Masquerade Of Afiolu Festival in Nnewi

Project and Seminar Material for Fine Arts

Abstract

This study was carried out to assess the masquerade of Afiolu festival in Nnewi LGA of Anambra state. The study revealed that Anambra state has a lot of tourism attractions that are innumerable because the state has twenty-one local government areas with over two hundred towns but emphasis was laid on the Afolu festival in Nnewi LGA. It will be pertinent to say that large scale tourism development must or definitely will involve the local people otherwise it will hamper the progress of tourism development at the long-run and some of the dangers of non-community involvement are: overstretching of limited resources in rural area, defacing of natural attractions, altering the natural surface, environmental pollution, restiveness and hostility to mention but a few. The study recommended that there should be importance placed on the economic consequences of tourism development in Anambra state. Also, there is need for encouragement of private investors in tourism development in Anambra state.

Table Of Content

Preliminary Page(s)

Title page
Certification page
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Abstract
Table of content

Chapter One

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background History
1.2 Statement Of Problems
1.3 Aim And Objective
1.4 Scope Of The Study

Chapter Two

2.0 Literature Review

2.1 Empirical Literature
2.2 Development
2.3 Sustainable Development
2.4 Theoretical Literature

Chapter Three

3.0 Background Information

3.1 Geographical Location Of Anambra State
3.2 Climates And Vegetation
3.3 Historical Background
3.4 Socio-Political Organization.
3.5 Socio-Economic Activities

Chapter Four

4.0 Data Analysis

4.1 Nnewi Afiaolu Festival
4.2 Origin
4.3 Eke Day
4.4 Olie Day
4.5 Afor Day
4.6 Nkwo Day
4.7 Community Benefits From Tourism Attractions

Chapter Five

5.0 Conclusion And Recommendation

5.1 Conclusion
5.2 Recommendations
References

Chapter One

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background History

“The Igbos appears to be people perpetually celebrating.

Every month, some community somewhere is celebrating. The Igbo year, “aro”, is a round of festivals and ceremonies, which vibrate with life, collier, sounds and meaning” (Okafor 1989: 133).

Festivals are an integral part of Igbo traditional culture and system. It is a period of celebration when series of performance of music, drama, film etc, given regularly, especially once a year.

In Igbo land, every town, kindred, village have festivals they celebrates, like wise in Nnewi, Nnewi is a village that situated at southern part of Anambra State. It’s people have a rather intricate origin, as handed down by the predecessors.

Also considering the fact that most so these information are based on oral traditions, we are presented with so many faces of the story making it difficult to identify the true origin.

Despite of its intricate origin, Nnewi is in existence till date. They have their festivals they celebrates Viz: Igu aro,

Igba Ofala, Afiolu, Iriji, Ikwu aro, ETC. Above all mentioned Afiolu Festival happens to be the greatest festival that Nnewi people respect and being practicing to date.

Since festival is a public celebration of very important event with different remarkable happenings in live. Afiolu festival in Nnewi happens to be outstanding festivity that remarks when long toil of cultivation is over every year. Also it was done to offer thanksgiving to the gods of crop and farming called Ufejioke which they believe that it makes their land to be fertile so that on harvesting period the plants will produce richly.

During this festival, there are so many activities that Nnewi people engage themselves into, like, people in their various homes cook different types of foods and drinks for enjoyment. People that are abroad visit their various homes. Friends visit their friends but the most important aspect of it is masquerading by the youths at ama. Afiolu masquerade, this masquerades wipe themselves with a particular cane called anasi on their heads to display power and entertainment. Women, girls and little children ran for them for fun.

Masquerading in afiolu festival has some important roles it plays during that great festival.

It act as homage to Ufejioke god of Crop and farming.
It act as refreshing of spirit/human relationship
It helps in sustaining of tradition
It serves as an entertainment to people
It also serve as a display of traditional wealth of creativity to Nnewi.

Afiolu festival is free for everyone to participate, women and children are allowed because is a festival that brings sharing of love, happiness and unity. It is one of their traditional heritages that is not against Christianity no performance of rituals in this festival.

Finally, Afiolu festival in Nnewi has been started for some years back till date, it is still this same. It is a time of grand merriment for everybody in Nnewi be it indigenes or foreigners.

1.2 Statement Of Problems

This project will attempt to solve the following problems.

The role of masquerading of afiolu festival
Those activities that features in the festival
The origin and concept of afiolu festival
The advantage of afiolu festival to Nnewi people.

1.3 Aim And Objective

To identify to what extent the role of masquerade in afiolu festival influence Nnewi people.
To find out the extent those activities that feature in the festival affect Nnewi people.
To identify the origin are concept of afiolu festival in Nnewi
To find out to what extent the advantage of afiolu festival affect Nnewi people.

1.4 Scope Of The Study

This work does not exceed the bounding of Nnewi community. It’s emphasis, however, is on the art of masquerading in a specific occasion i.e. The Afiolu festival.

Chapter Five

5.0 Conclusion And Recommendation

5.1 Conclusion

From the fore going it is obvious that Anambra state has a lot of tourism attractions that are innumerable because the state has twenty-one local government areas with over two hundred towns, therefore to document all the attractions in this single research is beyond the reach of the present writer though attempts were to document some and he succeeded to document over sixty tourism attractions in the state but emphasis was laid on the Afolu festival.

There are a lot of inherent benefits in all afore written attractions studied. During the celebration of Afolu festivals the people makes a lot of unprecedented sales due to population upsurge and demanding nature of festive seasons and this brings a lot of multiplier‟s effect on the economy of the people, secondly, these festivals have socio-religious values. First, new yam festival is a period the people use to thank God for giving them a bumper harvest and celebrate yam as the king of all agricultural produce while the Afolu festivals is a period the king, Obi or Eze use to felicitate with his people while other attractions like hotels, museums, caves give jobs to the people of the area and this is one of the cardinal benefits of tourism to host communities.

It will be pertinent to say that large scale tourism development must or definitely will involve the local people otherwise it will hamper the progress of tourism development at the long-run and some of the dangers of non-community involvement are: overstretching of limited resources in rural area, defacing of natural attractions, this is obvious in Ogbunike cave were a lot of writings were written on the wall of the cave, altering the natural surface, environmental pollution, restiveness and hostility to mention but a few.

Cultural, natural, man-made, historic, archaeological, and ethnographic attractions exist in Anambra state in large numbers though most of them are undeveloped. The vital attractions that hold sway to the lives of the people are cultural attractions which have a lot of cultural values attached to them and this makes people to participate and celebrate them such as Afiolu festival. These attractions and others in the state attract a lot of people from all walks of life but their development is still poor because the state government has meager resource to invest in them.
Finally, the management of cultural attraction should be left at the hands of the people especially with regards to festivals, shrines and groves because most of them are handed down from generation to generation and it is only the people that know how best to manage them while government can provide technical and financial assistance when the need arises.

5.2 Recommendations

The following recommendations were made:

There should be importance placed on the economic consequences of tourism development in Anambra state.
There is need for encouragement of private investors in tourism development in Anambra state.
Tourism as an alternative source of income should be encouraged also in Anambra state.