Onitsha Ofala Festival 2023
October 14, 2023 @ 8:00 am - October 15, 2023 @ 5:00 pm
Rooted in deep spirituality, the Ofala is an occasion for the monarch to fulfill certain obligations. It is primarily a celebration by the monarch and his subjects of the monarch’s annual emergence from seclusion, during which period the monarch has successfully negotiated the fortunes of the kingdom. The Ofala is also a reenactment of the joy which the monarch shared with his subjects, at the discovery that yam is non-toxic, and a valuable source of food.
Background
Indigenous to Onitsha, the Ofala which usually falls due early to mid-October is the highpoint of the Onitsha ceremonial cycle. The celebrant of this spectacle which is rooted in deep spirituality is the Obi of Onitsha and is an occasion for the monarch to fulfill certain obligations. It is primarily a celebration by the monarch and his subjects of the monarch’s annual emergence from seclusion, during which period the monarch has successfully negotiated the fortunes of the kingdom.