Michael Okunloro | Elevate Your Style

It has been over a century since the Ìjẹ̀bú’s have gathered to pay homage to the Awujalẹ́ during the ìléyà festival also called Ọjúde Ọba meaning “in front of the king.”

I was eight when my mum began telling tales about Ọjúde Ọba and other adventures from her years in Ìjẹ̀bú, a tribe from the lush western region of Nigeria. The Ìjẹ̀bú are famous for their vibrant culture, flamboyant fashion and the way they light up every gathering. They proudly belt out kẹ́kẹ́rẹ́ Ìjẹ̀bú owó ni declaring that the young Ìjẹ̀bú is full of money even when their pockets are empty, because their confidence, ego and pride stand taller than Jeff Bezos’s net worth.

Then two years ago the very landscape of Ọjúde Ọba shifted when content creator Niyi Fagbemi turned his lens on the festival, capturing every sequin of royal garment, He told the Ìjẹ̀bú story to a generation hungry for their roots. Since then the festival has blossomed into a beacon of cultural renaissance, sparking curiosity, admiration and a wave of fresh energy.

That is the magic of storytelling, the power of content creation, the capacity to shape worlds through words, images and ideas. Instead of lamenting what might have been, think of the ripple effect, doors opening, vast markets, new connections, boundless possibilities. We are all branches on the same tree; there is no finish line. One voice hands off the story to the next.

What is your signature tag in your field? What impact are you carving into law, tech or finance? Are you laying stones that build the future or merely drifting on the tide, consuming or wailing about what could have been? When the drums of your story beat, what anthem will they sing?

If humans had taglines, what would yours be?