It was a colourful Saturday in Awka — a day of drums, fabrics and familiar voices wrapped in Yoruba intonations far from their ancestral homeland.
For staff of Yoruba extraction at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), their 2025 Cultural Day was less about celebration and more about reaffirming identity, community, and the ties that hold them together.
Presiding over the gathering was the traditional ruler of the Yoruba Community in Awka, Oba Abdulrazak Olahan, represented by Mr. Joshua Oluobafemi, who reminded his people that home is not only a place but a bond they carry with them.
“Kabiyesi would have loved to be here,” Oluobafemi told the gathering, explaining that the monarch had travelled to Ile-Ife for an engagement.
“But he sends love and a reminder — we are on a journey here. Let us treat one another as family. Work hard, live in unity, forgive easily, and never forget who you are.”
The hall listened quietly — the sort of silence that shows hearts are open.
He urged them not only to nurture themselves but their children too.
“Raise them to honour our language, our culture, our values. Let us watch them closely so they do not lose the essence of who we are. May they be our pride tomorrow.”
Clean hands, clean records
If Oba Olahan’s message was a call to unity, Alhaji Ademola Okeleye added a call to integrity. His voice was firm, but with the tenderness of one counselling younger brothers and sisters.
“Three of us came to Anambra in 1999,” he recalled. “Till today, we have not soiled our hands. Please — no racketeering, no ‘sex for marks’, no admission deals. We are growing in number. Let our reputation also grow.”
Alhaji Kehinde Alade echoed the sentiment, reminding them that beyond their different surnames and dialects, they remain children of Oduduwa.
“Respect, hard work, honesty — these are our identity. Let us pass them on to our children.”
United far from home
The Chairman of the Yoruba Community in Awka, Mr. Idris Agbaje, expressed worry over rising insecurity across Nigeria, urging everyone to remain cautious and upright.
“Social vices destroy character,” he warned. “Let us protect ourselves, protect our name.”
Others who spoke highlighted the strength of togetherness. An influential member, Mr. Shitu Owolabi, appreciated leaders past and present for keeping the community united through different seasons.
“Leadership is sacrifice,” he said. “Let us support those who step forward to serve — not tear them down.”
A day for healing and reconnection
Earlier, President of the Association of Yoruba Staff, Dr. Olusegun Adeniyi, opened the gathering with gratitude — first to the new Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Anyaehie, for his receptiveness, and then to their royal father and past executives.
He reminded the community that the cultural day was not just a festivity, but a moment of healing. “Whatever grievances exist, today we let them go,” he said gently.
“Let’s look beyond our towns and states, and embrace one another as one people. The future is pregnant — we must walk into it together.”
He pledged transparency and open books under his leadership. “We will not betray your trust,” he assured. “Our tomorrow begins with us.”
