The monarch of the commercial city of Onitsha, the Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty, Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, is set to celebrate the rich cultural Onitsha Ofala Festival.
The 2023 Ofala with the theme: ‘’Better, Stronger and Together, the event has been scheduled for October 14 and October 15. It will be the high point of the Onitsha ceremonial cycle.
The Obi of Onitsha is the celebrant of this spectacle which is rooted in deep spirituality. The Ofala is an occasion for the monarch to fulfill certain obligations.
It is primarily a celebration by the monarch and his subjects, of the monarch’s annual emergence from seclusion, during which period the monarch has successfully negotiated the fortunes of the kingdom.
The festival is also a reenactment of joy, which the monarch shared with his subjects, at the discovery that yam is non-toxic, and a valuable source of food.
Mr Nn’emeka Madugbuna, Steering Committee and Chairman of Strategic Marketing and Communication of the festival, in a press conference, recently said the annual Ofala has grown steadily over the years in terms of its scope, social glamour, and intrinsic meaning for us ndi Onicha.
According to him, an international art exhibition, a youths’ carnival, a marathon and a post-Ofala banquet have enhanced the content and attractiveness of the festival.
He added that a lecture series will be introduced in this year’s festival celebration, stressing that it is promoted by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu University.
‘’Named the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations / Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Obi Nnaemeka Achebe Annual Lecture, the maiden edition of the lecture series, would be given by The Right Reverend Felix Femi Ajakaye, Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese.
‘’He will be speaking on Traditional Institutions, Public Relations, and Good Governance in Contemporary Nigeria. The venue is Education Trust Fund. (ETF) Hall, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam Campus, and will commence at 12:00 noon on Thursday, October 5.’’
Madugbuna added, “With the strides that the Ofala has made, it continues to receive both national and international recognition.
‘’The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has endorsed the Onitsha Ofala Festival as a major Nigerian festival and issued a specific mandate in its support.
‘’The Ofala has also received a Certificate of Recognition for Excellence in Culture from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. This is in recognition of its Corporate Contribution to the development of culture.
‘’We believe we are on course to achieving the objectives of the Ofala attracting considerable national, West African, and international attention, and attaining the status of a major event in the Nigerian, by extension in the West African cultural/tourism calendar.’’
‘’Globacom Limited and International Breweries Plc., are the official sponsors of the Ofala. Globacom has been partnering with the Onitsha Traditional Council since 2011.
‘’Our partnership with International Breweries goes back to 2012 when the then Intafact Beverages Limited commenced brewing Hero Larger here in Onitsha. The relationship these bodies have had with the Onitsha community has contributed in no small measure to the growth and development of the Ofala.
‘’In twenty-one years as Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty, Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe mni, CFR, Agbogidi, has made giant strides. These find expressions in a number of areas. They include a modernised and revitalised monarchy and leadership aura of which today radiates beyond Onitsha to Anambra State, the Southeast region, Nigeria and beyond.’’
Madugbuna added that His Majesty has also articulated a vision for communal transformation hinged on a new value system for lifting the poor and most vulnerable in his domain from consumption and dependency to production and self-reliance.
The Steering Committee and Chairman of Strategic Marketing and Communication of the festival explained that this vision is animated in the work of the Onitsha Advancement Foundation (OnAF) www.onaf.org .
‘’The natural step is to consolidate on the breakthroughs that have been made from the onset. It is against this background that His Majesty has adopted Better, Stronger and Together, as the theme of the 2023 Ofala. It is a concept that whilst building on the gains that have been achieved, facilitates addressing the challenges ahead.
‘’In addition, it draws attention that this is “work-is-in-progress” and requires that “all hands should be on deck.”
The Ofala 2023 Programme:
This year’s Ofala and the associated events will run over a three-week period in the month of October. Even though celebratory, cognisance has been taken of the prevailing economic situation in the country in planning the various events. We, therefore, have no alternative but to be restrained in the modalities for the 2023 Ofala.
The Ofala of His Majesty, Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, mni, CFR, Agbogidi, Obi of Onitsha, which will be held here at Ime Obi Onitsha will span two days – Iru Ofala on Saturday, October 14 and the Azu Ofala on Sunday, October 15. The two ritual ceremonies leading directly to the Ofala, Inye ukwu na nlo Eze Onicha (spiritual retreat) and Ogbalido are scheduled for October 7 and October 10, respectively.
Inye ukwu na nlo is the annual seclusion of the monarch, during which period he negotiates the fortunes of the kingdom. The monarch will after a successful negotiation emerge from seclusion, Inyepu Ukwu Na Nlo Eze Onicha on October 11.
Ogbalido is a feast of atonement by brave men -Ndichie (redcap chiefs) and big game hunters. It is also a period for these warlords to rejuvenate themselves. Furthermore, Ogbalido provides each of the three senior redcap chiefs with an opportunity to review the redcap chiefs under their command.
Other Ofala events will be held as follows:
Oreze IX Art Exhibition
Held for the first time on Monday, October 7, 2013, which was the eve of that year’s Ofala, the Oreze Art Exhibition is designed to provide exposure to a budding artists living and practising in the Southeast of Nigeria. Well over 100 artists resident in the southeast region have made their exhibition debuts at Oreze. The series is also an avenue for multi-talented and well-established artists from various parts of the world to exhibit their works. Oreze ix will close on October 16.
Friday, October 13, 2023
Youth Carnival
The carnival which is organised by the Onitsha Ado Youth Council (OYC) highlights the rich cultural heritage of Onitsha indigenes. Probably the biggest cultural street funfair in the Southeast region of Nigeria, it is a colourful moving train of various Onitsha cultural outfits and dances on the major streets of the metropolis. In the process, it provides entertainment for both the youth participants and the spectators that cut across various age categories. In addition, it ensures the sustainability of the customs and traditions of Onicha Ado N’Idu (Onitsha), by inculcating in the youths, a sense of pride and love for the heritage of their hometown
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Ofala Banquet
This is organised by Globacom, one of the partners in honour of His Majesty, Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, mni, CFR, Agbogidi, Obi of Onitsha.
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Ofala Thanksgiving Service
The thanksgiving service which will round up the Ofala is scheduled to be held at St. Jude Catholic Church, Upper Iweka, Fegge. Mass will commence at 11:00am.
We look forward to celebrating the 2023 Ofala. However, as stated earlier, we shall do so within the context of the prevailing economic situation in the country. The modalities for this year’s Ofala will therefore be restrained.
Media Management
The Ofala Steering Committee remains grateful to the media for the widespread and purposeful coverage that the Ofala has received over the years. As the Ofala continues to grow in stature, so does it attract the increasing attention of the media. A fallout of this development is the large number of journalists at the Ofala.
In order to be able to create the enabling environment for these journalists to effectively cover the proceedings, a number of changes have been introduced in the media management process.
Accreditation will now be online. Any journalist including photographers still and motion interested in attending the Ofala events will be required to register via media@ofala.org. The accreditation portal will open on Monday, September 4, 2023, and will close on Wednesday, October 4.
Apart from the designated location in the stands for journalists, a special area would be created within the Ofala grounds for photographers. This area would be such that photographers using lenses with long focal lengths should be able to capture images of the activities. Photography would not be allowed outside of the special area.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the press, we look forward to your coverage of the various Ofala events. Our Strategic Marketing and Communications team remains available to provide any help that you may require. You can also visit the Ofala website www.ofala.org for regular updates.
