TRIBE ASSEMBLY AND LEGACIES

By Deborah Ojo

NAPS Week rounded off on Saturday, October 10th, with the cultural night tagged Tribes Assembly.

​The event kicked off slowly as Chef Baj prepared his dishes, mats were laid out, finalists were seen around the faculty, and the DJ set the atmosphere with music. By 7:28 PM, the hosts officially addressed the gathering, and the evening got busy.

​The hosts, Sommachi and Marvel, then called for representatives from the three major ethnic groups to give the opening prayers. Bamise from 100 Level represented Yoruba, Chiwendu from 100 Level represented Igbo, and Muhammed from 100 Level represented Hausa.

Some attendees introduced themselves and shared what they loved about their respective tribes.

​The energy picked up with a dance competition between representatives of each level, followed by an interactive game where volunteer participants rushed to retrieve specific items from the audience. The finalists also took the center stage for a dedicated session to dance and celebrate together.

​An interesting highlight of the night was a playful matchup between three male and three female contestants: the men tried wooing the ladies in their native dialects, while the female contestants returned the favor in English. Of course, there were lines – and then there were lines.

​Beyond the entertainment, the photo booth was put to good use, and refreshments were served – drinks came first and people could get refill, meals packaged in containers and accompanied sachets of water were shared as well.

Chef Baj’s potato and stir-fry ponmo, in particular, added extra flavor to the night.

​Reflecting on the event, one cannot help but think about legacies. Temi Faniran, the director of the current social committee and Chef Baj have been two key figures at the frontline of NAPS UI social activity. But with Temi Faniran now a finalist preparing to graduate from UI, who will step into his shoes? Chef Baj himself will also become a finalist in a few months- begging the question: will CBK still be holding down the culinary side of NAPS'UI come 2027 or 2028?