Ochiagha/Oparaukwu Ibeku Prince Benjamin Benedict Apugo, performs the traditional rites. (Photos: SummitNews)
It was a unique celebration. The uniqueness of the 2026 edition of Ibeku New Yam Festival could be viewed from the perspective of it’s relative transformation from a festival of elders to that of youths – young men and women – even children.
Indeed, August 28, 2026, would remain evergreen in the memory of Ibeku sons and daughters , especially those resident in Ibeku clan in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia state.
It was a day that thousands of young men and women from the seven villages (Afarata, Afara Ukwu, Amaoforo, Emede, Isieke, Ndume, Ossah) that make up Ibeku land sang and danced endlessly on the streets of Umuahia, the state capital, to celebrate this year’s new yam festival.
Hitherto, the celebration of the new yam festival was thought to be an exclusive preserve of the elderly, many of them farmers, but the massive involvement of the youths in this year’s celebration, clearly points to the gradual transfer of the traditional/cultural baton from the elders to the youths.
“The youths must take interest in the tradition and culture of Ibekuland, so that when we are no longer around,” they will continue from where we stopped,” remarked a 72- year-old man from Umuajiji- Ibeku.
B
esides the massive youth participation, the event witnessed a large turnout of about one hundred masquerades in various sizes, shapes, and costumes – symbolizing the continued, and unbroken relationship between Ibeku people and their ancestors, especially the legendary Ibeku – the founder of ancient Ibeku Kingdom.
It is believed among the indigenes of the area that anytime of the year Ibeku people harvest and eat the new yam, the implication is that “Igbo Eriela Ji,” meaning that Igbo people have eaten the new yam
This refrain borrows from the believe by many Ibeku people that their ancestors were the first set of people to migrate to the geographical area known today as Igbo land, and, therefore, they regard Ibekuland as one of the centres of Igbo civilisation as well as custodian of Igbo culture and tradition.
T
hough this assertion may be disputable, what is not in doubt is that the new yam festival in Ibekuland is celebrated annually with pomp and pageantry.
“This is our own Christmas celebration,” said Ochiagha/Oparaukwu Ibeku Prince Benjamin Benedict Apugo.
He goes further to explain that the arrival of the new yam marks the end of the famine season, and the beginning of harvesting of crops.
Prince Apugo, who is a prodigious farmer, grassroots politician and successful business man, urged celebrants to conduct themselves peacefully – expressing happiness over the successful celebration of this year’s new yam festival.
He had earlier in the morning of August 28, performed the necessary traditional rites at ‘Egwu Ibeku’ (the place where Ibeku lived, died and was buried) to kickstart the celebration of the new yam festival.
According to Prince Apugo, the custom of the land forbids the beginning of the festival, and indeed the eating of the new yam, until the performance of the necessary traditional rites.
The traditional rites include but not limited to cutting of fat yam tuber into seven pieces to represent the seven villages that constitute Ibekuland, breaking of kolanut, and pouring of libation in honour of the ancestors of the land.
There was a groundswell of opinion among residents – even among those who came from outside Ibekuland to witness the event that the youths of the land transformed the 2026 edition of Ibeku New Yam Festival inti a carnival.
