30/12/2025
The Eyo Festival, also known as the Adamu Orisha Play, is one of Lagos’ most powerful cultural traditions. Held on Lagos Island, it features Eyo masquerades dressed in flowing white robes and distinctive hats, moving through the streets with their opambata staffs to the sound of music, chants, and rhythmic drumming.
More than a festival, Eyo is a rite of remembrance, celebrating Lagos heritage, honoring ancestors, and paying tribute to the eminent personalities who shaped the city’s history.
The 2025 edition marked a historic return after an eight-year hiatus, honoring four distinguished Lagos icons: Mobolaji Johnson, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Sir Michael Otedola, and Alhaja Abibat Mogaji. Thousands of Eyo masquerades and spectators gathered from across Nigeria and beyond, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in attendance, reaffirming the festival’s deep cultural significance.
Eyo represents identity, unity, and continuity, a rare moment when Lagos slows down to remember who it is, where it comes from, and the traditions that still walk its streets.
Through each frame, we explore human experiences, vibrant cultures, street life, and hidden beauty, both near and far. From quiet portraits to cultural festivals and the rhythm of everyday life, our goal is to preserve stories that might otherwise go untold.
The Sojourner — documenting truth, culture, and everyday stories,
one frame, one journey, one story at a time.
📸
