The yearly Ofala festival sponsored by leading telecommunications firm, Globacom, begins in Onitsha, Anambra State, tomorrow at the Ime Obi, the palace of Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, the kingdom’s traditional ruler.

The festival begins with the Iru Ofala on Friday and will culminate on Saturday with the Azu Ofala. On October 23, at the Ime Obi, Globacom will host a royal banquet in honour of Igwe Achebe.

Ofala, the largest traditional festival in the country’s Southeast, is primarily a celebration by the Igwe and his subjects of his yearly return from seclusion, a time when he successfully negotiates the kingdom’s fortunes and serves as a means for the monarch to fulfill certain cultural obligations.

The Obi of Onitsha, Achebe has assured Nigerians that there’s hope and resilience in the face of prevailing hardships in the country. In his message to mark the kick-off for the celebration of the Ofala festival, the monarch revealed that the festival is an occasion to fulfill his obligations, including promoting peace, unity and development in Anambra, especially Onitsha, and Nigeria in general.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Ofala Steering Committee, Okechukwu Mike Areh, explained that this year’s edition is a call to action, urging all to tap into their inner strength, collective resilience and unwavering commitment to one another.