NIGERIA, Dec. 10 -- These are interesting times in Osun state aka "State of the Living Spring", with governorship elections already slated for August 8, 2026. Noted for its world-class tourist attraction called the Osun-Osogbo festival, the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, located in Osogbo, the capital of the state, was recognised in 2005 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Osun-Osogbo is celebrated annually for its spiritual significance as a sacred forest dedicated to the Yoruba goddess, Osun, and reportedly represents "one of the last sacred groves of its kind and a vital centre for Yoruba culture and tradition."

Yearly, thousands of Osun devotees and tourists from far and near flock the grove, reputed for making barren women fruitful. Inte...