Except for one or two, most of the festivals go on for at least a
week and are laced with lots of drumming, dancing and feasting; host
communities plan these cultural fiestas for many months and so come
D-day, the atmosphere is usually one of eye-popping, jaw-dropping
spectacle. (Traveller’s Tip: be sure that your phone/ camera
batteries are fully charged and that there is enough storage
space—you’ll definitely need those—to accommodate lots of photos).
So if you are in Nigeria when—and where—any of these ceremonies take place, plan to attend. On the whole, they are Nigeria’s unsung gifts to the world and, I dare say, your own perfect introduction to the cultural powerhouse of Africa. Here are six of the most notable ones.
1. Osun-Osogbo Festival, Osun State (10-22 August 2015):
This is one of the well-known festivals outside Nigeria and one of
the most attended by international visitors. Hosted in the artistically
rich Osogbo town, the festival is in honour of the mythical river
goddess, Osun. It begins with a town-cleansing ritual that clears the
path for a wide range of other activities that last a fortnight,
climaxing in the crowded procession to the famed Osun Grove, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Plant yourself in or near the Ataoja of Osogbo’s
palace very early in the morning to witness the festival’s key moments.
And if you wish to get into the spirit of the occasion, wear white.
2. Badagry Festival, Lagos State (21-29 August 2015):
It is literally a festival of festivals, encompassing half a dozen
festivals from the various ethnic groups that make up the serene yet
lively town of Badagry, on the Eastern tip of Lagos. It is also a period
to draw attention to Badagry’s slave history, so it is also a
well-chosen time as the programmes incorporate the UN International Day
for the Remembrance of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Tourists can
visit some of relics of the period as well as experience the sombre 5km
walk on the slavery route. In past years, African-Americans participated
in traditional ceremonies, during which they were given local Egun
names.
3. Leboku Festival, Cross River State (August 2015):
One of many Agro-related festivals in Nigeria, Leboku New Yam
Festival is celebrated in Ugep town by the Yakurr people, who use the
opportunity to thank the creator for a rich harvest. It’s a bustling
three-week party that signposts the end of one farming season and the
beginning of another; the grand finale is a glowing assortment of
parade—by maidens, women groups and community elders with cigar-like
chewing-sticks clasped between their lips. The pageant and wrestling
contests are two of the must-see displays. What’s more: you can have a
taste of the harvested tubers on the spot.
4. World Sango festival, Oyo State (20-29 August 2015):
The World Sango Festival holds in Oyo town to honour Sango, one of
one the best known warriors of early Yoruba kingdoms. Now deified, Sango
is worshipped in at least 40 countries worldwide, including Brazil,
Cuba, Mexico, and Trinidad & Tobago. The festival has so far proven
to be a major magnet for international tourists, particularly South
& African Americans who long to reconnect with their African/ Yoruba
origins. Lasting 10 days, the festival devotes specific days to the
celebration of important deities of Yoruba land: Ogun, Oya, Iyemoja and
Osun to mention just a few.
5. Durbar festival, Kano State (24-25 September 2015):
This is another equestrian and faith-based traditional event, popular
in Northern Nigeria and staged mainly during the Eid-el-Fitri and
Eid-el-Kabir celebrations. Imagine some 500 decorated ponies galloping
back and forth a dusty field with their turbaned and grandly dressed
sword-bearing riders: the Durbar parades will fill you with excitement
that is better experienced than described. As one European tourist puts
it, the festival dazzles with “fascinating colours, fascinating sounds
and the combination of horsemen and acrobats”. A series of gunshots
announce the stately arrival of the paramount ruler (the Emir) and his
entourage, and several shots more hours later signify the end of the
programme. Next morning, the Emir’s convoy, including district heads and
warriors, stomp through the streets to visit the state governor.
Katsina and Bida are two other great places to experience the Durbar.
6. Ofala Festival, Anambra State (6-7 October 2015):
The Ofala Festival is one of the most colouful (literally and
figuratively) of Nigeria’s festivals and one of the many hosted in
Igbo-land to mark the end of a fruitful farming season. It is the peak
of the traditional cycles in Onitsha (the commercial heart of
south-eastern Nigeria), coming in-between a series of yam festivals
across the villages that make up the town. The two-day celebration is
hosted in inside the expansive palace courtyard of the Obi (king) of
Onitsha, whose public performance is the height of the festivities. The
stands are packed with titled men and women and brightly dressed
indigenes. It is said that this is the only time in the year when the
Onitsha people get to see their king at close quarters. From the palace
grounds, they head back home to continue with the partying.
Pelu Awofeso is a winner of the CNN/ Multichoice African
Journalist Awards for tourism reporting. He has published three books
based on his travels around Nigeria.
So if you are in Nigeria when—and where—any of these ceremonies take place, plan to attend. On the whole, they are Nigeria’s unsung gifts to the world and, I dare say, your own perfect introduction to the cultural powerhouse of Africa. Here are six of the most notable ones.
1. Osun-Osogbo Festival, Osun State (10-22 August 2015):
2. Badagry Festival, Lagos State (21-29 August 2015):
3. Leboku Festival, Cross River State (August 2015):
4. World Sango festival, Oyo State (20-29 August 2015):
5. Durbar festival, Kano State (24-25 September 2015):
6. Ofala Festival, Anambra State (6-7 October 2015):
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