Nchaka - New Yam Festival of the Ogba People in Ogba/Egbema/NdoninLocal Government AreabofbRivers State held yesterday December 3rd, 2020

The New Yam Festival of the Ogba people (Igburu, Usomini and the Egi depending on dialect) is the biggest annual cultural festival by the Ogba nation normally held at the end of the rainy season within November and December.

The New Yam Festival, in the Ogba kingdom is also an important way of marking the beginning and end of the farming season. It is a celebration of life, accomplishments in the community, culture and well-being.

The Nchaka festival (literally “new-yam eating“) is practiced throughout West Africa (especially in Nigeria) and other African countries and beyond, symbolizing the conclusion of a harvest and the beginning of the next work cycle. The celebration is a very culturally based occasion, tying individual Igbo communities together as essentially agrarian and dependent on yam, the king of crops.


Some Ogba sons showcasing their heritage and culture at the 3rd December, 2020 Nchaka Festival

Image: Nchaka Festival
The traditional ruler of the land, the Oba of Ogba Land His, Eminenece, Sir (Dr.) Chukwumela Nnam Obi II (JP), is always the converner of the ceremony with prayers of thanksgiving for the favour of nature he leads and enlightens the natives on the importance of yam to the community and its farmers. Royal fathers and dignitaries of other communities, especially those ones that share boundaries and affiliations with Ogba land, pay respect to the Oba (of Ogba Landi) during the festival, and thrones, kings and dignitaries honour the festival to show solidarity and support of the people.


Proudly Ogba.
Ogba Land is a kingdom currently located in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. It is renowned for its rich crude oil contents, agricultural produce, arts and culture. One of its popular produce, yam, is hugely celebrated yearly at the harvest of new yams from the farms, in an elaborate ceremony popularly known as NCHAKA. The New Yam Festival is celebrated as the Ogba’s day – in the Obiete Playground, at the heart of Omoku City, being like the center. The celebration attracts tourists from the country and offers a platform for the sons and daughters to showcase their art and traditional magical contents to visitors.


Man showing his powers at Obiete Playground, Omoku
From past till present, costume used in its clandestine Factivities ranges from masquerading, dancing, drumming, magical displays, and other sort of performance that showcases the craft and unique nature of the Nchaka Festival of the Ogba people has for long created economic and cultural values during its activities. Nchaka craft and costume defined by deity worship and ancestral venerations, helps towards preserving the tradition of the Ogba people, thus promoting its culture. To this, costume has pragmatically become essential element used in defining the way of life of the primitive Ogba people. Nchaka festival as an essential pivot of cultural heritage helps towards teaching and sustaining law and order, thereby promoting the craft of the people. Despite these attributes, the cultural values of the Nchaka Festival like that of other Nigerian Traditional Festivals had been diminishing due to the advent of Christianization. This is plausible because the Nchaka festival is association with deity worship and ancestral veneration that contradicts the Western culture which negates the traditional believes of the people. The effect of such is seen in the prevalent activities which contradicts the law and order in the Ogba society. The post is therefore aimed at identifying the cultural values of costume towards preserving the craft of the Nchaka festival of the Ogba people. Thus, using the narrative methodology, OmokuCelebrity.com through the writer Jonah, Promise Ebubechi explores the cultural values of Nchaka Festival and its importance towards preserving the typical tradition of the people. It is recommended therefore that costumes used in the Nchaka festival should be preserved as that preserves its craft and identity.


Nchaka Festival December 3rd, 2020.
Yam is significant to the planting and harvesting season of Ogba communities as it is regarded as a miraculous plant that signifies fertility. Once new yams are harvested from the farms in good quantity and conditions, it is believed that the year will be illustrious and that the ground will be fertile for other crops.

Source : https://www.omokucelebrity.com/2020/12/04/nchaka-new-yam-festival-in-ogba-land-celebration-of-life-and-culture/