By Dare Daramola

Copyright independent

Hope is being restored, and ex-pectations are running high as the sons and daughters of the peaceful town of Ijan Ekiti, in the Gboyin Local Council Devel-opment Area (LCDA), prepare for a week-long celebration called Ijan-Ekiti Day 2025.

The people hope that this uni-fication will re-enact the spirit of love, peace, unity, togetherness, and a renaissance of the past in a colorful and celebratory atmo-sphere.

The last Ijan Day was held ten years ago amidst great fanfare. It was a gathering of many in-digenes of the town from across Nigeria and beyond, as well as nu-merous visitors and guests. The event showcased the traditional, cultural, and social well-being of the people.

In the 2015 edition, various age groups from each quarter of the town added flair to the cultural fiesta by hosting and paying hom-age to the Onijan of Ijan Ekiti, the Onijan-in-Council (Chiefs), indigenes, special guests, digni-taries, and visitors who attended the event.

However, it wasn’t all just fun and spectacle. The age groups also made financial contribu-tions to the town’s economic growth and development.

While many hoped the cele-bration and excitement would continue, the drums eventually stopped, the drummers went home, and the masquerades returned to the land of their an-cestors.

This hiatus lasted for ten years. Questions were asked, and remarks were made – some crit-ical, some encouraging. Would Ijan Day ever be held again? Could a grand event like the first edition ever happen again?

Interestingly, this ten-year gap has given rise to new hope, as the highly anticipated event is now planned for November 2025.

Thanks to the organizers, both at home and in the diaspo-ra, who were appointed to plan a fitting celebration to rekindle the spirit and create another out-standing event.

The history of togetherness is to be re-enacted in vibrant colors, and the great story of love, unity, peace, and harmony is to be re-vived and showcased.

“We are poised for something spectacular, something new and robust, a re-awakening and an emphasis on the good spirit of our ancestors, embedded in gen-uine love, peace, and harmony on which they were united and bound.”

This is according to Chief Asiwaju John Ajayi, the Chair-man of the Ijan-Ekiti Day 2025 Planning Committee. “I still have memories of the first Ijan Day Celebration in 1986. It was so colorful, extremely remarkable, and unprecedented in the history of our town.

“We can bring back that kind of glamour. We are great cultural promoters. Our people are resil-ient, and they will stop at nothing to celebrate their culture and so-cial values at any time.

“I believe that Ijan Day 2025 will go down in history as anoth-er watershed moment, further uniting our people and celebrat-ing under one umbrella. We are ready for a swell time,” Chief Ajayi enthused.

His Royal Majesty, Olabanji Lawrence Aladesuyi, said that bringing back the Ijan Day Cele-bration was a good idea, describ-ing it as an event that will serve as a rallying point for all his people to come together to celebrate love and oneness.

“I cannot wait to witness another epoch-making event like Ijan Day. I know that every member of the Committee, both at home and in the diaspora, is ready and committed to putting on a grand event. I commend their zeal and unrivaled dedica-tion.”

Ijan Day Celebration first debuted in 1986 with great ex-citement, fun, and glamour. This year’s Ijan-Ekiti Day event prom-ises to be an extravaganza, with an array of activities lined up for one week – Monday, November 10th, to Saturday, November 15th, 2025.

*Daramola is a journalist and an indigene of Ijan Ekiti.