Clement Nnachi 
Sociologists define culture as the totality of the peoples’ way of life, behaviour and lifestyle. It is the belief and attitude about something that people, in a particular, group or organisation share.
The importance of culture all over the globe cannot be over emphasized, ranging from being a symbol of unity, togetherness, cohesion and an avenue to chart a way forward for the advancement and development of the community.
Socialisation process of humanity is done through family, community, school and religious organisations. Every one of this groupings is a veritable platform for socialisation process of man. The bond created and the socialisation process are memorable.
More importantly, the United Nations and peoples across the world, have been making concerted efforts, aimed at maintaining, reviving the indigenous art forms and practices through Salvage Ethnography, to avoid extinction.
Maiden cultural carnival
The maiden Afikpo Cultural Carnival may have gone but the memories linger. The community was aglow with celebration and festivities during the carnival, which held between November 29 and December 1, 2024. It attracted a large throng of people including tourists from different parts of the country.
The carnival, with the theme; Celebrating our Heritage, Uniting our People, featured Igbori dance, music, masquerade display, children fiesta, visit to tourist sites, and traditional fanfare, In attendance were youths, traditional rulers, children, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the elderly, scholars and religious leaders.
The town became a beehive of activities as various cultural groups, masquerades, and musical groups from all the villages that make up the community gathered for the festivities, which was a colourful, entertaining and memorable celebration of the cultural ties of the people thus exposing its cultural tourism potential that if harnessed should generate job and boost the economy of the community and the state at large.
The three-day epoch making cultural tourism event commenced on Friday, November 29, and climaxed on Sunday December, 1 2024, with the grand finale held at Government Secondary School Field, Afikpo.
The carnival was historic in many ways as it is the first time the term ‘carnival’ appellation was added to make it a broad-based celebration in Afikpo cultural discourse. The cultural fiesta is an age-long ceremony and cultural belief that was passed down by the progenitors and maintained by them.
Scholars like Mikhail Bakhtin have underscored the power and importance of carnivals in human life through the carnivalesque theory, where they talk about mis-alliances, profanation, and dismantling of authority among others during carnivals, as being key to establishing social cohesion, stability and even control.
Through this carnival, we have therefore witnessed the coming together of men and women, the rich and the poor, the weak and the strong, and the wise and unwise members of the society becoming united in healthy celebration.
Partnership
Ebonyi State government pledged to partner with the community to ensure that the cultural carnival regains its proper place in the comity of nations .
The State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Stanley Ogbuewu, made the declaration while speaking during the cultural carnival.
He commended the organisers for their innovations and thoughtfulness that has resulted in a memorable celebration.
Convener speaks
In a welcome address at the event, the Convener of Afikpo Cultural Carnival, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwu Ewa, emphasised the importance of cultural activities to attract investments and improve the economic, anthropological, social integration of the people as well as exposing the cultural tourism potential of the community, spotlighting its rich and diverse tourist areas.
He said that the carnival seeks to demonstrate the unity of the people, by exposing their unique heritage through the carnival and enhanced friendship.
According to him, “The Omezue title taking in Afikpo is a colossus of a cultural celebration that should not be allowed to go into extinction.”
Ewa appealed to the state government to establish a cultural Centre in Afikpo that will house a museum where certain images, relics, costumes and historical cultural ornaments of the community would be preserved. He commended traditional rulers for their commitment and cooperation in the actualisation of the carnival.
Lecture series
Earlier in a keynote presentation, a scholar, Mr Jasper Okoro, described the carnival as a re-enactment and revival of the ancient traditional arts, crafts, antiques, music and dances of the people.
According to him, “We need to utilise the opportunity which the occasion affords us to stress on those elements that unite us, rather than the divisive ones.
“Nigeria and indeed the world have seen Afikpo as a community that offers a very rich all round cultural calendar, which covers traditional arts and artistic forms.”
He outlined the rich cultural outputs of Afikpo to include “Okenkwa, Nkwa Umuagbogho, and Eke Ukwu Ehugbo market among others.
Benefits
Afikpo used the carnival to maintain and strengthened its cultural identity, ancestral heritage and celebrates art forms among the 28 villages that make up the town.
This is as the carnival served to mobilised the people for peaceful co-existence, cultural preservation, unity, peace and progress.
It offered an intra-cultural link that served as foundation of knowledge and reference point. It was a bond that binds the Ehugbo people together.
The carnival has showcased Afikpo as a safe and thriving tourist destination. Many towns in the south east geo-political zones have not been so lucky, as some have many of their cultural norms and practices eclipsed by western culture.
The carnival also offered an opportunity to showcase in a more organised form the different aspects of the community’s cultural heritage and create visibility for them, with a view to placing the town in the global and Nigerian tourism map.
A blessed enclave
Afikpo is the second largest town in Ebonyi State, with its population puts at over half a million people. The town is a geographically blessed area in terms of natural endowments and is also rich in culture.
The city with her several entertainment dance troupes, notably “Ojienya lere, Nkwawite, Okenkwa and others, have brought laurels of different categories to the government and the community.
The local language of the people, Okwu Ehugbo, is a dialect of Igbo, which is a common language among the five south eastern states of Nigeria, namely; Anambra. Imo, Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi states.
The town is said to be a Mecca of sorts to Igbo tradition and culture, as it houses a sizeable numbers of Igbo’s traditional and cultural elements and practices.
Afikpo community consolidates its unity, and cohesion through the renewal of its cultural carnival. The town prides itself as the custodian of its culture and belief system.
Most of them have been preserved, and observed, diligently in present day while several archeological findings support the claim that Afikpo civilisation existed as far back as the Neolithic age. The town is also the home of some Africa top traditional dance groups, artists and cultural festivals.
Some of these traditional and cultural heritage are on displays in museums and for sale in arts gallery across the world. Afikpo people are mainly farmers, traders and civil servants. Commercial activities of various blend have also thrives in the town making it one of the emerging commercial cities in Ebonyi State.
Afikpo is home of many prominent and accomplished Nigerians. The former Governor of defunct Eastern region Dr Akanu Ibiam, of Unwana, is one of the first Igbo Doctors of Afikpo origin.
The Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana, which is named in his honour is located in Afikpo. The Mater Misericordia Hospital, Mater School of Nursing and Midwifery, was one of the first nursing schools established in Nigeria by the Irish missionaries.
