No Banks, No Schools: Days Lagos, Ogun, 2 Others’ll Declare Holiday In August + Reasons

August has arrived, and with it comes a full shutdown across four Southwest states. Banks will not open. Schools will be empty. Government offices will be locked.
The reason: Isese Day.

NOP NIGERIA reports that for millions of Yoruba traditional worshippers, August 20th is not just another date on the calendar. It is sacred. It is Isese Day — a day set aside to honour Yoruba gods, ancestors, culture and heritage.

This year, 2026, Ogun, Oyo, Lagos and Osun states are expected to declare the day a public holiday. Again. And for residents, it means one thing: stay home, celebrate, or simply enjoy the break.

Isese is a Yoruba word that means “source” or “tradition.” The festival is the biggest annual celebration of Yoruba traditional religion in Nigeria. It is marked with prayers, drumming, dancing, sacrifices, and visits to shrines.

While Christians mark Christmas and Muslims mark Eid, traditionalists now have August 20th officially recognised in four of the most populous Yoruba states. It is culture meeting law.

The push for recognition did not happen overnight. For years, traditional worshippers said their faith was ignored while other religions got public holidays. That changed, state by state.

Osun leads the way

Osun State took the first bold step more than a decade ago. In 2013, under then-Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the state officially recognised Isese Day and made August 20th a work-free day.

Since then, Osun has not looked back. Every August 20th, government offices, banks, and schools in Osun close. Markets slow down. Traditional rulers lead rites across towns like Oshogbo, Ile-Ife and Ilesa.

The Osun example became the blueprint. Other states watched, debated, and eventually followed.

Oyo joined in 2023

In 2022, Oyo traditionalists staged protests and press conferences demanding the same recognition. Governor Seyi Makinde listened.
In 2023, he signed off on August 20th as Isese Day and declared it a public holiday.

For Oyo people, it was more than a holiday. It was validation. “Our gods, our culture, our identity matter too,” one Ibadan chief said at the time.

Lagos followed suit

Nigeria’s commercial capital came next. After the Lagos Council of Obas and Chiefs wrote to the State House of Assembly, the government began observing Isese Day as a public holiday in 2023.

In a state with over 20 million people and the country’s biggest economy, shutting down for Isese Day sent a strong message: tradition is not backward. It is business.

Ogun sealed it in law

Ogun took it a step further. In July 2023, the Ogun House of Assembly passed a resolution: “H.R. No.008/OG/2023: Observation of Isese Day as Work-Free Day in Ogun State.”

The Majority Leader, Yusuf Sheriff, moved the motion. The Minority Leader, Lukmon Adeleye, seconded it. Lawmakers argued it would preserve culture for future generations and boost tourism.

A month later, Ogun celebrated its first official Isese public holiday alongside Lagos, Oyo and Osun. The four states shut down together on August 20th.

What exactly happens on Isese Day?

Across the Southwest, priests and priestesses lead prayers to Orisa. There is drumming, white cloth, kola nuts, palm oil, and animal sacrifices. Youths dance. Elders tell stories.

For adherents, it is a day of cleansing, thanksgiving, and asking for blessings for the year ahead. For tourists, it is a cultural spectacle that draws visitors from within and outside Nigeria.

That tourism angle is why governors are paying attention. Osun’s Osun-Osogbo Grove is already a UNESCO site. Isese Day adds another layer to market Yoruba culture globally.

But it is not just about culture.

The holiday also affects daily life. Residents have learned to plan ahead. No banking transactions. No government services. No school.

Earlier this year, Osun even declared a separate work-free day to allow public servants to collect their PVCs ahead of the August 15 governorship election. INEC is currently distributing cards across the state’s 332 wards.

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That shows how powerful a state-declared holiday can be in mobilising people. With Isese Day, the same tool is now being used to honour faith.

Critics ask: why another holiday? Supporters answer: equity. Nigeria already recognises Christian and Muslim holidays. This balances the scale for indigenous belief systems.

As August 20th approaches, expect announcements from the four governors. Expect closed banks. Expect colourful festivals in groves, palaces and town squares.

One thing is clear: Isese Day is no longer a fringe observance. In Ogun, Oyo, Lagos and Osun, it is now law, it is now culture, and it is now a day the entire state pauses to remember where it came from.

NOP NIGERIA