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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

Despite 15-year blackout, Ogun community preserves ancient barter trade, festival

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Residents of Makun Omi in Ogun State, Nigeria, maintain a centuries-old barter trade system despite a 15-year electricity blackout.
  • The community relies on traditional practices and a nine-day market where goods are exchanged without currency, drawing traders from across the country.
  • Despite its rich cultural heritage and economic traditions, the community suffers from a lack of basic infrastructure, including electricity and poor road networks.

In Makun Omi, a riverine community in Ogun State, Nigeria, life continues with a unique blend of tradition and resilience, even after 15 years without public electricity. Residents have kept their livelihoods and culture vibrant through a remarkable nine-day market where the ancient practice of barter trade thrives.

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.

— Mrs Tawakalitu OwoseniA member of the Obagoroye age group lamenting the prolonged lack of electricity and the community's efforts to mitigate it.

This market serves as a vital economic hub, attracting traders from Delta, Bayelsa, Lagos, and other regions. Here, goods like fish are exchanged for yam, and garri for rice, showcasing a system of commerce that predates modern currency. This tradition is a testament to the community's ability to adapt and sustain itself despite significant infrastructural challenges.

However, the community's cultural richness is overshadowed by neglect. Makun Omi grapples with a prolonged electricity blackout, forcing residents to rely on generators and solar power. Poor road infrastructure and a limited government presence further stifle economic activities, discourage investment, and slow development. The lack of stable power particularly impacts artisans and traders who need consistent electricity to grow their businesses.

Even with that, the lack of electricity remains a major challenge for artisans and traders who need stable power supply to grow their businesses.

— Mrs Tawakalitu OwoseniHighlighting the economic impact of the electricity shortage on local businesses.

Despite these hardships, Makun Omi remains culturally distinctive, known for its fishing, logging, and farming activities, supported by vast palm and rubber plantations. The annual Okosi Festival, a boat regatta carnival held in May, further highlights the community's commitment to unity and cultural preservation. Yet, residents lament that the potential tourism and economic benefits of these unique assets are undermined by years of infrastructural neglect, particularly the dilapidated Ibiade-Makun Omi route.

We also do not

— Mrs Tawakalitu OwoseniContinuing her statement about the community's hardships, likely related to infrastructure.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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