(Ecofin Agency) - The Osun-Oshogbo Sacred Grove, located in the city of Oshogbo in southwestern Nigeria, holds significant cultural and religious meaning for the Yoruba people. Stretching along the banks of the Osun River, which is revered as a major deity in the Yoruba pantheon, the forest represents one of the last remaining sacred groves that once surrounded Yoruba settlements.

It stands as a living testament to an ancient spiritual tradition that continues to shape the identity of the community.

The forest is intrinsically linked to the worship of Osun, an orisha associated with fertility, water, and protection. Within its boundaries are numerous shrines, altars, and sculptural representations of Yoruba deities. Each year, the Osun-Oshogbo festival draws thousands of pilgrims, worshippers, and visitors who come to honor the goddess, take part in rituals, and seek blessings and healing. The two-week-long celebration culminates in a ceremonial procession to the river, led by the chief priestess known as the Arugba.

By the mid-20th century, the forest had suffered neglect due to expanding urbanization and the decline of traditional religious practices. Its revival began thanks to collaborative efforts from the local community and a group of artists, notably Austrian-born Susanne Wenger, who settled in Oshogbo and became a key figure in restoring the forest’s sacred structures and rituals. Together with local artists, she helped create monumental sculptures inspired by Yoruba cosmology, now an integral part of the sacred landscape.

In 2005, the forest received international recognition when it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is celebrated as a living cultural landscape where nature and spirituality are deeply interwoven. The site is managed through community-based structures that oversee its conservation, the continuity of ritual practices, and the regulation of tourism.

The Osun-Oshogbo Sacred Grove remains a vibrant space of devotion, artistic expression, and cultural memory. It illustrates the enduring relationship between people, the environment, and the spiritual forces that define their world.