Obafemi Hamzat calls for Yoruba cultural preservation beyond language

By Damilola Akinwale –

The Deputy Governor of Lagos State and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Obafemi Hamzat, has called for the preservation of Yoruba culture beyond language, urging Nigerians to pass their cultural heritage on to younger generations.

Hamzat made the call during his appearance on Episode 364 of the cultural game show Masoyinbo, where he emphasised that Yoruba was more than a language, describing it as a core component of identity, history, values and community connections.

Masoyinbo, hosted by Lekan Fabilola, promotes Yoruba language and heritage through quizzes and challenges that test participants’ fluency and knowledge of the language. Contestants compete for a ₦1 million cash prize and other gifts. The host shared snippets of Hamzat’s appearance in a post on X on Friday.

Hamzat also shared photographs from the programme on his social media pages, saying he had a great time exploring the importance of Yoruba and the need to preserve the language, celebrate the culture and pass the heritage on to future generations.

He said Nigeria’s diversity was one of its greatest strengths, adding that preserving indigenous languages was a shared responsibility. “Building a greater Lagos means investing not only in infrastructure and public services but also in our people, culture and values. We must work together to keep our heritage alive for generations to come,” he said.

Hamzat also stressed that effective leadership required a deep connection with the people, stating, “You cannot lead a people whose language you are too proud to speak. Before a man can speak for his people, he must be able to speak with them”.

During the show, he recounted visiting the City University of New York, where he met a white woman teaching Yoruba who had studied under the late Alaafin of Oyo and spoke the language fluently. Citing the experience as an example of how others valued Yoruba, he stressed, “You cannot preserve what you cannot pronounce”.

Hamzat commended Masoyinbo for promoting Yoruba heritage while keeping audiences informed and entertained. He answered all 10 questions as a contestant, but minor instances of code-switching, which the show penalises, reportedly reduced his cash prize from ₦1 million to ₦20,000.