Princess Alimot Osunbunmi, a nine-year-old member of the royal family in Osogbo, emerged as the new Arugba Osun for the 2025 Osun-Osogbo Festival, taking over the revered role after the exit of Osuntomi Ewatomilola, who served for about 11 years.
Osunbunmi was selected in March 2025 following the traditional Ifa divination process conducted by Osun devotees. Her emergence marked the beginning of a new chapter in one of Nigeria’s most significant traditional and cultural festivals.
The Arugba, traditionally a young female virgin from the royal lineage selected through Ifa divination, plays a central role in the annual Osun-Osogbo Festival. She is traditionally associated with the sacred calabash, known as the Igba Osun, which contains ritual offerings presented to Osun, the Yoruba river deity.
During the festival procession, the Arugba traditionally leads devotees and traditionalists from the palace towards the Osun Sacred Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the major spiritual rites take place.
The role carries deep symbolic significance within Osogbo tradition. The Arugba is regarded as an important spiritual figure in the procession, with devotees traditionally offering prayers and seeking blessings as she makes her way towards the sacred grove.
However, the 2025 edition witnessed an unusual adjustment. Although Osunbunmi led the procession, the sacred calabash was carried by the Osun Chief Priest, identified as Adesina, rather than by the young Arugba herself.
Reports indicated that the adjustment was linked to concerns about the weight of the calabash and the physical demands of carrying it over the procession route. A traditionalist, Olawale Osunfemi, explained that the duty is physically demanding and that the young Arugba’s age and strength could have made carrying the calabash difficult.
Ifa priest Ifatoki Elebuibon also explained that tradition permits another person to assist with carrying the calabash when it is too heavy for the Arugba, although such a person would not assume the title of Arugba.
The development generated considerable public interest because carrying the sacred calabash is one of the most recognisable responsibilities associated with the Arugba.
Despite the adjustment, Osunbunmi retained her position as the newly selected Arugba and led the procession into the sacred grove, continuing a centuries-old tradition that remains central to the cultural identity of the people of Osogbo.
The Osun-Osogbo Festival, held annually in Osogbo, Osun State, attracts worshippers, traditionalists, tourists, researchers and cultural enthusiasts from Nigeria and beyond. The festival is widely regarded as an important celebration of Yoruba cultural heritage and spirituality, with the Osun Sacred Grove serving as its principal spiritual and cultural centre.