Ogun is no longer just a collection of historic towns; it is a gateway state and an economic extension of Nigeria’s largest urban corridor. With millions of residents spread across Abeokuta, Ijebu, Remo, Yewa, Awori, Ota, Sagamu, and the fast-growing Lagos–Ogun industrial axis, Ogun can no longer be governed, imagined, or sustained through narrow sub-ethnic lenses.
A modern, rapidly urbanizing state cannot function as a patchwork of sectional identities.
This is why Ogun must deliberately cultivate a shared civic identity an “Ogun Citizenry” made up of all who live, work, pay taxes, raise families, and invest their futures in the state.
Why Sectional Thinking Is Inadequate for a Modern State
Sub-ethnic identity in Ogun Egba, Ijebu, Remo, Yewa, and Awori is rooted in ancestry and history. States, however, are built on residency, contribution, and shared destiny.
California is not governed as a Spanish colony. Gauteng is not run as a single ethnic homeland. Lagos’ growth has spilled across borders, and Ogun now hosts industries, workers, and families from every part of Nigeria and beyond.
Great political entities survive by transcending origin and embracing belonging.
In Ogun, the persistent framing of politics, development, and opportunity through sectional competition is increasingly incompatible with:
• its industrial expansion,
• its demographic transformation,
• and its strategic role as Nigeria’s manufacturing and logistics backbone.
Sectionalism in a growth state does not preserve heritage; it fragments progress.
The Case for an “Ogun Citizenry”
An Ogun civic identity would not erase Egba, Ijebu, Remo, Yewa, or Awori heritage. On the contrary, it would elevate them by transforming Ogun culture from a set of competing origins into a shared civic inheritance.
Belonging in Ogun should be based on:
• residency,
• contribution to the state’s economy and society,
• respect for its laws and institutions,
• and commitment to its long-term future.
This is how modern states build cohesion.
The “My Ogun” Campaign: From Residence to Ownership
To foster this shared identity, Ogun needs a deliberate, state-backed civic initiative a My Ogun campaign designed to move residents from coexistence to ownership.
A successful My Ogun campaign should include:
- Civic Messaging
Promote Ogun as a shared home, not a collection of rival territories. “My Ogun” should mean I belong here, and I am responsible for this state.
- Inclusive Symbols
Develop non-sectional civic symbols flags, slogans, public art that represent Ogun as a collective project, not a sub-ethnic trophy.
- Civic Education
Teach Ogun history as a story of convergence: ancient kingdoms, colonial encounters, post-independence industry, and today’s manufacturing and residential boom.
- Recognition of Contributors
Celebrate Ogun citizens by contribution, not origin farmers, factory workers, teachers, traders, artisans, engineers, civil servants, and entrepreneurs.
- Language of Unity
Normalize the term “Ogun Citizen” as a civic identity, just as “Texan” or “Gautenger” transcends ancestry.
Indigenous Heritage and Civic Inclusion Can Coexist
Acknowledging the indigenous histories of Ogun’s peoples is fully compatible with building an inclusive civic identity. Heritage should be preserved, not politicized as a gatekeeping tool.
Belonging in a state should not be a zero-sum contest between “sons of the soil” and “newcomers.” States that fall into that trap lose investment, talent, and trust.
Why This Matters Now
Ogun stands at a critical juncture:
• Population pressure is rising,
• Urban sprawl is accelerating,
• Economic inequality is becoming more visible,
• Political rhetoric risks hardening along sectional lines.
Without a shared civic identity, these pressures will be filtered through suspicion. With one, they can be addressed as collective challenges.
Conclusion
Ogun does not need deeper sectional arithmetic. It needs civic imagination.
Building an Ogun Citizenry through a bold My Ogun campaign is not social engineering; it is state survival and progress. Modern states thrive when residents see themselves not as temporary occupants or competing clans, but as co-owners of a shared future.
If Ogun belongs to all who build it, then all who build it must be encouraged to say with pride and responsibility:
This is My Ogun.
Otunba Segun Showunmi
The Alternative.
