Festivals You’ve Never Heard Of: 6 Local Celebrations Beyond Nigeria’s Popular Tourist Calendar

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Nigeria’s festival scene extends far beyond the well-known events of Lagos and Abuja. In small towns and villages across the country, communities observe ancient rites that few outsiders are aware of. From the moment the calendar turns to January in Kagoro, to a springtime virgin’s ritual in Kogi State, these six Nigerian festivals each tell a story of heritage, faith and community. They are not on the usual tourist map, but they offer a vivid portrait of Nigeria’s cultural diversity and resilience.

What are the 6 Nigerian festivals?

• Afan National Festival (Kaduna State)

Every 1st January, the Agworok (Kagoro) people of southern Kaduna State hold the Afan National Festival to mark the New Year and the end of the harvest season. This centuries-old ceremony, said to be over 400 years old, unfolds in the palace field of the Kagoro chief. 

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It was formerly celebrated in April but was moved to New Year’s Day in 1946 under Chief Gwamna Awan’s leadership to align with the Christian calendar. “Afan” means “hill” or “mountain”, referring to the sacred Kagoro Hills that once sheltered the community from invaders.

At dawn, the chief priest ascends the sacred Kagoro hills to pray to Afgaza (the God of Heaven) for protection. He then calls out “O Afan, O Afan” (the local word for mountain), a signal that thousands of masked hunters and townsfolk have long awaited. Horns are blown and drums beat as victorious hunters return with game; the entire community dances and shares freshly brewed beer in celebration. In effect, the Afan Festival honours a legendary hunter-hero and the new year’s bounty, uniting onlookers in a proud show of Kagoro identity and continuity.

• Ikeji Festival (Imo State)

The Ikeji Festival of Arondizuogu in Imo State is one of the grandest yam feasts in Igboland. Held each spring, it celebrates the first harvest of yams with four days of market rituals and masquerade displays. 

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On each of the Igbo market days (Eke, Orie, Afor, Nkwo), locals bring their best yams and livestock for symbolic sale or display, slaughter goats for feasting, and dance in the streets. The climax comes on the final Nkwo day, when scores of Nnekwu Nmanwu (big masquerades) parade through the town in elaborate costumes, twirling whips made from palm fronds and performing acrobatics. 

Ikeji dates back many centuries, tracing its origins to migratory ancestors from Arochukwu. Today, it is also a homecoming event: the festival draws Arondizuogu people from all over Nigeria and even abroad, reinforcing family ties as tens of thousands attend the colourful ceremonies.

• Omabe Masquerade Festival (Enugu State)

Every five years, the remote Imufu community in Enugu State comes alive for the Omabe festival, a dramatic masquerade rite of purification. For Imufu elders, Omabe is sacred: they believe the spirits of Omabe masquerades cleanse the town of evil. 

On festival day, beginning at dawn, dozens of masqueraders (all male and forbidden to allow women near) emerge in succession, from the smallest to the largest. Each one performs vigorous dances, from comical jester figures to powerful warrior spirits. 

The largest masquerades (such as Oshagenyi and Mgbedike) wear animal skins and bright beads and are said to be inhabited by ancestral spirits. Local custodians explain that the fiery Omabe masks symbolically purge the community of evils in human and spiritual forms. 

By evening, the masqueraders converge on the village square, and afterwards, Imufu is believed to enjoy a year of peace and prosperity. The festival draws home daughters of the town and even cultural tourists for a once-in-a-generation spectacle of heritage.

• Ariginya Festival (Ondo State)

In southwestern Nigeria, the Ariginya Festival is a uniquely Yoruba celebration of virginity and fertility. Each May in Ikare-Akoko (Ondo State), only true maidens of the town, girls who have preserved their virginity, take part in an elaborate week-long rite dedicated to the goddess Ariginya. 

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Participants dress modestly, they wear only waist beads and chalk body paint, leaving the rest unclothed as they dance and sing their way to a sacred river (the Omi-Atan brook). There, they call on the goddess of chastity to bless them. 

Legend holds that Ariginya, a deity of purity and fruitfulness, appears from the water each year to honour these maidens and to assure a bountiful harvest ahead. The ritual reinforces community values about the worth and dignity of womanhood. By afternoon, even the masked Igede-oka masquerade joins the procession, and all celebrate the maidens’ rite as an offering of cultural pride.

• Ito-Ogbo Festival (Anambra State)

In eastern Nigeria’s Anambra State, the Ito-Ogbo Festival of Obosi honours the community’s elders, specifically, living residents aged 80 to 89. Held every three years, it dates back more than five centuries. 

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The idea is to celebrate and thank God for the longevity of these octogenarians, who are formally admitted into a special age-grade at the festival. Ito-Ogbo is a festive and dignified occasion where honoured elders receive new titles, gifts, and communal recognition, and younger citizens sing, dance, and parade in their honour. 

The 2021 edition, for example, celebrated 131 elders, it was attended by a Nigerian cabinet minister and other dignitaries, signalling the festival’s rising profile. 

For the people of Obosi, the Ito-Ogbo festival is a proud cultural renaissance, reinforcing respect for elders, drawing community members together, and even being promoted for national heritage recognition.

• Ovia-Osese Festival (Kogi State)

In Nigeria’s Middle Belt, the Ogori people of Kogi State mark a spring festival called Ovia-Osese, which also centres on maidens. Held each year about two weeks after Easter, it is a week-long celebration of initiation into womanhood. 

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Ogori families present girls (typically aged 15–20) who have maintained their chastity for a final communal test of purity. The maidens parade through town in white ceremonial clothing and dance amidst drumming and feasting. When a girl passes the rite, the community publicly heralds her as free from premarital affairs. 

Beyond its pageantry, Ovia-Osese reinforces moral values, emphasising chastity, virginity, and purity for the Ogori people. In recent years, this proud tradition has even attracted international media attention. For instance, the grand finale of the 2025 festival featured elaborate processions and beauty pageants as Ogori sons and daughters from Nigeria and the diaspora gathered to uphold their heritage.

FAQs

When and where is the Afan National Festival held?
The Afan Festival is an annual New Year celebration of the Agworok (Kagoro) people in southern Kaduna State. It takes place every 1st of January at the Kagoro Chief’s palace ground.

What makes the Omabe festival unique?

The Omabe festival is unique for this intense display of masquerade art and its role in community purification.

Which festivals honour long life or virginity in Nigeria?
Two examples are Ito-Ogbo and Ariginya/Ovia-Osese in Obosi (Anambra State). The Ito-Ogbo Festival (every 3 years) honours all living elders aged 80–89. On the other hand, the Ariginya Festival in Ondo State and the Ovia-Osese Festival in Kogi State each celebrate the chastity of young maidens. 

How often do these festivals occur?
It varies by festival. Afan, Ikeji (Arondizuogu) and Ovia-Osese are annual events (Afan and Ikeji happen every January or year, Ovia-Osese after Easter). Omabe is held every five years. Ito-Ogbo takes place every three years. The infrequent scheduling of Omabe and Ito-Ogbo makes their gatherings rare and significant.