The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, is considering the designation of Oyo as an International Heritage Site in recognition of its Yoruba cultural values, the Alaafin’s palace has said.

In a press statement issued by the Alaafin’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, the announcement was made at the ongoing international conference in Brazil, where the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, is attending alongside his entourage.

Other distinguished participants include representatives of the Nigerian and Brazilian governments, UNESCO, partner universities, and leading cultural institutions.

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The week-long conference, holding at the Noble Hall, UFBA Rectory, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, is themed “Oyo, the Centre of Yoruba Civilization.”

Participants, including UNESCO officials, acknowledged that Oyo culture enjoys wide acceptance and recognition. They noted that many aspects of Oyo culture, including its dressing, language, and traditional deities such as Egungun, Sango, Oya, and Oro, are widely practised across Yorubaland.

The conference also witnessed the launch of a trilingual book titled “Oyo, Centre of Yoruba Civilization,” published in Yoruba, English, and Portuguese.