The Ofala Festival is an annual ceremony practiced by Igbo people, particularly the indigenes of

Onitsha Onitsha ( or just ''Ọ̀nị̀chà'') is a city located on the eastern bank of the Niger River, in Anambra State, Nigeria. A metropolitan city, Onitsha is known for its river port and as an economic hub for commerce, industry, and education. ...

Umueri Umueri, also known and pronounced as Umuleri, is an ancient town in the Anambra State of Southeastern Nigeria. The people of Umueri belong to the Igbo ethnic group, and the town has an estimated population of 1,500,000. It is located within the ...

Umuoji The Umuoji people are those whose roots can be traced to the town of Umuoji, in Idemili North - a local government area in Anambra State, Nigeria. These people are an Igbo speaking ethnic group, whose early history is adversely affected by a lack ...

and other neighboring communities such as

Aguleri Aguleri meaning Agulu nwa Eri (Agulu-Eri). This is because according to their traditional lores, Agulu is the son of Eri , son of Jacob. Lawrence Ozeh is an internet entrepreneur, in his essay, he opined that Aguleri is the cradle of Igbo peopl ...

Nnewi Nnewi is a commercial and industrial city in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria. It is the second largest and second most populous city in the southern part of the country. Nnewi as a metropolis has one local government area, which is Nnewi North ...

and Ukpo in

Dunukofia Dunukofia is a Local Government Area in Anambra State, South-East Nigeria. Towns that make up the local government are Ukpo, the headquarters; Ifitedunu, Dunukofia Umunnachi, Umudioka, Ukwulu and Nawgu. It shares boundaries with Awka North, Idem ...

Local Government Area. It serves as a rites of renewal of the king or Igwe or Obi and it is similar to the

Igue festival Igue festival (also known as King’s Festival) is a celebration with its origin in the Benin Kingdom of Edo State, Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially ...

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...

and the ''Ine'', ''Osi or Ogbanigbe Festival'' in many mid-West Igbo communities of Nigeria. The term ''ofala'', is derived from two

Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a ...

words - ''ọfọ'' (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

: authority) and ''ala'' (

: land). The festival is celebrated within two days mostly in October by the ''Obi'' (

: king) and is a customary obligation that must be performed every couple of years without fail.

History

According to some

oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people wh ...

sources, the Ofala Festival can be traced back to the 16th Century when Onitsha people emigrated from Benin to the eastern banks of the River Niger presently known as the city of Onitsha and brought with them among other customs, the tradition of monarchy. The festival is akin to the ''Igue Festival'' celebrated annually by the Oba of Benin. Some historians also believe the festival is related to the New Yam Festival in Onitsha and devotion of the king to the safety of his people.East-Central State (Nigeria). (1974). Traditional festivals in East Central State. Enugu: Information Division, Ministry of Information and Home Affairs. The festival marks the end of a period of retreat sometimes called Inye Ukwu na Nlo when the Obi remains incommunicado and undergoes spiritual purification for the good of the community. At the end of the week long retreat, the Igwe emerges during the Ofala to bless his subjects and say prayers for the community. Ofala is celebrated annually in some places beginning from the coronation of the ''Obi'' to his death, the latter of which is called "the last Ofala" while other towns may require it to be celebrated every two to three years.

Ofala Onitsha

Ofala Onitsha is the indigenous Ofala Festival held by indigenes of

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. It is usually held in October and is the highpoint of th
Onitsha ceremonial cycle
Although Ofala Festival is common to many Igbo tribes, Onitsha Ofala is rather unique since it is believed to be the first Ofala in the

tribe.East-Central State (Nigeria). (1974). Traditional festivals in East Central State. Enugu: Information Division, Ministry of Information and Home Affairs.

Ceremony and purpose

The festival usually starts with a traditional twenty-one gun salute followed by an all night Ufie (royal gong) drumming, dancing and other cultural activities. In the afternoon, the Obi's cabinet of chiefs, guests from other communities, age groups, women and youth of the community usually throng the palace grounds or Ime Obi dressed in traditional or ceremonial attires befitting the festival occasion. The royal music or Egwu Ota is played during the entrance of the Ndichie or red cap chiefs who arrive after the gathering of the crowd and bringing along a few of their friends and family members their procession to the palace. The highlight of the festival is the emergence of the ''Obi'' in his royal regalia to the cheer of the crowd, a cannon shot announces the entrance of the Obi who is usually dressed in ceremonial robe and carries a bronze sword on his hand, he walks to the sides of the arena or a third of the arena acknowledging the cheers of the gathering. The Obi then retires and subsequently, the red cap chiefs pays homage to him according to seniority, thereafter both the Obi and the chiefs reappear after the firing of another cannon shot. During the second appearance the Obi dances in the arena, something that is rarely seen and his steps cover more distance than the first appearance. Then the visiting chiefs and guests pay homage to the Obi. The festival is also sometimes an occasion for the ''Obi'' to honour individuals with chieftaincy titles.

Arts

Music and visual arts have always been a part of the festival. The 2015 edition in Onitsha held a visual arts exhibition called Oreze III, the event had a display by various artists and 20 busts depicting departed Onitsha kings."Boosting Ofala Festival With Art Content." Africa News Service 23 Nov. 2015. Business Insights: Global. Web. 4 Mar. 2016.

Gallery

File:IMG-20210712-WA0059 10.jpg, Sacrificing to the gods in the University of Nigeria Anambra state Ofala Festival File:Ofala Onitsha 07.jpg, Ofala festival in

File:Ofala Onitsha 09.jpg, Ofala in Onitsha File:Ofala Onitsha 06.jpg, Ofala festival File:Ofala Carnival 2019.jpg, OfalaCarnival 2019

References

{{Nnewi Cultural festivals in Nigeria Anambra State