The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has approved a temporary relaxation of movement restrictions associated with this year’s Oro Festival to allow female candidates writing the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to sit for their examinations.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Alaafin’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye. According to the statement, the adjustment was made because the final day of the Oro Festival coincides with the BECE for Junior Secondary School 3 (Basic 9) students.
The Oro Festival, a traditional Yoruba religious observance, is scheduled to take place in Oyo town from July 23 to July 29, 2026. The festival typically involves movement restrictions, particularly for women and non-initiates, during designated periods of the rites.
Under the revised arrangement, female students affected by the restriction on the final day of the festival will be permitted to move freely until 5 p.m. on July 29 to enable them to participate in the national examination.
Announcing the adjustment, the Baale of Jabata, Chief Orowale Ajani, said the modification was intended to ensure that candidates were not denied the opportunity to complete their examinations because of the traditional observance.
“The female students should note that restrictions of movement placed on them on the last day of the festival, which is July 29, have been shifted till 5 p.m. to enable concerned pupils write the national examinations,” Ajani said.
The statement noted that the BECE is administered by state Ministries of Education, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) or the National Examinations Council (NECO), depending on the state.
The development comes weeks after the Lagos State Government rescheduled some BECE papers in parts of Ikorodu Division due to a clash with the Oro Festival, following consultations with community leaders and other stakeholders to ensure the safety of candidates and examination officials.
The Alaafin’s decision has been welcomed as a move to balance respect for cultural traditions with the educational interests of students, ensuring that female candidates are able to participate in the examination without disruption while the annual festival proceeds as scheduled.
