The 2016 edition of Ofala Festival of Onitsha, will be taking place on Saturday, in Anambra State, with the Obi, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, performing the traditional Umato festival.
The Umato, according to Onitsha tradition, marks the end of the planting season and the beginning of the period of harvest by the people of the kingdom.
The Obi will traditionally declare that “the period of dryness has ended and that the harvest season has commenced.”
Ofala, also known as the New Yam Festival, is celebrated yearly by the people of Onitsha to commemorate their triumph over the Yam crop.
The festival will be performed at the Ime Obi, where Igwe Achebe will personally serve the traditional corn meal to all the palace chiefs and those who came to witness the ceremony, thus signaling the commencement of the good season of harvesting.
Aside just celebrating the new Yam festival, the uniqueness about the culture is what many including guest who will be visiting are yearning to see as people will troop out in various cultural attires and various displays will take place.
