Ofala festival: From royal dancing to robust community enterprise

•As Obi of Onitsha warns S-East against electoral apathy •Says it will deepen political marginalisation of the region By Vincent Ujumadu The 2026 annual Ofala festival of Onitsha, Anambra State, has ended in the ancient kingdom with the usual assemblage of who is who from within and outside Nigeria. The magnificent Ime Obi arena was as expected filled to capacity by gaily dressed indigenes and their guests, as well as politicians from the various political parties, the clergy and security operatives.

For effective crowd control during the Ofala, the popular Awka road from the Borromeo roundabout to the DMGS roundabout, was closed to traffic for most of the day and traffic diverted to other parts of the commercial city. The highlight of the day was the Royal dance of the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, accompanied by Ndi Ichie (cabinet chiefs).

For over 500 years, the people of Onitsha have consistently shown resilience in showcasing their rich culture and tradition to the admiration of other kingdoms of the world. And for the last 15 years, communication giants, Globacom, has been part of the Ofala Onitsha and had helped to introduce some glamour into the festival. From 2025 when the theme of the celebration was “njiko na ntachi” (unity and resilience), to the 2026 theme which moved forward to “iga n’iru” (deliberate progress), the charge has always been that the people should use their craft to advance their communities and build a prosperous Onitsha Kingdom.

At every Ofala, the people usually look forward to the Royal message delivered by the Obi of Onitsha. This year’s message was spectacular because, apart from speaking on the ‘State of the Nation’, which dwelt on the importance of free and fair election in 2027 and encouragement of the people of the South East to participate effectively in the election, the reigning Monarch, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, briefed his subjects on the Onitsha Advancement Foundation, OnAF, which came into existence five years ago, as well as other important areas affecting Onitsha.

In the past one year, according to Igwe Achebe, the OnAF implementation committee approved some projects, including household farming, basic ICT training for women, one youth 2 skills programme, medical insurance, among others. In the Royal message, Igwe Achebe announced that all legal documentation and registration of the Onitsha Millennium Development Foundation, OMDF, have been completed and banking relationships established.

So, Ofala Onitsha is not just about dancing, but also a forum to discuss the business and welfare of the people. Hear Igwe Achebe: “As at 31st August, 2026, total inflows of money stand at N291.78 million, comprising levies of N270.6 million, fines and penalties of N17.28 million and interest of 1% representing title ceremonies of over 24 months. This figure represents the amount paid into the Onitsha account.

“Of this, N191.78 million has been reconciled and transferred to the account managed by the OMDF, while the balance of N100 million is undergoing reconciliation and will be transferred shortly. Investment activities have commenced in safe, secure and liquid money market infrastructure, and the Foundation has taken decisions to commence development activities”.

According to him, going forward, the Foundation will be the sole repository for all Community funds, including the Ofala proceeds currently committed to ongoing capital projects at Ime Obi and Okwu Eze Umuezearoli and Okebunabo, adding that it will also be disbursed annually for the recurrent expenditure, such as Ime Obi maintenance and administration, vigilante security and OnAF.

Beating his chest on the progress being made by Onitsha as a community, Igwe Achebe, who will be 25 years on the throne of Ezechima next year said: “The energy and commitment of our indigenes within and outside the homeland, including those abroad, are unrivaled. I am very proud that we are striving together at great sacrifice to our personal circumstances to leave Onitsha better than we inherited it.

“We have a duty to nurture and grow our youths of today to grow and be ready to inherit the almost 600 legacy bequeathed by our predecessors. We are in a marathon, not a sprint. I therefore call on all indigenes, friends and associates of our community, not to relent in the sustained effort to take Onicha Ado ni’du to higher levels.” There are, however, areas which the Monarch wants his subjects to pay attention to in the next 12 months.

They include assessment of the achievements and failures of OnAF @5; development of short, medium and long term priorities for Onitsha; engaging the large number of unemployed youths in the community, who have undergone training; finding solution to the alarming rate of substance abuse and drug addiction, as well as other social vices. He also said that in line with the Ohanaeze Ndigbo project, comprehensive census of victims of the Nigerian Civil War will be conducted with a view to creati