A Day With Greg Enurah, President of the Ibusa Lagos Island Association (ILIA), and His Transformative Vision for Ibusa

 A Day With Greg Enurah, President of the Ibusa Lagos Island Association (ILIA), and His Transformative Vision for Ibusa

By Emeka Esogbue (Pen Master)

On Wednesday, November 20, 2025, at exactly 10:00 a.m., I paid a scheduled visit to Mr. Greg Enurah in his Apapa office, Lagos. True to the warm spirit of Ibusa hospitality, he received me with openness and brotherliness. I had followed the activities of the Ibusa Lagos Island Association, its founders, its mission, and its much-anticipated end-of-year celebration and as someone committed to the progress of Ibusa affairs, I saw the need to bring this emerging association to the attention of our people, especially those residing in Lagos.

For decades, kinship was the invisible cord that held Ibusa together. It was once common for two Ibusa indigenes meeting outside the homeland to instantly connect as though they were biological siblings. Our culture, shared identity, and sense of belonging made us one. Unfortunately, rising urban pressures, generational gaps, changing value systems and unnecessary petitions outside our traditional courts have weakened that bond. Many young Ibusa people today feel disconnected from the community networks their parents proudly belonged to.

However, conversations like the one I had with Mr. Enurah give hope that this unity can be restored not by nostalgia, but through intentional structure, innovation, and relevance. With collective efforts and shared values driven by organizational goals and objectives, our people can do it again.

Mr. Greg Enurah, from Umuezeagwu axis of Ibusa, Chairman and CEO of Tace Logistics, is more than a business leader, he is a quiet but steady contributor to Ibusa development, committed not just to belonging, but to building. Speaking with him revealed a leadership philosophy grounded in service, strategy, and sustainability.

ILIA, as I learned, was established by Ibusa indigenes living on Lagos Island who shared a common belief: that community must evolve to remain meaningful. Their vision is not just to meet, but to connect; not just to gather, but to empower. They understand a truth many older associations missed: people commit where they see value.

One of the most inspiring elements of ILIA is its youth-inclusive model. Unlike many legacy cultural organizations dominated by older generations, ILIA is intentionally attracting younger Ibusa professionals; engineers, entrepreneurs, creatives, bankers, lawyers, creating a dynamic environment where fresh energy meets ancestral wisdom. This intergenerational bridge is crucial if Ibusa cultural associations are to thrive beyond the next decade.

Another refreshing idea being implemented is membership welfare and empowerment. ILIA aims to create opportunities such as:

Business networking and partnerships

Career support and mentorship for youths

Cultural education programs for children

Health and social welfare support for members

Community-driven charitable outreach to Ibusa at home

These initiatives are proof that culture must not only be preserved, it must be useful.

Although ILIA began among Lagos Island residents, membership is now expanding to Ibusa indigenes across the city. While the association has debated removing “Island” from its name to reflect this growth, I believe the word should REMAIN, not merely as a geographical reference, but as a reminder of its birthplace and identity. Names tell history hence, it is advisable that the leaders of ILIA allow the word, "Island" to exist in the name even if membership cut across Lagos vicinities.

More importantly, ILIA is not seeking to exist in isolation. It aims to collaborate with other Ibusa-based groups, both in Lagos and at home, to strengthen cultural identity, accelerate development, and restore the communal harmony once enjoyed by earlier generations. In fact, Enurah, the President, assured me that the ILIA delegation will soon pay the newly-established Festac Branch of Ibusa Community Development Union (ICDU), a courtesy visit, something that promote relationship between the two Ibusa organizations. I am sure that Festac ICDU, now growing but vibrant will reciprocate the official visit in the spirit of Ibusa oneness. 

Since I publicly introduced the association, many Ibusa indigenes have reached out to learn more or join, proof that this effort resonates with our people who long to reconnect with their roots in meaningful ways. Indeed, Ibusa Lagos residents want to attend the ILIA December program.

With the association’s end-of-year celebration fast approaching on Saturday, December 6, 2025, all Ibusa sons, daughters, and well-wishers are invited not just to celebrate, but to witness a new chapter in Ibusa community organization.

Ladies and gentlemen, sons and daughters of Ibusa,

I present to you the Ibusa Lagos Island Association (ILIA):

A gathering of minds, a revival of identity,

and a movement toward a stronger, united Ibusa at home and in the diaspora. The Ibusa Lagos Island Association (ILIA) is the organization.