media platforms, reframing its sacred meanings. While digital technologies facilitate the preservation of Indigenous practices, they also expose the festival to reinterpretations that commodify its spiritual essence, often reducing it to a cultural spectacle or political tool. This commodification raises significant ethical concerns about preserving Indigenous knowledge systems in globalised media economies.

This paper critically examines the digital mediation of the Oro festival, exploring how Indigenous Yoruba epistemologies are simultaneously obscured and amplified. By interrogating the negotiation and contestation of Indigenous practices at the nexus of politics and media, the study offers nuanced insights into the ongoing struggle for epistemic sovereignty in contemporary Nigeria.