*OGUNYE! OGUNYE!! 🥁*
On Wednesday 02/09/2026
I stepped out with friends to experience the atmosphere of the Ogun Festival in Ondo Kingdom.
The streets were alive.
Sons and daughters of Ekimogun came out in their numbers. Cultural and social groups were everywhere. There was music, dancing, traditional attire, laughter, and the familiar colours of the celebration: the white, blue, and even red powders.
Even as the evening went on, people were still outside, moving from one location to another and shouting *“Ogunye! Ogunye!”*
As I looked at the crowd, something occurred to me.
*If we can come out in these numbers to celebrate our culture and heritage, then we clearly still have the power to come together as a people.*
And that made me think beyond the festival.
As someone passionate about community engagement, I keep asking myself: _How can we channel this same spirit of participation towards the development of our communities?_
How can more people become interested in knowing their rights, understanding their responsibilities, and participating in decisions that affect their communities?
Today, I did not just see a festival.
*I saw community. I saw participation. And I saw the potential of a people who can come together when they feel connected to something.*
Perhaps that is one lesson we can take from moments like this: “The same energy we bring to celebrating our identity can also inspire us to participate in building the future of our communities.*
Our culture reminds us of where we come from.
Our civic responsibility should remind us that we also have a role in shaping where we are going.
*OGUNYE! OGUNYE!!*
