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IGBO COMMUNITY CELEBRATES NEW YAM (IRIJI) FESTIVAL IN EKET – MEDIA TODAY
IGBO COMMUNITY CELEBRATES NEW YAM (IRIJI) FESTIVAL IN EKET – MEDIA TODAY
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IGBO COMMUNITY CELEBRATES NEW YAM (IRIJI) FESTIVAL IN EKET
By Peace Etop & Alloysius Ntakpo
The Igbo community in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has celebrated its annual New Yam (IriJi) Festival. The event, which took place on September 13th at Joddag Hotel, Eket, also featured the presentation of awards to sons and daughters of Igbo land and friends of Ndi Igbo who have distinguished themselves in various fields.
Speaking at the event, the President General of the Igbo Community in Eket, Sir High Chief Innocent Ezeoma Igwe, said the festival was primarily an occasion to thank God for a successful farming season and for preserving their lives.
He explained that the New Yam Festival holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for the Igbo people, noting that it is not merely about eating yam but about celebrating the harvest as a community.
”Everything we are going to do here today is about thanking God for making us have a bountiful harvest. In Igbo land, we don’t just eat yam. We also celebrate the eating of yam. We do a festival.
”It is a time we come together as a community and gather to tell God thank you for keeping us alive to harvest the yam we planted.”
According to him, the occasion was also used to recognise individuals whose contributions and philanthropic activities have positively impacted the lives of others.
”We are also here to give awards and celebrate some great men and individuals who are known for philanthropy. They have touched lives and contributed to where people are today,” he said.
The President General described the New Yam Festival as a deeply symbolic cultural celebration that marks the end of the farming season and the beginning of a new harvest.
He encouraged members of the community to remain hopeful and united despite challenges, saying, “Don’t lose faith, the road might be tough, but together we will conquer.”
Also speaking, one of the award recipients, Chief George Njoku, explained the historical and cultural importance of yam in Igbo society.
He said yam is regarded as the “king of crops” because of its economic and cultural value, noting that farmers could plant a small seed and eventually harvest large tubers.
According to him, the traditional celebration of the New Yam Festival follows the harvest and proper storage of yams in individual barns.
He explained that, traditionally, the quantity of yam stored in a farmer’s barn was one of the measures of wealth in Igbo society.
”New Yam Festival is celebrated after harvest and when yam is stored in their barns, and after assessment from every individual’s barn in the community.
”They do the assessment to know the richest man in the community. The parameter of riches or wealth at that time was not measured by money; it was measured by the amount of yam you had in Igbo land.”
Chief Njoku further explained that the farmer with the largest quantity of yam was traditionally recognised and could be honored with a chieftaincy title during the celebration.
He also noted that, traditionally, members of the community were expected to wait until the New Yam Festival and Thanksgiving had been performed before eating the new harvest.
”Before the New Yam celebration, nobody eats new yam in Igbo land. It is only after the yam has been celebrated and thanksgiving given to God that people begin to eat new yam. That is why yam is the king of crops in Igbo land, even till tomorrow,” he explained.
Chief Njoku, however, appealed to members of the Igbo community in Eket to consider securing land where they could cultivate yam and other crops, stressing the importance of preserving the agricultural aspect of the festival.
The event attracted dignitaries from different walks of life, including Dr. Eunice Thomas, APC candidate for Eket Federal Constituency, businessmen and women, police officers, community leaders, and other guests.
The celebration ended with the recognition of distinguished individuals and renewed calls for unity, cultural preservation, and continued contributions to the development of the society.
