As our dialects speak through us,
And diversity shapes our ways,
New tongues have taken root,
Yet we remain branches of the same tree.
We have endured much —
In the past, and in recent times.
New tongues have sidetracked us,
Leaving us to run our race alone.
They call us leaders of tomorrow,
Yet we are not leaders of today.
We must be ready to lead,
Before the starting gun goes off.
Leadership is not about filling a vacuum,
But creating room and space
So we may build a house
For all our extended people.
Iyanuoluwa Okunola is a Nigerian poet whose poems are layered with meaning, drawn from experience but aimed at something bigger — using simple language to say powerful things.