CROWD PULLERS! Here Are The Most Iconic Festivals Across Nigeria

Nigeria is blessed with a variety of culture and tradition. Here are some festivals across the country’s tribes that have a lot of extraordinary activities you would definitely enjoy.

1. Igue Festival, Benin

The Igue festival is a celebration with its origin in the Benin Empire between Christmas and New Year. The festival was originally an occasion to renew Oba Ewuare’s magical powers. During the Igue ritual season, the Oba is prohibited from being in the presence of any non-native person.

2. Sango Festival, Oyo

Sango Festival is an annual festival held among the Yoruba people in honour of Sango, a thunder and fire deity who was a warlord and the third king of the Oyo Kingdom after succeeding Ajaka his elder brother.

Rebranded in 2013 to World Sango Festival by the Oyo state government, the festival is usually held in August at the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo and also observed in over forty countries around the world.

3. Argungu Fishing Festival

This colourful fishing festival happens in a village called Argungu in Kebbi State.

This festival is a sort of extreme fishing that is held for four days and thousands of competitors are seen inside the Malan Fada River to catch the biggest fishes with either traditional fishing nets or with their bare hands. Imagine catching fishes that weighs more than a human with bare hands.

4. Osun Festival

For the people of Osogbo, August is a month of traditional cleansing of the city and cultural reunion of the people with their ancestors and founders of the Osogbo Kingdom.

Held at the Oshogbo Sacred Forest for seven days, Osun devotees celebrate the river goddess during this period and priests conduct rituals for protection of the locals. Barren women are believed to be blessed with children when they attend this festival.

5. Ivbamen Festival

Ivbamen is celebrated annually for a week in April or May by Ozalla clan in Owan, Edo state, to initiate young men between 28 and 30 years of age into manhood.

Each celebrant participates in it for three consecutive times so that by the time a man of 28 reaches 30, he must have completed the full turn. The ceremony involves some spiritual rites and rituals.

6. Olojo Festival

The Olojo Festival is also held in Ife, Osun State where the Ooni of Ife separates himself from the world for communion with the spirits to make him pure before the festival and rids his palace of evil forces. The King leads his people to Okemogun shrine, where he renews his oath as an Ooni at the foot of Oketage hill by a priest.

7. Sharo Festival

The Fulani tribes practise Sharo before getting married. Here the groom is beaten by the older members of the community so as to earn a wife and respect. If the man is not strong enough to bear the pain, the wedding is called off.

Other than flogging, the bride family can pick Koowgal, which is a dowry payment option or the Kabbal, an Islamic ceremony similar to marriage but in the absence of the bride and groom.

8. Omaba Festival of Amalla Isi Uzo, Enugu

A masquerade festival that takes place once in three years in memory of their ancestors, Omaba is regarded as the spirit of the dead. Most prominent among the Omaba masquerades (Ngwerigwe omaba) perform as well as ekwe music.

9. The Onitsha Ivory Festival

In Onitsha, it is the women who indulge in festivals. Wives of wealthy men are seen collecting ivory and coral that would be used to design their own costumes. Any woman who has been able to acquire plenty coral and ivory to decorate her ivory costume will be given the prestigious title ‘Ozo’, an ivory holder. To be qualified, the participant is expected to have two large pieces of ivory, which weigh 25 kilos each.

10. Obatala Festival

The Obatala festival is a cultural and religious gathering to honour one of the great Yoruba deities, Obatala, who was sent on a very crucial mission by the Almighty Creator.

Because he left an indelible mark in the life of mankind, the Yoruba in particular often celebrate him because he was an intercessor between mankind and the Almighty.