Globacom Elevates Ofala Festival To The Global Stage

By Casmir Igbokwe

As a young boy, I yearned to “know masquerade,” or Ima Mmonwu in the local Igbo dialect. For an Igbo man who has come of age, this phrase holds significant meaning. It refers to initiation into the secrets and myths surrounding the spirit beings.

This initiation signifies a transition from boyhood to manhood, implying that you are no longer afraid of or run away from masquerades. You can even sit with elders to witness their exclusive performances.

The day I was initiated, I finally understood how the spirit beings speak in guttural voices and how they emerge from hidden openings in the forest, seemingly like ants. Women are traditionally excluded from this knowledge. Unfortunately, civilisation seems to have eroded this ancient custom.

Nevertheless, Nigeria remains blessed with a rich cultural heritage. In the North, we have the Durbar and Argungu Cultural Festivals. The South-West boasts the Osun Osogbo and Ojude Oba Festivals. In the South-East, the New Yam and Ofala Festivals reign supreme. And the riverine communities of the South-South celebrate regattas and vibrant carnivals.

The Ofala Festival is celebrated by traditional rulers in various South-Eastern communities, but it reaches its zenith in Onitsha, Anambra State. Dating back to the 16th century, the festival showcases the town’s cultural heritage and symbolizes unity, royalty, spirituality, and the continuity of traditions. It draws over 500,000 visitors annually. The event, which marks the royal father’s emergence from his annual spiritual seclusion, reaches over 10 million more through extensive media coverage.

The 2025 edition of this customary event performed by the Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, is scheduled for October 17th and 18th. On the first day of the festival (Iru Ofala), the Onitsha monarch dances to the rhythmic beats of war drums, majestically parading the palace grounds three times alongside his red-cap chiefs, known as Ndichie. As he does so, his subjects and visitors pay him homage.

The second day of the festival (Azu Ofala) features the monarch’s subjects proudly displaying their vibrant uniforms and performing traditional dances as they pass the throne room. These performances are organized by age-grade societies.

Mr. Nnaemeka Maduegbuna, Chairman of the Strategic Marketing and Communications Committee, announced that this year’s festival will include lecture series, a carnival, the yam festival (owuwaji), an art exhibition, and a medical outreach program, among other events. A Royal Banquet will also be held on October 22nd in honor of Igwe Achebe.

The Oreze Art Exhibition Series, established in 2013 by the Obi of Onitsha through the Chimedie Museum Trust Foundation, promotes African art and fosters community development. The series features a diverse collection of works by local and international artists, including paintings, sculptures, and ceramics.

The carnival, considered the largest street festival in the South-East, highlights Onitsha’s vibrant heritage and showcases the community’s traditional outfits, dances, and entertainment. Cultural costumes from across the country are a regular feature.

The yam festival (owuwaji) is the community’s most joyous celebration. Traditionally held during the peak yam harvest, it spans eight weeks, unfolding in four phases around the Ofala period.

Ogbalido is the feast of atonement, where Ndichie and big game hunters rejuvenate themselves. Senior red-cap chiefs also use this occasion to review the performance of their subordinates.

Globacom has been a major player and sponsor of the Ofala Festival since 2011. The company’s aim, they say, is to ensure that each edition shines brighter, touches more lives, and uplifts the collective spirit. This year, they renewed their partnership with the Palace and the Ofala Festival Steering Committee for another three years. Globacom believes that tradition and innovation go hand in hand, and that festivals are not just cultural displays but also engines of identity, creativity, commerce, and tourism.

By throwing its weight behind the Ofala Festival of Onitsha in the South-East and the Ojude Oba in the South-West, Globacom is helping to project Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage onto the world stage and garner global recognition.

“While we continue to embrace globalization and digitalization, we must preserve our identity. As the late literary icon, Prof. Chinua Achebe, noted, ‘A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.’ In celebrating Ofala, therefore, we honor the humanity and dignity of our past, even as we invest in our shared future,” Globacom stated.

Tourism is an area Nigeria needs to develop to grow its non-oil economy. The country has been overly dependent on oil and needs to diversify. Encouragingly, the non-oil sector has begun to show promise. In the second quarter of 2025, it contributed 95.95 per cent of the overall share of Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), growing by 3.64 per cent compared to 3.26 per cent in the same period of 2024.

The tourism sector is projected to contribute N11.2 trillion to the GDP, up from N10.9 trillion in 2024. International visitor spending is estimated to reach N803.2 billion, while domestic tourism spending is expected to be approximately N6.1 trillion. This clearly demonstrates that culture and tourism are vital to our economy and our future.

With adequate security, reforms, and private sector investment in cultural promotion, as exemplified by Globacom, Nigeria could make tourism a major revenue generator.

In countries such as the United States, China, Spain, and France, tourism is a key driver of economic growth. In 2024, the US economic contribution from tourism was approximately $2.36 trillion.

In Kenya, the travel and tourism sector is projected to contribute over seven per cent of the GDP in 2025. In Morocco, it contributed 12.3 per cent in 2024. However, in Nigeria, it contributes less than 4 per cent of the GDP. The Federal Government aims for a $1 trillion economy by 2030, and tourism should be positioned to contribute significantly to that goal.

As part of its broader belief that investing in culture yields returns beyond the balance sheet, building communities, jobs, local businesses, and pride, Globacom supports the Ofala Festival in various ways. To make this year’s edition special, it is offering a special promotion for subscribers, with prizes ranging from tricycles to sewing machines and grinding machines. The company has also pledged to continue aggressively rolling out and upgrading its network infrastructure across Nigeria, especially its 4G-LTE network. This is to enable subscribers to enjoy an enhanced experience on both voice and data services.

Earlier on Monday, September 22nd, 2025, the company launched two new customer-friendly products – ‘Talkmasta 6 for 6’ and ‘Welcome Bonus’. The first one automatically gives customers who make six minutes of local calls to any network, six additional free minutes, which can be used to call any local network, plus free 50MB of data. The second one gives new subscribers who register a Glo SIM a one-time welcome package worth N2,000, comprising N1,000 airtime (equivalent to 25 minutes of calls to all networks) and N1,000 data (equivalent to 1GB of browsing), valid for seven days. The company promised to continue to “stand where culture meets innovation, where the past inspires the future.”

Since Globacom began operations in Nigeria on August 29th, 2003, it has significantly contributed to the country’s economic growth and the empowerment of Nigerians in various ways. It pioneered per-second billing when other telecommunications companies deemed it impossible. It drastically reduced the cost of acquiring SIM cards from approximately N25,000 to around N200. Blackberry Services, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), International Prepaid Roaming, and Mobile Banking Services were some of the company’s other innovations. Glo’s undersea cable, which provides faster and more reliable connectivity for voice, data, and video, significantly reduced the cost of internet services. It was the first company in Africa to independently build this international submarine cable.

For those planning to attend this year’s Ofala Festival, rest assured that adequate arrangements have been made to ensure a spectacular event, including the security and comfort of all visitors. The experience from this event is sure to transport visitors, quite literally, to the spirit world!