Festivals

Abuja to Host First Anioma Cultural Festival Nov 8

Published

12 months ago

November 6, 2025

Abuja set to host the first Anioma Cultural Festival on November 8 at the Old Parade Ground, celebrating Anioma heritage and honouring Ned Nwoko, others.

The Izu Anioma Towns Union, Abuja, has announced the maiden edition of the Anioma Cultural Festival (Anioma Day), scheduled to hold on November 8, 2025, at the Old Parade Ground, Area 10, Garki, Abuja.

Also read: Spanish Embassy, Nigerian Artists Celebrate Two Decades of Cultural Exchange in Abuja

The event, which will now become a bi-annual cultural celebration in the Federal Capital Territory, aims to showcase the rich heritage, history, and traditions of the Anioma people from Delta State’s Delta North Senatorial District.

Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja, the President of the Izu Anioma Towns Union, Chief Luke Enelichi, said the festival would highlight the cultural diversity and unity of Anioma communities, including Aniocha, Ndokwa, Ika, and Oshimili.

“The Anioma Cultural Festival is dedicated to celebrating our people’s unique customs, values, and artistry. It is a platform to tell our story and preserve our heritage for future generations,” Enelichi said.

He noted that the festival’s highlights would include traditional dances, artistic displays, and cultural exhibitions featuring various community groups.

A major attraction will be the prominent display of ‘Akwa Ocha’, the iconic white traditional attire of the Anioma people, symbolising purity, honour, and hospitality.

As part of the event, several distinguished Anioma sons and daughters will be honoured with awards of excellence and patriotism. Among the award recipients is Senator Ned Munir Nwoko, who represents Delta North in the Senate and serves as the Patron of the Izu Anioma Towns Union.

Other special guests of honour expected at the festival include the Governor of Delta State, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, and the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (rtd.).

Also read: Nigeria to Host Road Crash Victims Conference in Abuja

Chief Enelichi added that the festival would serve as a platform for fostering unity among the Anioma people in Abuja while promoting tourism and cultural exchange.

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OLOJO….Ile Ife’s September Gift To Culture

Published

2 weeks ago

October 5, 2026

Mariam Balogun

By Halima Adaba,

It was a featubal if the people. It was for the anciebt town of Ile Ife, which the Yoruba race refards as the Source.

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And ut was a festivsl for the King, Arole Oduduwa, Oonirisa, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.

And so between September 24 and 28th 2026, the annual featuval dazzjed in all its white glory.

Tge Monarch paid the traditional ancestral homage and offered propitiation as part of the sacred rites of the Olojo Festival.
It was a powerful expression of Yoruba heritage, spirituality, and enduring tradition.

Call it a collection of beautiful moments, faces, colours and cultural expressions.

Every frame tells a story.

Every face carries the energy.

Every moment keeps the heritage alive.

Undoubtedly one of the most sacred cultural celebrations in Ilé-Ifẹ̀. It marked a day associated with creation, thanksgiving, ancestral heritage, and the sacred appearance of the Ooni of Ife wearing the revered Aàrẹ crown.

There were also the devotees of the famed god of thunder – Sàngó who were hardly conspicuous at the festival.

Many other traditional groups came out with candor, showing a powerful expression of Yoruba cultural identity, spiritual devotion, and respect for the ancient traditions of Ilé-Ifẹ̀.

Devotees of Sàngó bekieved the ‘appearance’ of the god of thunder on Seotember 26th could be understood as a symbolic meeting of ancestral heritage, spiritual devotion, and the celebration of creation.

It was a moment when the sounds of drums, chants, and traditional praise poetry brought the history of the Yoruba people to life.

Although Olojo is closely associated with Ogun, the god of iron, and the sacred traditions of Ile-Ife, the presence of Sàngó devotees reflected the rich diversity of Yoruba spiritual heritage.

Also read: Olojo Festival 2026: Ooni Urges Leaders to Prioritise Citizens

As a participant enthused at the festival, “To witness Sàngó Olúkòso emerge on Olojo Festival day is to witness a living expression of history, identity, and ancestral pride.”