PeakNews Online
Lagos, Nigeria – The Awka Development Union, Nigeria (ADUN), Lagos State chapter, has announced a series of events to mark its 12th biannual Awka Day.
The celebrations, organized by the umbrella body of Awka indigenes in Lagos, will kick off on Sunday, November 23, with a weeklong lineup of activities.
Chief Francis Sequence Anagor, chairman of Awka Day 2024, highlighted that the events will include a Youth Day, a Couples’ Night, and an Empowerment Day designed to benefit the community’s indigenes. The festivities will culminate with a grand parade featuring all the villages, followed by an awards ceremony to honor outstanding community members.
“The event is very important to us because it brings together seven Igbo groups sharing a common blood lineage, divided into two sections. The Ifite Section, the senior section, comprises four groups: Ayom-na-Okpala, Nkwelle, Amachalla, and Ifite-Oka. This is followed by the Ezinator Section, which consists of three groups: Amikwo, Ezi-Oka, and Agulu. Each of these groups includes several villages. Altogether, Awka comprises 33 villages,” explained Anagor.
Anagor emphasized that ADUN Lagos serves as a vital agency for fostering innovation and development within the community. “As an agent of social change, ADUN Lagos has shown that through collective action, we can improve our material conditions, mobilize against external challenges, and defend a common cause,” he added.
The Awka Day celebrations promise to be a significant event for the community, showcasing its rich cultural heritage and commitment to development and unity among its members.
Awka, the capital of Anambra State, was historically the site of the Nri Civilization, known for producing the earliest documented bronze works in Sub-Saharan Africa around 800 AD. Prior to the 20th century, Awka was renowned for its metalworking, with its blacksmiths prized throughout the region for making farming implements, weapons, and tools.
