By Obike Ukoh
The staging of the annual Igbere Cultural Festival, since 2018, sponsored by the Orji Uzor Kalu Foundation (OUKF) is a promise kept. The festival has consistently held since then, but was disrupted in 2020 by the covid pandemic, that ravaged the world.
Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia State and Chairman of the Foundation, has consistently reiterated his commitment to sustain sponsorship of the festival throughout his lifetime.
Kalu, who was the guest lecturer at the 2018 annual lecture of the National Institute of Cultural Orientation (NICO), stressed the need for the various ethnic groups in the country to boost the economy through opportunities inherent in their cultures.
Kalu, the incumbent Senator representing Abia North, said that there are 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria, which he noted, translates to frontiers of opportunities for economic development.
This is so because all the ethnic groups in Nigeria are unique in their own way, having different fashion, food, music, dance, masquerades, architecture etc.’’
“ The annual Igbere Cultural Festival which I sponsor, brings together thousands of people. “Although the project gulps huge amount of money, I relish funding it. “The programme is meant to send strong message to the society that we need to inculcate our culture in our socio-economic activities.
“The objective is being achieved going by the results we get at the end of each outing.’’ As usual, the 2025 edition of the festival held on January 2 and 3. The organisers adopted the decentralisation of the festival, which commenced in 2024.
Hitherto, the 13 autonomous communities, and other invited Igbere neighbours staged their dances and drama at the Neya Camp. Like in 2024, the 13 autonomous communities staged their dances and drama at their various village squares.
Kalu, his entourage, including tourists and judges patiently watched the cultural displays of each community. Kalu in his separate speeches, commended the communities for their enthusiasm and massively participating in the festival since inception.
He reiterated why the festival was decentralised, adding that it was deliberately shifted to the communities to allow more people participate and have access to the festival, as previous editions were held at Camp Neya.
The Senate Committee Chairman on Privatization also stressed the need for the communities to introduce new dances. It is a common practice. The communities should learn new dances. People should be encouraged to learn new dances, over time the dances will be internalised.
The president-generals of the various autonomous communities and their executives have a great role to play in this direction,’’ the former governor stressed. Kalu also listed fostering of unity and social interaction as some of advantages of the festival.
He inter alia: “The cultural splendour of the 13 villages of Igbere was again reinvigorated in full colours and it created a lasting impression for us to continue to tell our historical existence and the protection of our precious cultural heritage.
“Aside from the fanfare, the festival promotes unity, social interaction and reconnection, and above all peaceful coexistence.” Kalu repeated his appeal to illustrious sons and daughters of Igbere to invest in the hospitality industry, in order to provide decent accommodation to prospective tourists during the annual festival.
For the 2025 festival, tourists from the Republic of China, graced the event, and were treated to a well-secured ambiance of pleasant weather, warm hospitality of Igbere people and the aesthetic hilly topographic areas.
Some stakeholders that commented on the 2025 cultural festival, commended Sen. Kalu for not relenting in promoting Igbere culture via the sponsorship of the festival.
Mr Onuoha Omeremba, President-General of Ibinaukwu Improvement Union, who spoke, said the community would strive to widen the scope of the community’s dances as suggested by the promoter/sponsor of the festival.
He said that the people would be sensitised to ensure their active participation during subsequent festivals.
Omeremba also suggested for a holistic participation, stressing that the home branches should not see the festival as their sole affairs.
He appealed to Kalu to use his good offices to attract relevant federal and state agencies to tackle the erosion, ravaging many areas in Onu Ibinaukwu Layout.
Also, a stakeholder from Agbo Igbere Autonomous Community, Onuoha Agu, who commented on the 2025 Igbere Cultural Festival, commended the zeal of Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu in the sponsorship of the festival for four years running.
He appeal to those he described as Who is Who,’’ in Igbere to support Kalu in order to sustain and encourage the villages to embrace and participate massively and actively in the annual cultural festival.
Onuoha noted that though Kalu is the sole sponsor, suggested that the well-to-do Igbere sons and daughters, should assist in the area of boosting the prize money.
Enhanced prize money will boost morale and spur many people to participate,’’ he stressed. He commended the organisers for decentralising the festival, adding that thevillages are electrified during the festival, while the young and old have the opportunity to watch the cultural displays live.’’
On his part, an Igbere businessman and politician, Mr Chima Anyaso commended the former Abia State governor for constantly supporting the festival.
“The festival promotes the cultural heritage of Igbere people, reliving the ancestral practices of the 13 autonomous communities, in the areas of folklore, traditional cuisine, dances, hospitality, attire, among others.’’
Anyaso who joined the celebration at Amaiyi Village urged the government and private sectors to emulate Sen. Kalu by increasing investments in the culture and tourism sectors of the economy.
He reiterated that Nigeria’s culture is rich enough to provide huge returns on investments.
Anyaso stressed the need for cultural reawakening, adding “it’s a very good initiative to promote the culture of our people, most especially the positive ones, and I commend what Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu is doing.
“This is a huge sacrifice coming back to bring the people together to celebrate our culture. Your culture is everything, many of us like where we’re coming from.
“There are some stories that we were told that I’ve never heard of before, so what he’s doing is very commendable. This is a good thing and people should emulate it.”
At the end of the two-day event, Mrs Jemima Ola Kalu, announced that Eziama and Amaukwu came first. The two communities are to share the prize money of N1million, N500,000 each.
Umuisi and Agbo came second, and to share the prize money of N700,000. Each community is to receive N350,000.
Amaiyi and Amaoji communities that came third, are to receive N250,000 each.
Amankalu and Ohumola occupied the fourth position, and to receive N150,000 each as the prize money.
Ibinanta and Okafia placed fifth and to receive N100,000 each as the prize money.
Ibinaukwu, Amaofufe and Amakpo did not win any prize.
The executive secretary thanked the communities for participating in the festival.
Unarguably, the Orji Uzor Kalu Foundation sponsored cultural festival has created awareness in Igbere. With sustained sponsorship and participation by the communities, Igbere will definitely become tourists’ destination during the festival.
Ukoh, Deputy Editor-In-Chief (Emeritus), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
