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UPU Apapa Lagos Inaugurates Onisiwo Island Apapa Sub-Branch, Installs New Executive
UPU Apapa Lagos Inaugurates Onisiwo Island Apapa Sub-Branch, Installs New Executive
Irede Community, Onisiwo Island, Apapa-Lagos.
The Urhobo Progressibe Union (UPU) Apapa Branch, Lagos State, on Saturday, September 27, 2025, officially inaugurated the Upu Onisiwo Island Apapa Sub-branch at a colorful ceremony held at Chris-Cross Garden in the riverine community of Irede.
The historic event marked a significant milestone for the Urhobo people residing in Onisiwo Kingdom, an island of the coast of Apapa along the Badagry Creek. The Inauguration formally established a structured leadership framework to advance the welfare and progress of Urhobos in the area.
The inauguration ceremony was presided over by the Apapa Branch President, Olorogun Joseph Emaniru, who led a team of UPU Apapa Branch executives to the riverine community for the official installation of the new sub-branch leadership.
Captain Osaweren Oghenevwoke Larry was voted as the pioneer chairman of the newly inaugurated sub-branch and he received both the certificate of inauguration and a certificate of return from the visiting UPU delegation during the well-attended ceremony.
In his acceptance speech, Captain Larry pledged to work assiduously with other executive members to foster unity, promote the cultural heritage of the Urhobo people, and address developmental challenges facing the Onisiwo Island.
“This is a new dawn for our people in Onisiwo Island. We are committed to ensuring that every member of our community benefits from this union and that our voices are heard in matters affecting our collective progress,” Larry stated.
The nine other executive members who received certificates of return alongside the chairman include Mr. Friday Eyamare (Vice-Chairman), Mr. Sunday Ogbevire E. (Secretary), Mrs. Deborah Inarhe (Assistant Secretary), Mrs. Lovely Umuko (Treasurer), Comrade Inarhe Monday (Ótota/PRO), Mr. Moses Eduigho O. (Financial Secretary), Engineer Olokpa Iruoghene Roy (Assistant Financial Secretary), Mrs. Glory Andrew Edwin (Women Leader), and Mr. Frank Roland (Provost).
Speaking at the ceremony, Olorogun Emaniru commended the Urhobos in Onisiwo Island community for their enthusiastic participation in the electoral process and the entire Inauguration ceremonies, urging the new executives to prioritize transparency, accountability, and inclusive governance as they providing leadership. He emphasized the importance of the sub-branch in extending UPU’s developmental agenda to the riverine areas of Lagos State.
The Urhobo Progressive Union, established in 1931, remains one of Nigeria’s most prominent ethnic socio-cultural organizations, dedicated to the advancement of Urhobo people across Nigeria and in the diaspora.
The inauguration ceremony attracted dignitaries, community leaders, and residents from the waterfront communities within the Onisiwo Island, who expressed optimism that the new sub-branch would serve as a catalyst for development and unity in the area.