Lisabi Festival celebrates the legacy of Egba warrior Lisabi Agbongbo Akala in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The Lisabi Festival Committee has dismissed online claims that the 39th edition of the Festival is being rebranded around the Egbaliganza fashion initiative, describing the reports as false and misleading.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Chairman of the Lisabi Festival Committee and Asipa of Egbaland, Chief Rasheed Raji, said a viral video suggesting the festival now centres on Egbaliganza was a “distortion of historical truth.”
Raji stressed that the Lisabi Festival remains a sacred annual celebration honouring Lisabi Agbongbo Akala, the Egba warrior who led the revolt against the Oyo Empire and secured Egba independence in the 18th century.
“This enduring legacy that we commemorate annually is not for any commercial or fashion enterprise,” he said.
While acknowledging Egbaliganza as a cultural fashion initiative promoted by the Aare of Egbaland, Chief Lai Labode, Raji said it remains separate from the festival.
“We acknowledge Egbaliganza as a commendable innovation promoting Egba fashion and enterprise. The committee maintains that both initiatives are separate and distinct,” he added.
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According to Raji, only two hours within the week-long festival have been allocated for an honorary Egbaliganza showcase, insisting it does not define or overshadow the event’s historical purpose.
The 39th Festival will hold from March 23 to 29, 2026, with the grand finale scheduled for March 28 in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Raji said recent Egbaliganza promotional materials and social media branding such as “Lisabi Festival (Egbaliganza)” have fueled public misunderstanding, especially following the fashion event’s high-profile debut in 2025.
While some welcomed the added colour, he noted that traditional stakeholders raised concerns about preserving the festival’s spiritual and historical essence.
“We are celebrating our hero. We are celebrating our history. We are celebrating Lisabi,” Raji said.
The statement ended with the rallying call, “Egba Agbewa Ooo.”
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