From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu

The umbrella organization for all the Ozo title holders in Igbo land, Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo Nigeria (NONIN) has called for “the unification of new yam festival in all parts of Igbo land”.

The NONIN urges all the Igbo traditional rulers and community leaders to adopt one day or a period for the new yam festival across the entire Igbo land.

 The call was contained in a speech by the National President of the NONIN, Professor Ike Oluka at the 2024 Ili-ji (new yam celebration) which took place recently at the Enugu Sports Club, Gulf Section, Enugu.

According to Prof Oluka, unification of the celebration of Iliji Ndi Igbo has the potential to strengthen Igbo unity and socio-cultural identity as well as reposition the Igbo nation on a bigger national and international visibility.

He reiterated the need for all hands to be on deck to make the unification of the Iliji celebration a reality and admonished that all the Igbo leaders in authority should strive to reposition the Igbo identity, authenticity and social order.

The New Yam festival is rooted in the ancient Igbo cosmology which prescribes that the Supreme Being (Chi-Ukwu) is the source of life and every other creation that compliments the world we live in. The Igbo, like the Greeks, believe that to access the Supreme Being for a particular purpose, one must pass through a specific cosmic messenger or a god in charge of such constituency. For instance, to access God for bountiful agricultural yields, one should plead the Ahajioku. Specifically, one should invoke Njoku, the god of yam for bumper harvests; the Amadioha, the god of thunder and lightning; Ala, the earth goddess; Ikenga, for strength and valour; Agwu for health and divination, Idemili, the god of sea and river; Anyanwu for Sun; etc.

The New yam festival is the Igbo expression of gratitude to the Almighty God for sparing our lives from one farming season to the other, for bumper harvests, and also a supplication for more lives and prosperity. The use of yam to symbolize all other crops is because the Igbo regard yam as the king of all crops.

It is heartwarming that new yam festival is one of the Igbo culture that has survived the erosion of indigenous culture by the Western civilization. In other words, almost every community in Igbo land and in the Diaspora celebrates new yam every year. The NONIN is of the opinion that since the new yam celebration has come to stay amongst the Igbo, it is only necessary that a day or period be set aside for the celebration of new yam Igbo land. 

In his contribution, the guest speaker at the event, Rev. Fr. Professor Nnamdi Nwankwo, the Rector Enugu State Polytechnic Iwollo, in line with the theme of the event, canvassed “for a universal celebration of ili-ji Ndigbo on a day recognized as a public holiday for the entire Igboland and the Diaspora. Prof Nwankwo argued that if the Igbo in the Diaspora can centralize the new yam in their respective countries of abode, in spite of their diverse cultural backgrounds, it is therefore very imperative for the Igbo to adopt the unification of new yam festival in Igbo land.

Prof. Nwankwo further stated that, in the Christendom, Christmas is celebrated on the same day. “My question is, why can’t New Yam Festival (Ili Ji) enjoy what Christmas has been enjoying for the past 2000 years? If the Church can do it, the Igbos can do it as well. The Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo can do it also”. Nwankwo asserted that “we have so much in the life of the Igboman that suggest unity but nothing can unify us better than the food that sustained our ancestors ab initio”

In his own contribution, His Royal Highness, Igwe Engr. (Dr) Michael Uzoigwe, the Chinenyeze ii of Uwani Amokwe and the Chairman of the event, explained that New Yam celebration is one festival that is common to all parts of Igbo land and that the unification of New yam celebration is one of the easiest ways to mobilize the entire Igbo land towards a consensus.

Others at the event who lent supports to the unification of new yam festival in Igbo land include, Prince Emeka Onyesoh, Oba Agbalanze of Nri and the National Leader of NONIN, Ozo Ramsy Onyia (Nnabu Odii of Ngwo), Ozo Prof. Chike Anibeze (Ijele Ezeagu), Prof. CJC Akubilo (Ozo Madukanaya), Ozo Prof. Chris Ogwugwuam Ezeagwu – the Onu-Obi of Ezi Kingdom, Delta State, Ozo Johnbosco Offorbuike (Osisioma Achi), Ozo Donatus Oguejiofor (Omenihe of Eke), Ozo Joel Eke (Ozo Okedinachi of Okpogho),  Ozo Chief Emma Ugwu (Enyidiru), Barr Emeka Odenigwe (Ozo Nnanyelugo),  among others.

The group resolved to take the new yam unification advocacy to the South East Governors, traditional rulers, town union presidents, Churches and other opinion molders.