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From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Abagana community, Anambra State erupted into an Igbo cultural explosion, recently, as the Council of Igbo States in America (CISA), in collaboration with the Igbo World Assembly (IWA), staged the maiden edition of the CISA Festival of Arts and Culture (CISA-FEST) 2025.
It was a rich celebration of Igbo heritage and reenactment of the historic home coming for the Igbo sons and daughters in the Diaspora longing to reconnect to their roots.
The colourful event, held at Ikendigbo Event Centre, Abagana, Njikoka Local Government Area, Anambra State, brought together prominent Igbo sons and daughters from within Nigeria and the diaspora. Dignitaries at the festival included a Caribbean-born Igbo descendant, Prince Sidney Davis Eluemuno; the royal father of the day, His Majesty, Eze Chukwuemeka Eri, Eze Akaji Ovo Igbo, Regent of Abagana community and President, Igbo World Assembly, Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze, as well as community leaders, scholars, and cultural enthusiasts.
With the theme, “Oganiru Ifediche (Positive Impact),” the festival was designed to reconnect global Igbo roots and promote a cultural renaissance anchored on shared history, values, and identity.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Chidi G. Osuagwu called on the Igbo in diaspora to sustain their cultural sovereignty and deepen ties with their ancestral homeland. He described the Igbo identity as one rooted in freedom, resilience, and an enduring homing instinct, noting that the Igbo have historically resisted the erosion of their sovereignty, despite centuries of displacement and external pressures.
In his lecture titled “Transatlantic Igbo Civilisation Bridge and Ndubuisi World Order,” Prof. Osuagwu, who is also Chairman, African Centre for Biomedical Engineering Research, said the Igbo nation has, from ancient times, maintained a profound spiritual and cultural bond with home, even while scattered across continents. He drew parallels between early Igbo civilisational values and global Black resistance movements, referencing figures such as Bishop Henry McNeal Turner and Edward Wilmot Blyden, who championed the Back-to-Africa movement and Pan-Africanism in the post-slavery era.
He further recalled the tragic 1803 Igbo Landing incident in the United States as a powerful symbol of the Igbo homeland dream, noting that enslaved Igbo people chose death over a life in bondage, believing the ocean that brought them would return them home.
He urged present-day descendants in the diaspora to see homecoming not only as a physical return, but as a cultural, psychological, and spiritual reconnection with Igbo land.
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Addressing the gathering, President of CISA, Chief Dr. Mrs. Uzoamaka Josephine Aguoji, expressed delight that the vision of bringing the festival—long celebrated in the United States of America—back home had finally been realised. She stressed that true progress must be firmly rooted in culture, adding that the renaissance being pursued must be authentic, powerful, and enduring.
“Our theme for this event is a clarion call: Oganiru Ifediche achieved by reconnecting Igbo global roots for cultural renaissance. This means that the progress we make must be distinct and remarkable-different from the failures of the past. It is a progress rooted in our unique Igbo genius for enterprise, democracy , and resilience”.
Dr. Aguoji further noted that the festival was not intended as a one-off event, but the birth of a lasting tradition. “This dual-location model—celebrating in the diaspora and celebrating at home—must endure. I charge future leaders of CISA with a sacred responsibility to ensure that this festival continues to return home. The bond between the diaspora and the homeland is our most vital asset,” she said, while appreciating all contributors to the success of the event.
In an interview, President and Co-founder, Igbo Landing Project, Prince Sidney Davis Eluemuno, called on people of Afro-American Igbo descent to return to their African Igbo roots. He said the time had come to heal the deep rupture caused by the transatlantic slave trade and to reconnect with the land, language, and people of their ancestors.
“Our culture is African, and that is what we seek. When we were taken away, our language, nation, and culture were stripped from us. It is time to come home and reclaim them,” he emphasised.
Also speaking, President-General, Abagana Welfare Union, Hon. Okafor Okunwa, described the Igbo as one of the most intelligent and forward-driving peoples in the world. He expressed pride that Abagana was chosen to host the maiden edition of the festival and commended Prince Eluemuno for his commitment to preserving Igbo culture and tradition.
The event climaxed with vibrant cultural performances, including traditional dances and masquerade displays. Also in attendance were representatives of Igbo cultural groups from seven Igbo speaking states of Nigeria, showcasing the richness and diversity of Igbo heritage.
Dr Ezikpe Akuma, Mrs Cheryl Akuma and Onwe Wisdom, members of Council of Igbo States in America (CISA), while reflecting on the Igbo cultural revival activities by CISA, said the CISA nativity cultural revival seeks to inspire younger generations to value their roots, dare to identify it, connect to it, and preserve it as their unique essence while pursuing success in the global community.
