Akani 2026: Egede Celebrates Yam Harvest, Renews Cultural Heritage, Community Unity
Sons and daughters of Egede community in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, at home and in the diaspora, have celebrated the 2026 Akani New Yam Festival, reaffirming the cultural significance of yam harvest and the festival’s role in promoting unity and community development.
The annual festival, held on Saturday, September 26, at the palace of the traditional ruler of Egede Ancient Kingdom, Igwe Dr Polycarp Oyigbo, Okwuluoha II of Egede, attracted traditional rulers, community leaders, farmers, families, friends and well-wishers who gathered in colourful celebration.
Akani, in the local parlance of Egede, signifies the hand going into the soil and bringing forth its produce. The festival, which is traditionally observed on the first Saturday of Orie in September every year, is regarded by the people as a thanksgiving for the year’s agricultural harvest and an occasion to seek God’s blessings for the succeeding farming season.
The celebration commenced with a Christian Mass at St. Cyril’s Catholic Church, Egede, where the people committed the festival and their endeavours to God.
The parish priest, Rev. Fr Christian Onuoha, urged the people to acknowledge God’s role in their successes and continually express gratitude for His blessings.
He said: “Akani is not merely a celebration of the harvest; it is an opportunity for the people to recognise the goodness of God, appreciate His love and surrender their lives and endeavours to Him.”
According to him, genuine thanksgiving must come from the heart, stressing that the people should not only celebrate material achievements but also use the occasion to renew their relationship with God.
The traditional yam-cutting rite was also performed at the church by the parish priest, signalling the commencement of the year’s consumption of the new yam.
At the palace, Igwe Oyigbo performed the traditional rite of cutting the new yam, formally heralding the commencement of eating the year’s harvest.
Speaking at the event, the monarch commended the people for sustaining the age-long cultural tradition, saying that the festival had remained a significant aspect of the identity and communal life of Egede.
He expressed gratitude to God for the year’s harvest and prayed for greater prosperity in the coming farming season.
“Akani gives us the opportunity to thank God for what He has given us through our farms and to look forward with hope to a more prosperous year ahead. We are grateful for the harvest and for the opportunity to gather once again as one people,” the monarch said.
Igwe Oyigbo explained that the festival goes beyond the celebration of yam, describing it as an important annual gathering during which sons and daughters of Egede, including those living outside the community, return home to reconnect with one another and deliberate on issues affecting the socio-economic development of the area.
He said: “This festival brings our people together. Those who have been away for a long time return home, meet their families and participate in community meetings where matters concerning the development and wellbeing of Egede are discussed.”
The traditional ruler further disclosed that the festival had acquired such importance in the life of the community that its date remained sacrosanct.
He noted that even though the 2026 celebration coincided with the local government elections in Enugu State, the people did not abandon their civic responsibility, but exercised their franchise before returning to participate in the traditional rites.
“The day of Akani is sacred to us and cannot simply be shifted because of another activity. This year, it coincided with the local government election, so our people performed their civic duty at the polls and returned to continue with the festival. That demonstrates that culture and responsible citizenship can go together,” he said.
Igwe Oyigbo charged the people, particularly the younger generation, to remain committed to preserving the cultural heritage of Egede, stressing that the survival of the community’s values depended largely on the people’s determination to transmit them from one generation to another.
“We must continue to uphold our cultural heritage. Our traditions distinguish us as a people, and if we abandon them, we risk losing important values that have held our community together for generations,” he said.
It’s a day of stock-taking — Onowu
Also speaking, the traditional Prime Minister of Egede, Onowu Chief Joe Anieze, described Akani as a day of stock-taking when the people reflect on their achievements and count their blessings.
Anieze said the celebration offered farmers and people engaged in different professions an opportunity to appreciate God for their accomplishments while reconnecting with relatives, friends and other members of the community.
“Akani is a day of stock-taking. Our farmers look at what they have harvested, while people in other endeavours also count their blessings. It is a day to thank God, celebrate with our kith and kin and renew our bonds as a people,” he said.
He thanked God for the favourable harvest recorded by the people and urged members of the community to remain active participants in government programmes and policies, particularly those designed to promote agriculture and community development.
“Our people should take advantage of government agricultural programmes and other initiatives that can improve their livelihoods. We should not only celebrate what we have harvested; we must also support programmes that will enable us to produce more and develop our community,” he added.
Festival promotes unity — Town Union
In his welcome address, the President-General of Egede Town Union, Barr Joseph Ndibuagu, expressed satisfaction with the large turnout of members of the community for the 2026 celebration.
Ndibuagu said the impressive participation demonstrated the continued attachment of the people to their ancestral home and cultural heritage.
He, however, urged the people to translate the enthusiasm generated by the festival into concrete development initiatives.
“We are delighted by the impressive turnout of our people. This shows that Egede remains united and that our people value their culture. But beyond the celebration, we must convert this unity into practical action for the development of our community,” he said.
Akani inspires greater expectations — Okwukeze
The Chairman of the 2026 Akani Festival Planning Committee and Deputy President-General of Egede Town Union, Engr Chimezie Okwukeze, described the successful celebration as a source of joy and renewed hope for the community.
Okwukeze said thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest should naturally generate expectations for greater blessings in subsequent years.
“When we appreciate God for what He has given us, we also express our faith and expectation that the coming year will be greater. Akani is therefore both a celebration of what we have received and a hopeful projection into the future,” he said.
He further described the festival as an instrument of unity, noting that its preparations and activities bring together people who may have been separated by distance and the demands of work and family.
According to him, “Akani has remained a powerful instrument of unity. People who have not seen one another for years return home, reconnect and participate in meetings and activities leading to the festival. These interactions strengthen our bonds and create a platform for discussing issues that will move Egede forward.”
The 2026 Akani celebration ended with colourful traditional festivities at the palace, with the people exchanging greetings, sharing the new yam and celebrating the harvest in an atmosphere of thanksgiving, cultural pride and communal solidarity.
EDITOR
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, as well as M.Sc Mass Communication at National Open University of Nigeria.
He is the immediate past NUJ Chairman, Enugu state.
samowailo@gmail.com
