The 2023 Deputy Governorship Candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Dr. Chimaobi Desmond Anyaso, has marked the 2025 edition of the Iri Ji Ofuji cultural festival with a renewed call for unity, education, and cultural pride. The colourful celebration held in Igbere, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, drew traditional rulers, community leaders, youth groups, and cultural enthusiasts from across the region.
Dr. Anyaso, who is also widely known by his traditional title, Ofuji Ndi Igbo, set the tone for this year’s festival with the theme:
“Celebration of Two Decades of Bountiful Harvest: The Role of Education and Training in Cultivating the Next Generation of Wealth Creators.”
Held at the palace of HRH Eze Anyanta Joseph in Igbere, the event served as the highpoint of activities marking Dr. Anyaso’s 45th birthday. The symbolic cutting of the new yam, in accordance with Igbo tradition, officially flagged off the new yam season across the 13 wards of Bende LGA.
Reflecting on the evolution of the festival since its inception in 2022, Dr. Anyaso noted that Iri Ji Ofuji has become much more than a personal celebration.
“This is no longer just a birthday or a festival. It is a thanksgiving, a unifying call to our roots, and a proud display of the rich traditions that make us who we are,” he said.
This year’s edition, he emphasized, carries a strong message of youth empowerment through education and skills training. According to him, the yamb central to the festival is not only a symbol of harvest but also of knowledge, diligence, and legacy.
Through his #OfujiCares initiative, Dr. Anyaso announced plans to extend the reach of the festival beyond Igbere to all three senatorial zones of Abia State which include, Abia North, Abia Central, and Abia South as well as every ward in Bende Federal Constituency, ensuring rural and urban communities alike benefit from its cultural and developmental impact.
“Together, we are stronger. Together, we will nurture compassion, celebrate our wealth of culture, and plant seeds of greatness for the generations to come,” he added.
Traditional rulers and community representatives present at the ceremony praised the festival for reviving cultural consciousness and aligning it with social development goals, particularly in areas of education and youth empowerment.
Following the Igbere event, the Iri Ji Ofuji festival continued with a series of cultural displays, community outreach programmes, educational empowerment drives, and intergenerational dialogues in several wards across Bende LGA.
Widely viewed as one of the fastest-growing cultural celebrations in the region, Iri Ji Ofuji has become a symbol of unity, heritage, and hope, a powerful blend of tradition and transformation that resonates with the aspirations of the modern Igbo society.
