Despite 15 years in darkness, Makun Omi in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area continues to trade, gather and celebrate as if time has stood still. In a community where electricity has long disappeared from daily life and roads remain a persistent challenge, residents have found a way to keep both livelihood and culture alive through resilience and tradition.
At the heart of this survival is a rare nine-day market where the centuries-old practice of barter trade still thrives — one of the few known systems of its kind still in active use. Here, fish is exchanged for yam, garri for rice, and goods for goods, drawing traders from across Delta, Bayelsa, Lagos and other parts of the country.
Yet, beneath this unusual economic rhythm lies a community grappling with neglect, where basic infrastructure has failed to match the richness of its cultural heritage.
Residents of the riverine community have lived without public electricity supply, relying on generators and solar power to survive.
The community, which is also burdened by poor road infrastructure and limited government presence, says the prolonged blackout has continued to stifle economic activities, discourage investment and slow its pace of development.
Yet, despite these challenges, Makun Omi remains one of Ogun State’s most culturally distinctive communities.
Bordered by waterways that connect to the lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean, the agrarian and fishing settlement, located about four hours from Abeokuta, is renowned for its thriving fishing, logging and farming activities. Vast palm and rubber plantations dot its landscape, reflecting the community’s agricultural heritage.
More remarkably, Makun Omi has preserved a centuries-old barter trading system that still attracts traders from Delta, Bayelsa, Lagos and other parts of the country to its nine-day market, where goods are exchanged for goods.
The community is equally celebrated for the annual Okosi Festival, a colourful boat regatta carnival held every May to promote unity, cultural preservation and community development.
But residents say the tourism and economic opportunities embedded in these unique cultural assets are being undermined by years of infrastructural neglect.
Speaking during this year’s Okosi Festival, a member of the Obagoroye age group, Mrs Tawakalitu Owoseni, lamented that the community had remained in darkness for over a decade and a half.
She said, “We have been in blackout for over 15 years. If not for the efforts of our Kabiyesi and members of the community who installed solar-powered streetlights, the whole town would have been in complete darkness at night.
“Even with that, the lack of electricity remains a major challenge for artisans and traders who need stable power supply to grow their businesses.”
Owoseni added that the poor state of roads linking the community, particularly the Ibiade-Makun Omi route, has compounded residents’ hardship and limited access to economic opportunities.
She said, “We also do not have good roads leading into our town, especially from Ibiade. The development of our waterways would equally help us in terms of seamless transportation. We therefore urge the government to come to our aid.
“It is not good that we only see politicians when they want our votes, only for them to disappear after elections. That should change ahead of the 2027 elections.”
Mrs Tawakalitu Owoseni said the annual Okosi Festival serves as a rallying point for indigenes of Makun Omi both at home and in the diaspora, attracting participants from Abuja, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
She explained that the festival is organised on a rotational basis by age-grade groups, with this year’s edition coordinated by members of Egbe Obagoroye, comprising those born between 1964 and 1965.
According to her, the celebration has contributed significantly to the community’s development, while the leadership and innovations introduced by the Osobia of Makun Omi Kingdom, Oba Kazeem Salami, since his ascension to the throne about seven years ago, have enhanced the festival’s appeal and boosted its tourism potential.
Also speaking with our correspondent, a retired teacher and the Yeye Aro of Makun Omi Kingdom, Mrs Adepeju Okulenu, said the Okosi Festival is celebrated annually to promote peace, unity and the development of the town.
Mrs Okulenu commended the noticeable socio-cultural and economic transformation that has reshaped the community since the ascension of Oba Salami to the throne, particularly in the areas of infrastructural development and other interventions.
The retired teacher, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the prolonged blackout that has persisted in the community for over a decade, as well as the poor road network, and called for urgent government intervention to improve the quality of life for rural dwellers.
Okulenu said, “The Okosi Festival has been a great source of development for the town, but our major challenge remains the lack of electricity, which we have been struggling with for over 10 years. We also do not have good roads.”
Speaking on the uniqueness of the community, she said, “There is a major market in this town that still practices the age-old custom of trade by barter. The market holds every nine days. People come with various items such as yam, fish, garri and beans, which they exchange for other goods.
“I can exchange my garri for fish, yam, rice and other items. This is one of the few places in Nigeria where such an old custom still thrives. However, this great potential is being undermined by the challenges of poor electricity supply and bad roads leading to our community.
“We sincerely need government intervention in these two critical areas. We rely largely on solar power and generators as our sources of electricity, but with the price of petrol at about N1,330 per litre, it is becoming increasingly difficult to fuel our generators.
“So, we appeal to the government to come to our aid. However, the community has witnessed tremendous development since our Kabiyesi ascended the throne. He has been a courageous and forward-looking traditional ruler, and we sincerely pray that Almighty God continues to preserve him for many more years.”
Similarly, a veteran broadcaster and retired staff member of Radio Nigeria, Otunba Gbenga Onayiga, the Apagunpote of Makun Omi Kingdom, said the boat used during the festival was originally a war canoe deployed by the community’s founding forefathers during successful military campaigns centuries ago.
Onayiga said, “Fortunately, nobody is talking about war anymore, but we are preserving our cultural heritage as descendants of warriors. We are also using the festival to promote peace, strengthen unity and mobilise support for the development of our community.”
The retired broadcaster commended what he described as unprecedented development in the community under Oba Kazeem Adesina Salami, citing the improved internal road network and the ongoing multi-million naira market project being executed through a partnership between the Ogun State Government and the World Bank.
He said, “This market is particularly important because it is one of the few markets that still practises trade by barter. As you know, this is a riverine community bordered by waterways that connect to the lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean.
“We usually have traders coming from Bayelsa, Delta and Lagos states to do business in this market. We also receive traders from upland communities across Ogun State, including Ijebu Ode, as well as from Ibadan and beyond.
“The market holds every nine days. Trading begins around 6 p.m. and continues until daybreak. It is quite fascinating to watch. While some transactions are done with cash, others are conducted strictly through barter.”
Onayiga noted that the community had taken steps to address the challenge of electricity through the deployment of solar energy, with more than 150 solar-powered streetlights already installed across the town.
He said, “We are indeed facing challenges with electricity, but we are addressing them through solar energy. We also have a five-year development blueprint for Makun Omi that is guiding our efforts.
“We have chosen not to rely entirely on government. We reach out for support and embrace communal efforts. We are not yet where we want to be, but we will continue to strive for the greatness of this kingdom.”
Onayiga also appealed to the Federal Government to construct an arterial road linking the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway through Ode Omi, Awodikora, Makun Omi, Efire, Abigi and Ibiade, with a connection to the J4 Junction along the Sagamu-Benin Expressway.
According to him, such infrastructure would significantly boost the economic and tourism potential of the entire Ogun Waterside Local Government Area.
He added, “The community has made several representations and written letters to the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, and we are hopeful that President Bola Tinubu will grant our request this year.”
In his remarks, Oba Salami emphasised that the annual celebration serves as a platform for fostering unity and charting new pathways for the growth and development of the community.
The monarch said, “Once we are united, we can move together as a team to work for the development of our community. I therefore urge all sons and daughters of Makun Omi Kingdom to join hands with us in uplifting our heritage.”
The royal father also called on the government to support efforts aimed at unlocking the tourism potential of the festival and urged indigenes of the community to remain committed to preserving its cultural heritage and advancing its development.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Planning Committee for this year’s festival and the Aro of Makun Omi Kingdom, Chief Adewale Okulenu, highlighted the role of the annual celebration in fostering unity among community members and driving development initiatives.
Okulenu, however, noted that the most pressing challenge confronting the community for about 15 years remained the lack of electricity, which he said was a problem affecting the entire Ogun Waterside Local Government Area.
He said, “This is definitely not good enough because it is affecting our socio-economic development. We also do not have good roads, especially the one linking our community from Ibiade. The government should please help us address these critical gaps.
“We also want greater government involvement in the festival. Although it is already captured in the state government’s cultural calendar, we need more structured support to harness the economic benefits attached to this highly significant cultural heritage, just like the Ojude Oba Festival and others.”
Chief Rotimi Salami, the Giwa of the Obagoroye age grade, also commended the commitment of Oba Salami to the development of Makun Omi, noting that the annual Okosi Festival has continued to grow and inspire indigenes of the community to become more actively involved in its development.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Makun Omi Descendants Youth Council, Mr Adeniyi Adeyemi, appealed for greater government support and recognition to elevate the festival and enable it compete favourably with renowned cultural festivals such as the Osun-Osogbo Festival.
Adeyemi said, “For instance, about 8,000 people are expected to attend this year’s festival, and this is largely due to the support and innovations introduced by our traditional ruler, Oba Salami.
“You can then imagine the exponential growth and economic impact the festival could generate if we receive greater government support in areas such as publicity, security and the provision of a larger pavilion to accommodate the increasing number of tourists.”
In his keynote address at the annual celebration, the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority, Dr Ola Awakan, said festivals such as Okosi remain vital instruments for preserving Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and promoting domestic tourism.
Awakan, who was represented by the Deputy Director of the Marketing and Promotion Unit, Southwest Zonal Office of the authority, Mr Rafiu Adegoke, said the Okosi Festival was not only a celebration of culture and tradition but also a platform for strengthening social bonds and fostering harmony among the people.
He noted that festivals such as Okosi provide opportunities for cultural exchange, economic empowerment, youth participation and community development, while showcasing the uniqueness of local traditions to the wider world.
While commending the people of Makun Omi for preserving their age-long cultural heritage, the NTDA boss urged the organisers of the boat regatta festival to carry the authority along during the planning stages of next year’s edition to enable it provide technical support.
Also speaking, the member representing Ogun Waterside State Constituency in the Ogun State House of Assembly, Mr Samsudeen Lawal, said the government was aware of the electricity challenge affecting the entire local government area and was working towards resolving it.
Lawal said, “Our governor has recently taken significant steps in the area of independent power projects for some communities in Abeokuta, and he has promised to replicate similar interventions here in Ogun Waterside before leaving office next May.”
The lawmaker also disclosed that a bill aimed at elevating the Okosi Festival to international status had already passed first reading in the state House of Assembly.
According to him, the festival is not only celebrated in Makun Omi but also in other Ogun Waterside communities, including Iwopin and Ode Omi.
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