Alabi Ogundepo, a renowned Yoruba poet, actor, and master of Ìjàlà, the traditional hunters’ chant, has died at the age of 84.
Ogundepo, who hailed from Saki, Oyo State, died on Monday, August 24, 2026, according to a statement signed by Dupe Ogundepo Falana on behalf of the family.
For more than five decades, Ogundepo used poetry, performance, and broadcasting to preserve and promote the Yoruba language, history, and traditions. His death marks the loss of one of the distinctive voices of Yoruba oral literature and cultural expression.
He was particularly known for his mastery of Ìjàlà, a form of traditional Yoruba hunters’ poetry in which performers use chants, praise names, proverbs and vivid imagery to celebrate hunters, nature, courage and community life. He was also recognised for his command of Oríkì and other forms of Yoruba praise poetry.
Born in Saki, Ogundepo became a familiar voice to audiences beyond Oyo State through his work on radio and television. His performances and recordings brought traditional Yoruba poetry to a wider audience, while his appearances and productions helped keep indigenous forms of expression relevant in an era of changing cultural tastes.
He was also associated with Radio Oyo and NTA Ibadan, where his public service jingles and cultural programmes became part of his broadcasting legacy. Among his widely remembered works was the road safety campaign, ‘Eso Pele Onimoto Rora Saare,’ which urged motorists to drive carefully.
At NTA Ibadan, he produced Akiika, a cultural programme through which he promoted Yoruba language, oral literature and ancestral traditions.
Beyond his performances, Ogundepo was remembered as a writer and cultural enthusiast whose work drew heavily from Yoruba history, language and everyday experience. His family described his body of work as an important contribution to the preservation of the cultural heritage of his people.
‘Through his creative works and public engagements, he contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of the rich cultural heritage of his people,’ the family said.
The family also described him as a man whose influence extended beyond literature and performance.
‘Beyond his literary accomplishments, Chief Alabi Ogundepo was a man of dignity, wisdom and compassion,’ it said.
‘He touched the lives of many through his counsel, friendship, intellectual contributions and commitment to the development of his community.’
For many who encountered his work, Ogundepo represented a generation of Yoruba cultural practitioners who treated oral tradition not simply as entertainment, but as a means of transmitting history, values, identity and knowledge from one generation to another.
His career also reflected the adaptability of traditional art. From live performances to radio, television and recorded works, Ogundepo carried Ìjàlà and Yoruba oral poetry into spaces where they could reach audiences far beyond the traditional settings in which such forms developed.
His death therefore comes as a significant loss not only to his family and Saki community, but also to the wider Yoruba literary and cultural community.
The family expressed gratitude to traditional leaders, literary communities, institutions, friends and well-wishers who had offered condolences following his death.
‘While the family mourns the passing of a beloved father, husband, grandfather, relative and friend, we are also comforted by the enduring legacy he leaves behind through his writings, relationships, values and contributions to society,’ the statement said.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced. The family said details would be communicated in due course.
Alabi Ogundepo may have died, but the chants, stories and cultural memory he spent decades preserving remain part of the Yoruba heritage he devoted his life to.