Saturday, August 15, 2026
Dapo Fun Day: 24 Years of commitment to peaceful conflict resolution
by Onoshe Nwabuikwu, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
The event started like a typical family get-together with everyone pitching in during the setup. There was no frenzy or frenetic energy. There was a certain sense of shared familiarity. It was the kind of place where everyone appeared to know everyone and, of course, was ready to say hello to any new face, which is just the type of hospitality or warm embrace you’d expect if you turned up at an event hosted by a really welcoming family. Well, this was the atmosphere on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at the Dapo Fun Day, which was held at the Blackburn Hamlet Community Centre on Glen Park Drive. Organized by the Dapo Agoro Foundation for Peace, this year’s event marked its 24th edition.
In continuation of the family fun day theme, there was music, a BBQ stand complete with roasted corn and burgers. Also, Chin-chin, a popular Nigerian snack, had its own stand, and there was also cotton candy as people reconnected with friends. There were several activities and merchandise meant to raise money and also for adults and children to have fun. From face painting to making art. The high point of the day was the raffle draw, which had some great prizes like: Home View projector, computer monitor, corn hole sets, bread machine, dash camera, blender, beverage dispensers, air purifier and many digital frames, among others. For music, there was a special appearance by City Fidelia (Luigi Fidelia), a family friend and long supporter of the Dapo Agoro Foundation, who’s also a community builder. He performed “Take Care,” a song he said he wrote for his nieces.
In all, Dapo Fun Day delivered on the promise of a good outing for the entire family. How did Dapo Fun Day start, and what led to its establishment in the first instance? On June 8, 2002, Dapo Agoro, then 20 years old, in his last year of high school and about to graduate the following Saturday, was fatally stabbed while he was trying to break up a fight. He was the only son of Bashir and Biola Agoro, and the only brother to Shola and Moji. So, how did something so dastardly beget something like a Dapo Fun Day? And how did the devastating event of June 8, 2002, transform into a fun day?
Explaining this at the event, Moji Agoro, one of Dapo’s sisters, said that “losing him really changed the trajectory of our lives.” And that although they had questions that needed answers, but with “a strong sense of purpose,” they decided to embark on a mission for “peaceful conflict resolution” so that “no other family would go through” what they went through. This is how the Dapo Agoro Foundation for Peace, which organises the Dapo Fun Day, was born.
However, what has sustained the Dapo Fun Day these last 24 years is a combination of the commitment of the Agoro family to community service, the genuine love and support they receive from this community. This was on display the day news of Dapo’s death broke. The entire street was reportedly packed as people held vigil. The church couldn’t hold people for his funeral as there was a larger crowd outside. And these past 24 years, so many people have never missed an edition of Dapo Fun Day. One of such people is broadcast personality Sarah Onyango, who said she has only missed 1 edition in 24 years. And there are also Dapo’s friends who, his mother, Mrs. Biola Agoro, told me, were the ones who insisted on having a Dapo Fun Day so that his memory lives on, and this is the main reason they’ve kept the Dapo Fun Day going.
None of the foregoing can be disconnected from the kind of person Dapo was; testimonies abound of his many good deeds and how kind he was, so much so that, according to his sister Moji, he was given the nickname ‘Mother’s Boy’ because of how sweet he was to their mum. All of this fellowship, according to Shola Agoro, “sparked” the idea for the Dapo Agoro Foundation for Peace “to spread the word of non-violent conflict resolution, understand the steps of community building, the importance of camaraderie, and collective sharing…” In attendance was Councillor Laura Dudas, who thanked Shola, Moji and the entire Agoro family for “being there at the forefront…” and “for their long commitment to bring peace and happiness to us and future generations.” She spoke like someone who’s been part of the process.
Each year of the Dapo Fun Day, there’s a theme. According to Moji Agoro, “this year we are talking about growing peace together…How can you bring peace to your community?” The physical representation of that is the legacy tree, drawn on paper and pasted on the wall. The idea was for people to write one thing they are committed to doing for their community in the coming year. This intention or commitment is then written on a (paper) leaf and affixed to the legacy tree’s branches.
Proceeds from the Dayo Fun Day and other donations go towards the award of an annual peace award given to a “motivated” graduating student who “exemplifies Christian behaviour and promotes peace throughout the school” at Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School.
All photos credit: Dapo Agoro Foundation and Sarah Onyango