Osun Osogbo Festival Ends Amid Severe River Pollution

The annual Osun Osogbo festival in Nigeria concluded with ongoing concerns over the severe pollution of the Osun River. Since 2018, gold mining operations upstream have introduced cyanide, mercury, and lead into the water, turning it brown. The river flows through the Osun-Osogbo sacred grove, a UNESCO World Heritage site where devotees bathe and drink the water for healing and prosperity.

Urban Alert, a social and environmental justice group, reports that new mining sites continue to emerge despite government efforts to arrest prospectors and close illegal operations. The group notes that no comprehensive remediation plan currently exists to address the contamination. While some devotees believe the goddess Osun removes harmful substances from the water, experts warn the pollution threatens aquatic biodiversity and public health.

Chief Ifá priest Yemi Elebuibon has campaigned against the pollution, stating that the river is naturally pure and should not be polluted. He has called for mining operations to be redirected away from the river. Anthony Adejuwon of Urban Alert has further argued that remediation is impossible unless mining activities stop entirely.