King’s College Promotes Love, Unity, Celebrates Cultural Day

It was a vibrant and beautiful scene to behold when students, teachers and parents of King’s College Lagos converged to showcase and honour diverse traditions, promote unity and peace, at the 117-year-old institution’s cultural day celebration recently.
With the theme, ‘Many Cultures, One King’s College’ the event was meant to bridge cultural gaps, encourage respect and understanding, as well as showcase unity in diversity.
It featured traditional attire, food, dance, music and cultural exhibitions, fostering appreciation for heritage.

In his remarks the Principal, Mr. Magaji Zachariah said as a unity college, the all boys institution is a microcosm of the diverse cultural heritage that make Nigeria unique.
According to him, the cultural day is more than just a day of performance and traditional food fair, noting that it is a collective declaration that diversity is not a challenge to be managed, but a treasure to be celebrated.
The principal added that for years, King’s College had stood as a beacon of academic excellence, “but today, we shift our focus from textbooks to traditions, from equations to expressions and from formulas to folk songs.”
According to him, each culture represented at the occasion is a unique thread. “Alone, it is beautiful, but woven together, with respect and understanding, these threads create a fabric of unparalleled strength and resilience.
“We come from various ethnic backgrounds, speak different languages and practice different traditions. Despite these differences, we are united by the fact that we are all Nigerians. It is this unity in diversity that strengthens the foundation of our college and builds the character of each individual who walks through our gate. Hence, the choice of the theme of today’s event,” Magaji stated.
He stressed the need to take into cognizance, the power of unity, adding that in a country as diverse as Nigeria, unity is not just a matter of chance, but a deliberate choice made by citizens everyday.
“It is a choice to respect one another, to honour each person’s culture and identity and to find a common ground in our shared experiences.
“Unity is the bedrock on which we build our nation and it is this same spirit we must strive to nurture in our school,” he said.
The principal described the celebration as a testament to the hard work and open mindedness of the teachers and students, who had been learning from one another for weeks.
He stated that the students had been exposed to teaching steps, correcting pronunciations, sharing ingredients and explaining significance.
According to him, this collaborative spirit in preparation, is the true meaning of the theme, adding that the students have begun living the theme by building bridges of understanding.
Magaji added that the students were saddled with the responsibility of carrying forward the message of unity and peace, not just for the occasion, but every day.
“Let today’s celebration remind you that no matter where we come from, we are all Nigerians united in purpose and pride.
“Let today be a lesson that stays with you long after the decorations are taken down. The world you will step into needs global citizens, individuals who are rooted in their own culture, yet respectful of all others,” he said.
He commended the teachers for their unwavering support and commitment in ensuring the success of the day’s event.
He added that the school has decided to make the programme competitive, to encourage greater commitment between the six geopolitical zones, adding that the aim is not on the winning, but in the participation.
“Having seen cooperation in the organisation within each geographical zone, I have donated three trophies for the first, second and third positions.
“Therefore, this event shall be done annually, in which each zone will compete for the trophies,” he said.
The programme used three aspects to determine the winner: cultural presentation, showcase of cultural attire (culture parade) and the food fare.
Also speaking, wife of His Royal Majesty, Oba Dokun Thompson, the Olooni of Eti Oni Kingdom in Osun State, described the occasion as one of the brightest and most beautiful.
The Olori, Her Majesty Angelique-Monet Gureje-Thompson, who represented her husband as the special guest, stated that it was of great significance to witness all the various cultures in Nigeria and the children coming together to showcase their heritage and culture.
“They are visibly proud of their culture and what I love the most is the fellowship of everyone celebrating each other’s culture.
“Music, sounds and heritage are some of the most potent, especially the music and arts, to bring people together, to show their common goals of world peace and tolerance and most importantly, love.
“That is what King’s College has always represented and still representing today and I am very happy to see this still going.
“My message therefore to these young ones here today is: remember all things are possible if you believe in yourself and remember you are as strong as the faith that you have in yourself. You can go on in the world and do anything.
“Most importantly, know and appreciate your culture, but also be willing to understand other people’s cultures because that is going to pave way for you into the world to do great things,” the Olori said.
The high point of the occasion was the presentation and showcase of colourful traditional outfits, parade, dance and food exhibitions.
The Southeast Zone came tops with 322 points, clinching the first position with a cash prize of N500,000 and a trophy.
The second and third positions went to the Southwest and South South with 320 and 318 points with cash awards of N400,000 and N300,000 and trophies respectively.
In the fourth position was the Nothern Zone (merged) with a cash prize of N200,000.
Also present at the occasion were white cap chiefs, representing the Oba of Lagos,