Yoruba indigenous religion (Ìṣẹṣe) and the right to freedom of religion: Intersecting human rights and epistemicide perspectives

Abstract

Abstract

Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is the indigenous religion and spiritual heritage of the Yoruba people in South-West Nigeria. While existing literature has examined the marginalization of indigenous faiths through a human rights lens, this paper argues that such a framework cannot fully address the systemic roots of this discrimination. This is because human rights discourse typically focuses on religious freedom, failing to account for Ìṣẹ̀ṣe’s broader identity as a comprehensive indigenous knowledge system. This paper contends that in post-independence Nigeria, Ìṣẹ̀ṣe has primarily suffered from epistemicide -the systematic silencing and delegitimization of indigenous ways of knowing. By reframing the challenges confronting Ìṣẹ̀ṣe practitioners as a matter of epistemic justice, this paper moves beyond simple legal protections. It emphasizes that public policies should be anchored in an analytical framework that recognizes Ìṣẹ̀ṣe as a significant component of Yoruba epistemology. Such an approach provides the essential legitimacy to indigenous practices, serving as a catalyst for federal and state governments to move beyond rhetoric while providing substantive protection for the religious and epistemic rights of Ìṣẹ̀ṣe practitioners. Received: 30 November 2025; Accepted: 16 April 2026