The famous Ikeji festival coming up next week in Abia state is expected to boost trade, commerce and tourism to Eastern Nigeria, given the huge interest being expressed by the international community in the festival.
A great number of Nigerians in Diaspora and foreign visitors have already started arriving. The big time festival which is now gaining international attention is billed to start next week. Ikeji festival is a long held tradition passed down through the ancestry of the Arondizougu Clan emanating from Arochukwu in Abia state .
It is an annual festival of the entire Aro kingdom spread alongside the South eastern part of Nigeria. The festival is an annual home coming ceremony and gathering of the Aron descendants from home and abroad to give thanks to God for making them see the New Year, Ikeji.
It is an eight day festival of merriment and spectacular display of masquerades coming out in their glamour to thrill the ever teeming crowd that converge on the village to witness the occasion. Of high interest amongst the masquerades is the pericoma, a masquerade known for its acrobatic displays and prowess.
The first four days of the festival, the eke, oye, afor and nkwo are also named after the four native market days of Igbo culture. On the eke, everybody turns up in the market to buy and stock up their homes in preparation for the next day, oye in which all the livestock bought on the eke are killed and made ready for merriment and feasting on the afor and nkwo respectively. This merriment and feasting spans the remaining four days as visitors and dwellers alike go about from home to home participating in the feast.
It is multi cultural, multi racial and cuts across all gender. Ikeji festival literally transforms the serene scene of village life to a commercial hub driving a swamp of tourists, researchers, fun seekers, businesses and brands to one location for eight days.
There are a number of prominent Nigerians from that area, including: Onyeka Onwenu - Director ministry of women affairs, Mazi Phillip Obioha - director computer warehouse, Mazi Chinedu Okpareke - Sahara energy, Chief Ngozi Mbadiwe, Mazi Christian okoro - President general arondizuogu patriotic union, Chief Dr M Okoro M I okoro and associates, Engr Ik okoro - Director, Standards Organisation of Nigeria
Speaking at a pre event planning session, the spokespersons Mazi Christian Okoha Okoro - President General , arondizuogu patriotic union and Mazi Chimezie Nwankwo - Secretary of town union, pointed out that Nigeria’s “strong culture is one of the great attributes that has kept Nigeria strong. We are committed to further promoting Nigerian culture and this year’s Ikeji festival provides an unparallel platform to do so”
Speaking at a pre festival gathering, the spokespersons Mazi Christian Okoha Okoro - President General , arondizuogu patriotic union and Mazi Chimezie Nwankwo - Secretary of town union, pointed out that Nigeria’s “strong culture is one of the great attributes that has kept Nigeria strong. We are committed to further promoting Nigerian culture and this year’s Ikeji festival provides an unparallel platform to do so”. Eze Kosman Ndubuisi Kanu and Eze Oliver Dike, two of the prominent rulers have indicated their festival readiness.
With adequate security in place for lives and properties, and the highly hospitable nature of the Aron people, Ikeji festival has become a festival of international repute and has inherent potentials to create further interest in Nigeria
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| Abia State |
It is an annual festival of the entire Aro kingdom spread alongside the South eastern part of Nigeria. The festival is an annual home coming ceremony and gathering of the Aron descendants from home and abroad to give thanks to God for making them see the New Year, Ikeji.
It is an eight day festival of merriment and spectacular display of masquerades coming out in their glamour to thrill the ever teeming crowd that converge on the village to witness the occasion. Of high interest amongst the masquerades is the pericoma, a masquerade known for its acrobatic displays and prowess.
The first four days of the festival, the eke, oye, afor and nkwo are also named after the four native market days of Igbo culture. On the eke, everybody turns up in the market to buy and stock up their homes in preparation for the next day, oye in which all the livestock bought on the eke are killed and made ready for merriment and feasting on the afor and nkwo respectively. This merriment and feasting spans the remaining four days as visitors and dwellers alike go about from home to home participating in the feast.
It is multi cultural, multi racial and cuts across all gender. Ikeji festival literally transforms the serene scene of village life to a commercial hub driving a swamp of tourists, researchers, fun seekers, businesses and brands to one location for eight days.
There are a number of prominent Nigerians from that area, including: Onyeka Onwenu - Director ministry of women affairs, Mazi Phillip Obioha - director computer warehouse, Mazi Chinedu Okpareke - Sahara energy, Chief Ngozi Mbadiwe, Mazi Christian okoro - President general arondizuogu patriotic union, Chief Dr M Okoro M I okoro and associates, Engr Ik okoro - Director, Standards Organisation of Nigeria
Speaking at a pre event planning session, the spokespersons Mazi Christian Okoha Okoro - President General , arondizuogu patriotic union and Mazi Chimezie Nwankwo - Secretary of town union, pointed out that Nigeria’s “strong culture is one of the great attributes that has kept Nigeria strong. We are committed to further promoting Nigerian culture and this year’s Ikeji festival provides an unparallel platform to do so”
Speaking at a pre festival gathering, the spokespersons Mazi Christian Okoha Okoro - President General , arondizuogu patriotic union and Mazi Chimezie Nwankwo - Secretary of town union, pointed out that Nigeria’s “strong culture is one of the great attributes that has kept Nigeria strong. We are committed to further promoting Nigerian culture and this year’s Ikeji festival provides an unparallel platform to do so”. Eze Kosman Ndubuisi Kanu and Eze Oliver Dike, two of the prominent rulers have indicated their festival readiness.
With adequate security in place for lives and properties, and the highly hospitable nature of the Aron people, Ikeji festival has become a festival of international repute and has inherent potentials to create further interest in Nigeria
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