FG seeks to deepen cultural ties with Brazil – NICO Executive Secretary
The Executive Secretary and CEO of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deepening cultural, traditional, and heritage ties with Brazil, citing the profound historical connections between the two nations.
Ajiboye made the remarks during his ongoing official visit to Brazil, where he is engaging with people of African descent in Salvador and participating in the World Orisa Congress (WOOCON). He noted that the cultural similarities between Nigeria and Brazil—especially in Yoruba heritage—have long been evident in the steady flow of Brazilians traveling to Nigeria for major religious and cultural festivals such as the Osun-Osogbo, Olojo, and Sango festivals.
While attending the 5th National Meeting of Axe Women of RENAFRO in Salvador, Ajiboye interacted with numerous Brazilian religious leaders, emphasizing the need to strengthen the spiritual and cultural links that unite both nations.
The NICO boss also held talks with Brazilian lawmaker Congresswoman Olívia Santana to explore avenues for deepening relations between Nigeria and the state of Bahia. In addition, he visited Ilê Axe Mariolaje, one of the oldest ase houses in Brazil, located in the Alaketu terreiro.
During a ceremonial presentation to the Abaeté Lagoon, Mãe Meninazinha de Oxum expressed her joy at the renewed engagement between Nigeria and Afro-Brazilian communities. Similarly, Mother Nilce de Iansã, National Coordinator of RENAFRO and Iya Egbe of Ile Omolu and Oxum, welcomed the Nigerian government’s presence at the Women of Axé Working Group event as a significant gesture of reconnection with the “motherland.”
President of the Oduduwa Heritage House, Ajoyemi Osunleye, described the visit as historic, saying, “For the first time, the Federal Government of Nigeria, under President Bola Tinubu, is reaching out to the children of Orisha in Brazil and the wider diaspora.” He added that the initiative is particularly symbolic in 2025, which the African Union has designated as the “Year of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.”
Flávia Pinto, a member of the Casa Herança delegation, called for a pilgrimage to Ile-Ife, the spiritual home of Orisha worship.
Drawing comparisons to other global faith traditions, she said the sacredness of Ile-Ife must be recognized just as Muslims revere Mecca, Catholics Rome, and Jews Jerusalem. She commended the visit of the NICO Executive Secretary as an affirmation of Ile-Ife’s spiritual significance.
