Founded by Masayi, a crown prince of Oyo, who migrated to the present location with his entourage in search of the Yewa River which was believed to be the solution to his childlessness. According to oral tradition, Masayi was directed by Ifa oracle to settle in the area, where he was blessed with children and established the kingdom.

The Imasayi Kingdom in the Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria, with traditional festivals, showcasing the town's rich cultural heritage, the festival featured traditional music, dance, and rituals, highlighting the community's deep-rooted traditions.

The Gelede festival is a vital part of Imasayi's cultural heritage, featuring traditional music, dance, and rituals. The festival is dedicated to the goddess Iju Ejide, believed to bring fertility and prosperity to the land. During the festival, the community comes together to pay homage to the goddess and seek her blessings.

The festival featured various cultural performances, including the Efe masquerade, which critiqued negative norms and social vices such as stealing, adultery and fornication and the Gelede masquerade, a traditional dance performance showcasing the community's rich cultural heritage.

The Imasayi Kingdom's cultural heritage is an essential part of Nigeria's rich cultural landscape. The community's commitment to preserving its traditions and customs is a testament to the importance of cultural preservation.

The Gelede festival has been recognised by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), as the masterpiece of oral cultural heritage, highlighting its significance and importance to the community and the world at large. The festival is a community-driven event, with participation from all segments of the community. The community comes together to celebrate its heritage and seek the blessings of the goddess Iju Ejide. The festival also has economic benefits for the community, attracting tourists and generating revenue for local businesses. The festival provides an opportunity for cultural exchange between the Imasayi community and other cultures, promoting understanding and appreciation of the community's rich cultural heritage.

During a courtesy visit to the palace of the Olu of Imasayi-Yewa, by the DigiCulture team, led by its Principal Investigator, Prof. Olusegun Folorunso, the King, His Royal Majesty, Oba Lukman Kuoye PhD, said most of the ancient deities in Yoruba history are also in Imasayi, noting that they consult the oracle every August to know which deity they are going to worship and what they would need in worshiping them, as it is their belief that their own new year starts every September, when they celebrate their festivals such as Egungun, Aje, and Gelede, among others.

The monarch said that despite the importance of cultural preservation, the community faces challenges in preserving its traditions and customs, saying the influence of modernisation and urbanisation had led to a decline in interest in traditional practices. “Globalisation is really affecting our cultures, but we are doing our best to preserve it through festivals and worshipping of our deity. Younger generations should learn what we are doing now because they are taking over in no distance time, and it would help them, if well documented “, he added.

He called on the government and stakeholders to support the preservation of its cultural heritage, saying by promoting and preserving its traditions and customs, the community can ensure the continuation of its rich cultural heritage.

Oba Kuoye believed that traditional rulers play a significant role in preserving the community's cultural heritage, stressing that he is doing all he can in promoting the community's traditions and customs.

The Kabiyesi noted that the community also celebrates Oluaso-Imasayi Day, which is a celebration of the community's history and heritage, adding that the day is marked with traditional rituals and cultural performances. “We worship the ancient crown for the spirit not to leave it. I am the only king that wore the crown for 22 minutes, other kings that came before me did not use up to that minutes, and I am the 17th crown king of Imasayi-Yewa”, he said.

He maintained that the Imasayi Kingdom's Gelede festival is a significant cultural event that showcases the community's rich cultural heritage, adding that the festival is an important part of the community's tradition and identity, and its preservation is essential for future generations. “We have three ruling houses before, but one family was removed due to an action, and now they have two, which include Oyesoku and his own family “, he added.

The Olu of Imasayi-Yewa said the community's commitment to preserving its cultural heritage is a testament to the importance of cultural preservation, stressing that by promoting and preserving its traditions and customs, the community can ensure the continuation of its rich cultural heritage. He added that six out of Yewa towns have links with the Benin Republic, including Imasayi, noting that there is a town in Benin that is named Imasayi. He, however, urged the government to help the community with the construction of roads that lead to their sacred site, which would serve as a tourist attraction for foreigners and in return, generate revenue for them, saying by doing so, cultural preservation would be much easier and development would take place in the town.

The Atunluse of Imasayi, Chief James Odu, said that the community is a peaceful one with different traditional festivals, noting that anyone, who enters the town with good intentions would prosper in anything he/she does. He noted that they embrace people who come around, adding that “Kabiyesi supports every individual in the town while stating that Egungu festival is one of the greatest festivals in the community”.

The Odofin, who is the only surviving kingmaker, Chief Abbas Alani, described the king as someone who knows the importance of people and has improved the livelihood of the people of Imasayi. We have different kinds of deities that we worship in this town, such as Odun-Ile that we use to forbid measles from entering the town. We look at the sky to get signs of when to conduct the festival”, he said.

Also, the Iyalode of Imasayi, Chief Olufunmilayo Adeyale noted that Oba Kuoye is different from most Kings that she has seen or heard of as Oba Kuoye strives to foster good relations with all the religions while also portraying the cultural and traditional heritage of the Kingdom. She continued that the Imasayi palace is one of the oldest and ancient structures in Nigeria. She said, “We observe ancient traditions here and do everything our deity requests from us. None of our deities has ever requested human blood. We don’t worship human blood sucking deity”. The Iyalode added that women have so many works they are doing in the town, preaching peace and taking care of the environment.

The Baase of Imasayi, Chief Waheed Ojetola maintained that Imasayi is a very big and popular kingdom, saying when they were coming from Oyo State, which is their origin, they consulted the oracle on where they would stay and established their kingdom.

The Chairman, Palace Management Committee, Alhaji Fatai Fadare, disclosed that one of the masquerades they worship is “Egun Ile”, which is king’s masquerade, who prays for the king and peaceful co-existence in the community, noting that with Oba Kuoye, good things have been happening in the kingdom.