By Kayode Akinyemi
Onitsha, a city steeped in heritage and Eastern Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, was last week the centre stage of both national and global cultural renaissance and heritage as it hosted the world for the 2026 Ofala Festival, hallmarked by the Iru Ofala and Azu Ofala.
The Ofala Festival is a historic annual rite of renewal celebrated by the Igbo people of Onitsha. The high point of the week-long celebrations was the appearance of the Obi in full royal regalia, with the red-cap chiefs (Ndichie), titleholders, and age-grades’ procession through the arena to pay homage and pledge allegiance to the king.
In the modern era, the traditional ceremonies are complemented by contemporary events like art exhibitions, youth carnivals, lectures, and community medical outreach programs. These additions give the festival modern flavours as well as accommodating newly emerging traditions and services which enrich and enhance communal living in the ancient kingdom.
By pure serendipity, the 2026 edition of the Globacom sponsored festival coincided with the 25th anniversary of the reign of Agbogidi, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe. The 2026 festival was, therefore, a double cultural event in the ancient city. Globacom’s partnership with the Onitsha Traditional Council has not only elevated the city’s ranking as a centre of cultural excellence and vibrancy, it has also brought economic gains to the people in substantial quantum.
Nigeria’s telecommunications giant, Globacom, has been the main sponsor of the festival for 15 unbroken years in furtherance of its commitment to cultural preservation and revival. The event presents the cultural face of Onitsha, distinguishing it from the familiar and everyday pulsating rhythm of a vibrant centre of commerce and trade.
The 2026 festival was themed “Igba Mbo, Iga N’Iru – Strive and Advance. From Resilience to Progress.” The theme captured the spirit of Ndi Onicha, whose history is defined by resilience, enterprise, adaptation and determination to advance.
Providing rationale for its continued association with the city and sponsorship of the Ofala Festival, Globacom said the decision was in tandem with the philosophy that places culture alongside connectivity as instruments of national development. As a matter of fact, the company sees the festival as far more than an annual cultural celebration. It’s a living expression of identity, continuity and collective aspiration.
The sustained partnership also underscores the telecom giant’s belief that preserving heritage and advancing society are not competing imperatives but are mutually reinforcing pillars of a progressive nation. This is the spirit of Globacom’s “Never Settle for Less”: to honour what is worthy, while continually striving for something greater.
Ofala Festival, in its present format, is not only a sacred rite of royal renewal, it has progressively evolved into a platform for cultural affirmation, community engagement and collective progress. As a lover of development, Globacom, through the sponsorship, serves as a catalyst for both social, cultural and economic development in Onitsha Kingdom. The sponsorship is also an expression of practical corporate citizenship and cultural stewardship—an investment in the memory, meaning and continuity of a people.
Significantly, the Chairman of Globacom, Otunba (Dr.) Mike Adenuga Jr., in a personal letter to Igwe Achebe, paid a glowing tribute to the Obi on the occasion of the 2026 edition of the Ofala Festival. He commended the revered monarch’s wisdom, dignity and exemplary leadership with which he had presided over the affairs of his people over the years. In particular, Otunba Adenuga extolled Igwe Achebe’s remarkable ability to preserve the cherished traditions of the past while embracing the aspirations and opportunities of the modern age, noting that such a leadership style had continued to enhance the prestige of the Onitsha Kingdom and earn it deserved recognition far beyond its borders.
The Globacom boss expressed delight that through Globacom’s association with the Ofala Festival, the company has been privileged to make its modest contributions to the preservation, celebration and wider projection of the priceless cultural heritage, stating his satisfaction and joy to join the people of Onitsha and the Igwe each year in showcasing to Nigeria, Africa and the wider world the beauty, dignity and enduring values represented by Ofala.
In a foreword to the book written to mark the occasion, Igwe Achebe commended Globacom for keeping the Ofala heritage alive through the sponsorship deal. Specifically, he said the transformation of Ofala Festival from a palace ritual to a world-renowned cultural festival owed a great deal to purposeful partnership with Globacom, pointing out that since 2011, the telecom company had stood with his kingdom as its principal partner, a period of 15 long years of unwavering commitment.
The monarch noted that what began as a deeply sacred royal obligation had, under the people’s collective custodianship, grown into a festival of national and global significance without losing its spiritual core, as a heritage asset for identity, unity, tourism, youth enterprise, and community ritual. He said instead, what has evolved is the festival’s power to speak to contemporary Nigerian wellbeing.
As Igwe Achebe presided over the week-long event, the Globacom Chairman prayed for abundant wisdom, strength and excellent health for him, and wished him many more fulfilling years of distinguished service to his people and Nigeria. Above all, he prayed for continued peace, progress and prosperity throughout the Onitsha Kingdom under His Majesty’s revered leadership.
Globacom recognises that preserving tradition safeguards the intellectual and spiritual architecture upon which the future is built. Its association with the sponsorship and promotion of major festivals, including Ofala, is rooted in a broader aspiration: to harness the transformative power of connectivity to bridge generations and cultures, while helping Nigeria’s heritage to reach wider audiences at home and across the world.
Through the sponsorship, Globacom has elevated the festival into a globally recognized cultural event, attracting tourists, dignitaries, cultural enthusiasts, investors, and media attention from different parts of Nigeria and beyond. The company’s involvement has helped project the rich cultural heritage of Onitsha to the international community while strengthening local participation and pride.
Crucially, the economic impact of the festival cannot be overstated. The event creates a quantum leap in local tourism and socio-economic activities. During the festival period, hotels experience massive occupancy, transport operators record increased patronage, restaurants and food vendors enjoy booming sales, while traders and artisans witness unprecedented commercial activities. Fashion designers, makeup artists, event planners, decorators, entertainers, and local craftsmen also benefit immensely from the influx of visitors and spending associated with the celebration.
Indeed, the Ofala Festival has evolved into an economic ecosystem that stimulates local enterprise and community prosperity. It provides temporary employment opportunities for the youth population and enhances the visibility of local businesses. Such economic stimulation underscores the strategic importance of cultural festivals as drivers of grassroots development and sustainable local economies.
The 2026 Ofala theme, ‘From Resilience to Progress’, shared meaning and form with the Globacom philosophy. The correlation is obvious in the spirit of resilience, reinvention and forward movement of Ofala and Globacom’s progressive journey of connecting Nigerians and democratising access to telecommunications.
Globacom is also the headline sponsor of the Ojude Oba Festival, an annual cultural fiesta of the Ijebus, showcasing culture, at its best. It has consistently sponsored the Ojude Oba Festival in the last 21 years as its own contributions to cultural preservation and social continuity. The 2026 edition was held in May this year in honour of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, the man who gave it the touch of modernity and its appealing features such as the streamlining of the participation of the various age groups, widening the participation loop to include women and men age grades, introduction of horse ride, institution of prizes, among others.
Underlying the significance of the cultural synergy and partnership between Globacom and promotion of culture is the fact that such sponsorships continue to serve as compelling evidence that culture is not a fading relic, but a living force capable of advancing unity, tourism, economic growth and social cohesion. In an era where globalisation often threatens indigenous identity, festivals remind us that any people who preserve their culture ultimately preserve their future.
Globacom’s nationalistic fervor for the general well-being and prosperity of Nigerians is the reason behind its ongoing national campaign themed “Never Settle for Less”, which is a philosophy of progress: development, and seeking to broaden possibilities, deepen impact and move the nation forward.
The Onitsha Ofala Festival serves as rites of renewal of the Obi and is similar to the Igue festival in Benin and the Ine, Osi or Ogbanigbe festivals in many mid-West Igbo communities. The term ofala, is derived from two Igbo words – (authority) and ala (land).
The festival can be traced back to the 16th Century when Onitsha people emigrated from Benin to the eastern banks of the River Niger presently known as the city of Onitsha and brought with them among other customs, the tradition of monarchy. Some historians also believe the festival is related to the New Yam Festival in Onitsha and the devotion of the king to the safety of his people.
The festival marks the end of a period of retreat sometimes called Inye Ukwu na Nlo when the Obi remains incommunicado and undergoes spiritual purification for the good of the community. At the end of the week-long retreat, the Igwe emerges during the Ofala to bless his subjects and say prayers for the community.
The Ofala Onitsha starts with a traditional twenty-one-gun salute followed by an all-night Ufie (royal gong) drumming, dancing and other cultural activities. In the afternoon, the Obi’s cabinet of chiefs, guests from other communities, age groups, women and youth of the community usually throng the palace grounds or Ime Obi dressed in traditional or ceremonial attires befitting the festival occasion. The royal music or Egwu Ota is played during the entrance of the Ndichie or red cap chiefs who arrive after the gathering of the crowd and bringing along a few of their friends and family members their procession to the palace.
The highlight of the festival is the emergence of the Obi in his royal regalia to the cheer of the crowd, a cannon shot announces the entrance of the Obi who is usually dressed in ceremonial robe and carries a bronze sword on his hand, he walks to the sides of the arena or a third of the arena acknowledging the cheers of the gathering. The Obi then retires and subsequently, the red cap chiefs pay homage to him according to seniority, thereafter both the Obi and the chiefs reappear after the firing of another cannon shot.
During the second appearance the Obi dances in the arena, something that is rarely seen and his steps cover more distance than the first appearance. Then the visiting chiefs and guests pay homage to the Obi. The festival is also sometimes an occasion for the Obi to honour individuals with chieftaincy titles.
•Akinyemi, a Fellow of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations writes from Lagos