10 Nigerian Cultural Festivals Everyone Should Experience At Least Once

Nigerian cultural festivals are the best events you’d ever attend.

Everyone knows Nigerian weddings are always lit. What they don’t know is so are our festivals. There are so many ethnic groups with different cultural festivals, it would be hard to name them all.

Here are 10 of them:

1. Argungu fishing festival

This is a 4-day fishing festival that is held in Kebbi state. It began in 1934 to mark the end of hostilities between the Sokoto Caliphate and the Kebbi Kingdom.

 

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2. Osun festival

Every August, thousands of Osun worshippers descend on Osogbo in Osun state to honour the Orisha in a two-week-long festival. People can be seen wearing “yellow” which is the colour associated with the goddess.

 

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3. World Sango festival

Osun isn’t the only Yoruba Orisha to get a festival. Worshippers of Sango, the god of thunder and fire, come to the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo every August to celebrate Sango.

 

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4. Igue festival

The Igue festival is held between Christmas and New year in Benin City, Edo State. The festival is celebrated by the people of the old Benin Kingdom. The Oba blesses the land and the people during this festival.

 

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5. Eyo festival

This festival is held in Lagos state. It is a festival that in the past was used to mark the departure and coronation of the Oba of Lagos. The white masquerades, Eyo, are believed to represent the spirit of the dead.

 

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6. Durbar festival

Kano and Katsina states host the Durbar festival which is celebrated as a culmination of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. It starts with a processing of thousands of horsemen Including the Emir.

 

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7. Ofala festival

Celebrated in various parts of Igboland, the Ofala festival is held to mark the renewal/rights of the Igwe (Obi) to his throne.

 

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8. Egungun Festival

This is celebrated mainly by the Yorubas in southwestern Nigeria. Egungun is believed to represent the ancestors. The Egungun masquerades are always dressed in colourful regalia and carry a whip to flog anyone who blocks the way of the ancestral spirits passing by.

 

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9. New yam festival

The New Yam festival is also celebrated in various parts of Igboland to mark the harvest of new yams, an important economic crop in the East.

 

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10. Mandiyeng Festival

This is a festival celebrated by the Berom people in Plateau state to usher in the raining season. It is typically celebrated in March/April.

Colourful festivals everywhere!