Ogun Community Keeps Ancient Barter Trade, Okosi Festival Alive Despite 15-Year Blackout

​In a remarkable display of cultural resilience that seamlessly defies the grip of modern infrastructural neglect, a riverine community in Ogun State has proven that the spirit of a people can burn brighter than a decade and a half of total darkness. While daily life in Makun Omi, located within the Ogun Waterside Local Government Area, remains heavily burdened by a lack of public electricity and deplorable road networks, the ancient settlement continues to thrive as an economic and cultural hub. ValidViewNetwork reports that the community successfully preserves its centuries-old trade traditions and vibrant festivities by relying entirely on communal unity and alternative energy sources. At the very heart of this survival rhythm is a rare nine-day market where the historic practice of trade by barter remains fully operational, drawing traders from across Delta, Bayelsa, Lagos, and upland Ogun State to exchange goods under the cover of night.

​The community is equally celebrated for its annual Okosi Festival, a colourful boat regatta carnival held every May to promote unity, cultural preservation, and grassroots community development. However, residents and local leaders are deeply concerned that the immense tourism and economic opportunities embedded in these unique assets are being severely undermined by systematic government abandonment. 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.” ValidViewNetwork reports that the prolonged power outage has continued to stifle critical economic activities, discourage external investment, and slow the overall pace of rural development.

​Compounding the electricity crisis is the terrible state of the transport networks linking the riverine area to the rest of the state. Mrs 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.” In terms of coordination, Mrs Owoseni 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, ValidViewNetwork reports.

​Sharing this perspective, a retired teacher and the Yeye Aro of Makun Omi Kingdom, Mrs Adepeju Okulenu, expressed deep dissatisfaction with the infrastructural decay but praised the uniqueness of their local economy. 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. 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 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.”

​Providing historical context to the festivities, a veteran broadcaster and retired staff member of Radio Nigeria, Otunba Gbenga Onayiga, who holds the title of Apagunpote of Makun Omi Kingdom, revealed that the vessel utilized during the regatta carries ancestral military significance. 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 warmly commended the unprecedented internal structural improvements achieved under the reign of Oba Kazeem Adesina Salami, specially highlighting an ongoing multi-million naira market infrastructure project being executed through a strategic partnership between the Ogun State Government and the World Bank. Onayiga 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.”

​To mitigate the total absence of the national grid, local leaders have aggressively looked inward by implementing independent community-led renewable energy alternatives, ValidViewNetwork reports. Otunba 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, stating that 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 official address to the gathering, the traditional ruler, Oba Salami, emphasized that the annual celebration serves as an indispensable platform for fostering regional harmony and charting new socioeconomic pathways. 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. Echoing the monarch’s sentiments, the Chairman of the Planning Committee and the Aro of Makun Omi Kingdom, Chief Adewale Okulenu, noted that the 15-year power failure is an institutional crisis biting through the entire local government area. Okulenu 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.”

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​Further institutional support was advocated by Chief Rotimi Salami, the Giwa of the Obagoroye age grade, and the Chairman of the Makun Omi Descendants Youth Council, Mr Adeniyi Adeyemi, who both underscored the exponential growth of the event. 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.” National tourism regulatory bodies have also acknowledged the immense value of the event. In his keynote address, the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority, Dr Ola Awakan, represented by the Deputy Director of the Marketing and Promotion Unit (Southwest Zonal Office), Mr Rafiu Adegoke, stated that festivals such as Okosi remain vital instruments for preserving Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and promoting domestic tourism. While urging organizers to involve the NTDA during early planning stages next year for technical support, Awakan noted that the festival provides extensive opportunities for cultural exchange, economic empowerment, youth participation, and community development.

​Responding directly to these urgent communal demands, the political representative for the zone has assured residents that legislative and executive interventions are actively underway. The member representing Ogun Waterside State Constituency in the Ogun State House of Assembly, Mr Samsudeen Lawal, stated that the government was fully 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, noting that the festival is widely celebrated across multiple Ogun Waterside communities, including Iwopin and Ode Omi. Ultimately, the story of Makun Omi stands as a powerful testament to human willpower, showing that even when state infrastructure completely fails, the rich tapestry of Nigerian culture, communal solidarity, and historical pride can beautifully illuminate the path to self-sustenance and economic survival.