The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has stepped up consultations with Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin ahead of the maiden Oyo Empire Day celebration scheduled for December.

The monarch sent Prince Sheriff Adebayo-Onisile, a Yoruba historian, on a three-day mission to the neighbouring country to engage traditional institutions, community leaders and other stakeholders on cultural ties, unity and participation in the planned celebration.

According to a statement from the Alaafin’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, the mission was focused on consultation, cultural diplomacy, reconciliation and mobilisation.

The visit is part of the palace’s wider effort to connect communities associated with the historical Oyo Empire across present-day national boundaries. The Alaafin has previously said the Oyo Empire Day is intended to bring together people of Oyo ancestry in Nigeria, the Republic of Benin and other parts of the world.

The maiden Oyo Empire Day is scheduled to take place from December 17 to 19, 2026. The Alaafin has described the event as a platform for strengthening cultural consciousness, encouraging historical research, promoting tourism and investment, and reconnecting younger generations with the history of the Oyo Empire.

During the Benin mission, Adebayo-Onisile reportedly held discussions with traditional rulers, Yoruba elders, politicians, socio-cultural groups and members of prominent families with historical connections to the region.

One of the meetings took place in Porto-Novo, where the envoy was received by Oba Rafiu Atanda Adesakin, the Aladjache of Adjache-Ile.

Discussions reportedly covered Yoruba unity, cultural preservation, the historical relationship between the old Oyo Empire and the Dahomey kingdom, the proposed visit of the Alaafin to the Republic of Benin and preparations for the Oyo Empire Day.

The envoy also met Chief Clement Kouchade, described in the report as the Minister for Secondary Education and Bashorun of Pobeland in Benin’s Plateau Province.

The meeting, held at the Federal Secretariat in Cotonou, focused on Oyo heritage and the historical and cultural links between Yoruba communities in Nigeria and Benin.

Kouchade reportedly welcomed the initiative and conveyed greetings to the Alaafin, while expressing support for efforts aimed at strengthening cultural interaction and peaceful relations among communities.

Adebayo-Onisile also met leaders of Ẹgbẹ Isokan Ọmọ Yoruba in Benin, alongside representatives of the Agboluaje and Onikoyi families.

The discussions provided an opportunity to consider the preservation of Yoruba culture and the relationship between communities in present-day Benin and the historical Oyo political and cultural sphere.

The Benin mission also reportedly included engagements with other Yoruba personalities, community leaders and cultural organisations.

The palace said the meetings generated interest in participation by Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin in the Oyo Empire Day celebration.

The initiative comes after the Alaafin inaugurated a broad-based planning committee for the maiden celebration in August. The committee includes traditional rulers, academics, professionals, business leaders, cultural representatives, youths, women leaders and members of the diaspora.

The planned celebration is being presented by the Alaafin’s palace as more than a traditional festival. The monarch has said it is intended to reconnect people with the history and institutions of the old Oyo Empire while creating opportunities for cultural exchange, tourism, research and economic cooperation.

Historical accounts place the old Oyo Empire's influence across parts of what are now Nigeria and the Republic of Benin. The empire had significant political, commercial and military influence in the region, including interactions with the Dahomey kingdom.

For the Alaafin’s palace, the current outreach is therefore intended to translate those historical connections into present-day cultural relationships between communities separated by modern international borders.

The three-day mission also reflects the palace's stated emphasis on reconciliation and unity among Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin.

With the inaugural Oyo Empire Day less than three months away, further consultations and mobilisation are expected as organisers prepare to bring together traditional institutions, cultural groups, historians, government representatives and communities connected to the legacy of the old Oyo Empire.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia