Masoyinbo: Preserving Yoruba heritage through cultural game show

For 126 episodes and counting, Masoyinbo, a cultural game show dedicated to preserving and celebrating the Yoruba language, has thrilled audiences with its engaging challenges and entertaining guests. Despite the excitement and stiff competition, no contestant has ever claimed the highly coveted N1 million grand prize.

The show, created and hosted by Olalekan Fabilola, A renowned Yoruba etymologist and educator, continues to gain traction, attracting a diverse audience eager to reconnect with their roots through humorous and educational segments on Yoruba proverbs, numerals, and idiomatic expressions. High-profile guests such as Saheed Osupa, a legendary Fuji musician; Funke Akindele and Femi Adebayo, Nollywood icons; Falz, rapper; Cute Abiola, skitmaker, and Arojinle, a researcher, have all attempted to master the challenge, yet none have emerged victorious. The highest win so far has been a modest N250,000 by Adesola Adekunle in episode 81.

Even Saheed Osupa, celebrated for his mastery of the Yoruba language, met his match when he unconsciously used three English words – a common stumbling block for contestants. Everyday words such as Ok, Yes, But, No, Sir, So, Alright, and Now have proven to be the ultimate undoing of many well-versed Yoruba speakers.

Speaking of his experience, one of the contestants on the show, Adeyeri Jerry, a PR consultant and event host, said:”I had my turn on episode 107, and while I thought I could be the one to break the jinx, I failed amazingly. My episode, though one of the most-discussed, stunned the audiences as I breezed through Yoruba numerals flawlessly, proving that being ‘funky’—with my braids and dark shades—doesn’t mean one lacks deep cultural knowledge. But after 22 minutes of a strong performance laced with highly difficult questions, I slipped and cold-mixed. The word ‘No’ escaped my lips, followed by another. My fate was sealed.”

The engagement my episode generated has indeed been remarkable: nearly 100, 000 views on YouTube, 87,000 views on the EAYoruba Instagram page, 1 million views on the Yoruba movies recap TikTok page, and 1.1 million views on their Instagram page. The Masoyinbo community continues to grow, with fans at home and abroad embracing the fun, humor, and deep cultural education the show offers.

“The essence of Masoyinbo is not just to entertain but to educate people and make them confident in their mother tongue. I want Yoruba speakers to own their language, speak it fluently without cold mixing or codeswitching. The Yoruba language is rich, and we must preserve it with pride,” said Olalekan Fabilola, the show’s host and self-proclaimed Oluko Yoruba bi Oba Ilu kan (The Legendary tutor of Yoruba language).

With its growing influence, Masoyinbo has proven to be a force in cultural preservation, with guests and audiences embracing the challenge. Yet, the million-naira question remains: Who will finally claim the grand prize?

“I truly thought I had it in the bag, but Masoyinbo is tougher than it looks,” Adeyeri admitted with a laugh. “Still, I am honored to have been part of this impactful show, where Yoruba excellence is celebrated in a way that is fun and engaging for all.”

As the show continues to air new episodes on YouTube, with snippets shared on EAYoruba’s Instagram page and recap highlights on YorubaMoviesRecap, fans eagerly anticipate the day someone will make history. Until then, the search continues.