16/07/2025
Topless Cultural Display at Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic: Bold Heritage of the Wakirike People.
A storm of conversation has erupted following the appearance of two female students who went topless during the recent Cultural Day celebration at Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori. Their daring presentation, inspired by the Iria maiden tradition of the Okrika-Ijaw people has left many both awed and unsettled.
With their upper bodies exposed and adorned in symbolic charcoal-like tribal markings, the students sought to embody the revered rite of passage that ushers young virgin girls into womanhood, a ceremony that once defined the sacred and communal identity of the Rivers people.
But in todayโs Nigeria where tradition and modern values often collide their appearance has become more than a cultural reenactment. It has become a statement.
Supporters applaud the students for courageously celebrating indigenous heritage in its raw, undiluted form, a form many fear is fast fading in the face of Western influence and societal judgment. They argue that culture must be seen, not sanitized.
Yet others, including members of the academic and religious communities, have questioned the appropriateness of such exposure within a tertiary institution. โCelebrating culture is important,โ one observer noted, โbut should it come at the cost of public decency?โ
This moment has laid bare a deeper tension in our society: how far can we go in preserving culture without offending contemporary sensibilities? Can ancient practices still live authentically in modern spaces, or must they be repackaged to suit the times?
The conversation is far from over but one thing is clear: culture is alive, provocative, and evolving.