The General Manager of UNILORIN 89.3 FM, Mr Idris Alooma, has been selected as a recipient of the prestigious 2026 World Headdress Celebration Award.
The notification, dated 1st November, 2026, was issued by the Ọmọ Yorùbá Àtàtà Socio-cultural Initiative (ỌYÀSI), organisers of the Annual World Headdress Celebration. According to the letter signed by the Chairman, Ọláwálé Àjaó, Alhaji Alooma was selected in recognition of his distinctive and consistent use of fìlà gòbì and Yoruba attire for about three decades, which has become a recognisable feature of his public identity.
The award will be presented at the 3rd edition of the celebration on Monday, 28th December, 2026, at the Ọ̀yọ́ State Sports Complex, Adámásingbà, Ìbàdàn, organised by ỌYÀSI in partnership with the Ọ̀yọ́ State Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The special award category was introduced in 2025 to honour distinguished individuals whose consistent use of a particular headwear has become a defining feature of their public identity. Past recipients include the Governor of Ọ̀ṣun State, Senator Adémólá Jackson Nurudeen Adélékè, and celebrated textile artist, Chief Mrs Nikẹ Òkúndáyé. Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Alhaji Arisekola Alao were also honoured posthumously.
Mr Alooma is a veteran broadcaster with over three decades of experience.
He began his career at Radio Kwara in 1995, served as pioneer Secretary of the Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria (FIBAN), served as former Bureau Chief of Alaroye newspaper in Kwara, and served as former Treasurer of the Kwara State Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ, before his appointment at the University of Ilorin, where he now serves as General Manager of UNILORIN FM.
His contributions have earned him 98 national and international awards, including the UNESCO Award, YOMAFA Global Ambassador and World Royal Award (WORA). He is also a key member of the Yorùbá Language Preservation Initiative’s Brain Trust in Africa, appointed in September 2025 to help promote Yorùbá language proficiency and cultural pride among young people.
For many observers, the latest honour is a natural continuation of a life’s work devoted to journalism, peace advocacy and cultural promotion.
As ỌYÀSI noted, the celebration is not just about headwear, but about identity, heritage and diversity — values Mr Alooma has embodied for three decades.
