The Abula Festival 2025, which took place within the Ecobank Pan African Centre in Lagos, marked the grand finale of a week-long extravaganza of Yoruba cultural celebration.

Curated by Afrovibes Africa Limited, in collaboration with Ecobank Nigeria’s Adire Lagos, the free-entry event, themed “Ita Faaji” Edition, brought together tradition, commerce, and community for the gloried feast of Abula.

The dish, itself, stands out as a steaming, soulful medley of Amala, Ewedu, Gbegiri, and Obe Ata, garnished with Shaki (Cow tripe), Ponmo (Cow Skin), and Goat Meat.

Other indigenous dishes on trade included pounded yam with egusi, grilled catfish, creamy pasta, and party jollof, all served on ceramic plates or in hand-carved calabashes, with palm wine flowing from stall to stall.

“When we gather around food, we’re not just sharing meals; we’re exchanging culture, building memory, and creating opportunities,” Bisilola Bakare, the festival’s curator and Afrovibes founder, explained.

The festival’s sensory richness extended beyond the plates, with open-mic performances from Midethemusicman, Most Precious, and Judeworldstar, serenading the crowd. Boma Johnson and Olootu Agba Lumee also compered the crowd with rousing pulse.

Attendees were also richly dressed in Adire, Oleku, and Owambe attire, styling the event with Yoruba heritage.

Abula Festival 2025 demonstrated its potential as an emerging economic empowerment platform, creating visibility for emerging brands, local farmers, and Afrocentric entrepreneurs.

As Nigeria continues to assert its cultural authority, especially in the culinary world, the Abula Festival stands tall as a confident contender in the global food conversation. In a world hungry for authentic experiences the 2025 Abula Festival shared a recipe for preserving and transferring culture.