80th anniversary celebrations on Rabi: Vosarogo urges Banabans to focus on their future

"Banaba Island is miles and miles away. This is your island, this is your home, this is your country."

This was the powerful message delivered by the Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo to the Banaban community during yesterday’s 80th anniversary celebrations on Rabi Island.

Mr Vosarogo challenged them to focus on their future in Fiji.

"The challenge to you is what will you bring to Rabi and the Banaban community in the next 80,” Mr Vosarogo told hundreds gathered at Nuku in Tabwewa village.

The Banabans arrived on Rabi on December 15, 1945, after being displaced from their phosphate-rich homeland of Banaba, also known as Ocean Island.

A total of 703 Banabans, including 318 children, travelled over 3,200 kilometres across the Pacific Ocean following World War II.

From left: Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo, President of the Republic of Nauru David Adeang, and Rabi Administrator Iakoba Karutake during the 80th anniversary celebrations of the arrival of the Banabans at Rabi on December 15, 2025.

Photo: Kaneta Naimatau

Mr Vosarogo acknowledged the hardships faced by the first arrivals, who lived in army tents, faced food scarcity and encountered a cyclone upon arrival.

“Your history is not just a story of displacement, it is a story of survival, strength and an unbreakable spirit of your people,” he said.

Rabi Island Council of Leaders administrator Iakoba Karutake welcomed the minister and Nauru President David Adeang, who is of Banaban descent, to the celebrations.

“We are so honored to have the Honorable Minister for Lands and also His Excellency, who are here with us,” Mr Karutake said.

The week-long celebrations feature sports tournaments, traditional dancing and village competitions.

President Adeang stressed the deep connection between Nauru and the Banaban people, noting many families remain intertwined through marriage and adoption from wartime bonds formed in 1943.

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