Let’s discuss the essence of Christmas in Igboland and conclude with the significance of its branding for Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo and his administration.
According to the state Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, the yuletide goes beyond Christmas celebration, for Ndigbo generally. It serves as a tourism hub and a time for stocktaking, as well as a pilgrimage destination. He said: ‘Igbo people return from all over the world to join with family and friends at home in auspicious celebrations that last for about two to three weeks on average in and around the communities across Igbo land.
‘In most Igbo communities, burials are typically banned from mid-December to make way for joyous Christmas celebrations and resume in the first week of the New Year, when many burials that could have been held in December are rescheduled’.
Mefor posits that the month (Onwa) of December (Dezemba in Igbo pronunciation) is therefore not new. What is new is that Soludo wants it fully branded, unified, and celebrated annually in the state — possibly on a grander scale than Detty December in Lagos, the Calabar Carnival, and so on.
This bold initiative is called Onwa Dezemba. You may have seen or heard of the Calabar Carnival, initiated by then-Governor Donald Duke of Cross River State in 2004. Others may refer to it as the Detty December of Lagos. But as the Americans say, “You ain’t seen nothing yet”! Wait until you behold Anambra State’s very own Onwa Dezemba fiesta of 2025!
It promises to be a global gathering. The Diaspora is flocking to Anambra State. Sons and daughters of Anambra State are poised to make the annual Yuletide journey back to their homeland from all parts of Nigeria. It is a jam-packed feast. Call it Onwa Dezemba, and Ndi Anambra will bow!
There is nothing “dirty” in relation to Onwa Dezemba. The organising committee’s rich programmes embody the event’s character of cultural exhibitions and pure communal fun.
Through Onwa Dezemba, the ever-resourceful governor is keeping alive his promise of developing a peaceful and pleasurable homeland that stands tall as a destination choice, rather than a departure lounge. The Anambra State community at large would gather together in their numbers and make merry in style and grandeur.
As the state’s famous son, Prof. Chinua Achebe, whom Soludo named the Chinua Achebe International Airport after, wrote in his iconic novel, Things Fall Apart, “a man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving. They all have food in their homes. When we gather together on the moonlit village ground, we do not do so solely because of the moon. Every man can see it in his compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so”.
When the families of Anambra State people living at home and abroad gather via the Onwa Dezemba fiesta, the entire homeland will metaphorically be eating out of the same communal pot, from Abba to Olumbanasaa.
Mefor added that the fiesta kicked off on 10 December with the lighting up and decoration of the awe-inspiring Christmas tree at the Solution Fun City. Onwa Dezemba, arguably Africa’s grandest communal party, has officially commenced and will continue in full swing until January 2026. All the drivers of Onwa Dezemba are poised to execute the programme effectively, thus ensuring a memorable festive experience for Ndi Anambra in line with the governor’s vision of delivering a liveable and prosperous Anambra. The Onwa Dezemba festival is being consciously enshrined as an annual end-of-year celebration, designed to bring Ndi Anambra together through culture, entertainment, family-friendly activities, and community engagement.
Mefor explained: ‘This inaugural 2025 edition features nine major events across Awka, Ekwulobia, and Onitsha. The other diverse towns of Anambra State have all keyed into the Onwa Dezemba phenomenon. Key highlights include the Solution FunCity Christmas Cantata, the masquerade festival at Ezechima Primary School in Onitsha, the Christmas Day Children’s Carnival at Solution FunCity, and the masquerade festival at Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, which will be followed the next day by another Masquerade Festival at Township Stadium in Ekwulobia’.
Solution FunCity will kick off the New Year with an LOL (Laugh Out Loud) Anambra event. Thereafter, Walk-for-Life gets into gear at Alex Ekwueme Square. There is the compelling All-White Old School Night at Solution FunCity.
MegaFest 2.0 is a showstopper like no other, featuring elite performing artists anchored by Flavour na Abania & Friends.
Onwa Dezemba is a standout creation to promote the state as the cultural, entertainment, and tourism hub of the Southeast. It offers safe, well-organised festive events across multiple Local Government Areas and engages youth through music, culture, comedy, carnivals, and fitness events. The inimitable fiesta boosts tourism potential and attracts Foreign Direct Investment through strong media coverage and livestreams. It strengthens unity and togetherness among Ndi Anambra while offering much-needed support to creatives, performers, and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.
According to the commissioner, there is no greater branding masterpiece than the 2025 Onwa Dezemba, and it holds a powerful promise of surpassing similar efforts in due time. It is one of Soludo’s grand agendas to turn the state into a destination of choice, a place where the people will look forward to returning to — a place individuals can live, work, learn, relax and enjoy.
