The popular Ofala Festival, which is sponsored by telecommunications giant, Globacom, kicked off on Friday, October 13, 2023, in Onitsha, Anambra State, with a youth carnival organised by the Onitsha Ado Youth Council.
Youth cultural groups such as Agbalanze (Ozo title holders), Egbenuoba (warriors of Onitsha), Egwu Edo (girls dance group), Di Okpa ( family heads), Omu (bearers of children) and Otu Odu (women title holders) participated in the carnival, dancing through the streets of Inland Town, Onitsha, in celebration of the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe.
The carnival also showcased the rich cultural heritage of Onitsha people, in addition to other Nigerian cultures, as different youth groups dressed to represent the Yorubas, Fulanis, Edos, Igalas, and Ijaws, among others.
The festival continues today with the Iru Ofala, and will end with the Azu Ofala on Sunday, October 15.
The festival serves as an avenue for the monarch to perform certain obligations, and is mainly a celebration with his subjects upon his annual emergence from seclusion.
Meanwhile, Globacom will host a royal banquet in honour of the king on Tuesday, October 17.
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