Cultural Heritage and Architecture: A Case of Ojude Oba in Ijebu Ode South-West, Nigeria

Abstract

Cultural heritage and architecture in this study functions as intuition that reflects how people distinguish themselves and comprehend their environment. Ijebu ode people has rich cultural heritages infused in her language, songs, festivals, folktales, lore, chants, history and literature. Festivals are very significant as they bring people together of a particular society, to create cultural cognizance and avenue. Ijebu people celebrate festivals unique to their culture and customs.  Ojude Oba festival is celebrated by the Ijebus who are famous for both their enterprise and affluence. This study examines cultural heritage and architecture a case study of Ojude oba in Ijebu Ode South-West Nigeria. The Ojude Oba festival constitutes a major commercial activity that conveys economic integration and development of the Ijebu communities. Data was sourced from fieldwork, focus group discussions, oral interviews and relevant literature. This study showed how cultural heritage influences people’s sense of identity, loyalties and behavior. Memory institutions [archives, libraries, museums, schools, and historic sites] have a responsibility for preserving and interpreting the cultural record, so there are practical reasons to study cultural heritage. This research concluded with how cultural heritage called ojude-oba in Ijebu-Ode affects individuals’ self-identity, self-esteem, and relationships with others.