Kogi Community Holds Traditional Ceremony To Initiate 103 Virgin Girls Into Womanhood

The Ogori community in Kogi State has celebrated the initiation of 103 young girls into womanhood during this year’s Ovia Osese Festival.

The cultural event, which took place on Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Ogori-Magongo Local Government Area, is an annual tradition that marks the passage of girls into adulthood and readiness for marriage.

According to the organizers, the festival is a major cultural event for the Ogori people, symbolizing discipline, tradition, and community values.

During the celebration, Dr. Aiso Gabriel Osiwomequin, National President of the Ogori Descendants Union (ODU), described the festival as more than just a cultural display.

Osiwomequin called it a moment of transition, unity, and collective pride for the community.

He acknowledged the role of elders, women, and youths in keeping the Ogori culture strong and alive, while also thanking partners and supporters of the community.

“It reminds us that no matter where life takes us, the roots of Ogori run deep in our hearts. It reminds us that our greatest strength lies in our togetherness,” he said.

“In this spirit of unity, I stand before you with profound gratitude. I salute every son and daughter of Ogori at home and in the diaspora either by birth or by association who has contributed, in big and small ways, to the growth and development of our land.

“Whether by construction of roads, building of classrooms in CCHSO, supporting the hospital, starting up a cooperative, nurturing of our youth, preservation of our culture, and promotion of peace, your efforts have made Ogori a proud and thriving community.

“To our elders who have passed down wisdom and values, To our leaders who have championed progress, To our youth who carry the future with passion and pride, To our women whose strength and resilience fortify every home, And to every friend and partner who has stood with us.”

Comrade Alao Micheal Oloruntoba, Chairperson of the ODU’s Education and Culture Committee, also highlighted the significance of the festival, noting that it upholds cultural values around morality and readiness for married life.

Oloruntoba commended the mothers for the effort it takes to raise daughters who embrace these values in today’s world.

“I salute all the mothers here because it is not a mean task policing daughters, especially the new era daughters, to live a responsible morally clean life in readiness for marriage life,” she stated.

Some notable families with daughters who participated in the ceremony include Maj. Gen. Erema Akeredola, Professor Olugbemiro Akeredola, and Professor Olugbemiro Jegede, pioneer Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, whose five daughters were among those initiated.

See some photos below:

KanyiDaily recalls that Nigerian comedian, Ali Baba recently tackled a man who listed the importance of marrying a virgin on social media.