The Plateau department entered its annual Oro cult festivities on Sunday, August 16, 2026. Several communes, including Pobè, Sakété and Ifangni, launched their respective ceremonies, continuing a calendar that had already opened in early August with the town of Kétou.
As in previous years, the organization of the festivities relies on communal orders that precisely set out dates, hours and rules to be followed. These measures aim to balance the traditional rites with daily life in the communes, particularly through periods of daytime and nighttime closures around the sacred forests.
In Pobè, communal order n°114/060/SE/DDLP-SDH, signed on August 6, 2026, sets the festivities for the period between August 16 and September 4, 2026. The launch took place that day at 4 p.m. in front of the sacred forests, with a first closure running from midnight to 4 a.m. the following morning. Further stages will follow, notably the third day (Eta), the seventh day (Eje) and the seventeenth day (Etadogoun), each accompanied by specific closure periods.
In Sakété, a communal order signed on August 5, 2026 similarly governs the ceremonies, scheduled from August 16 to September 2, 2026. The calendar varies by locality, covering Sakété 1, Sakété 2, Aguidi, Ita Djèbou, Yoko and Takon. The celebration began that Sunday in front of the sacred forest, with several ritual stages planned including Etutu Oro, Eta Oro, Eje Oro and Eta Dogu Oro, the latter phase set for September 2.
In Ifangni as well, the festivities officially began this Sunday, August 16, 2026, with the commune following the shared calendar adopted this year by several localities across the Plateau.
Pobè’s order also reaffirms a long standing restriction. Under a prefectoral order dating back to November 19, 2020, followers of the Oro cult are not permitted to hold festivities in 17 neighborhoods of the Pobè district. This provision remains in effect for the 2026 edition and continues to strictly govern how the ceremonies unfold in the commune.
The Oro cult, known as Odun Oro in the Yoruba language, is one of the most respected cultural and religious traditions in the Plateau department. It is a time of communion between initiates and unseen forces, meant to drive away evil spirits and purify the population and their environment, during a period of the year traditionally associated with a rise in illness.
Throughout the festivities, community leaders are urging residents, as well as visitors passing through the affected communes, to strictly observe the hours set by local authorities and to refrain from any behavior that could disturb public order.