Steemit Engagement Challenge Week 2 || Share your Country's Culture || Annang Festival of Art and Culture by @paulyoung

Introduction

Anybody that have visited my country (Nigeria) will boldly accept that have so many cultural differences. Every state (36 states) have their own culture, although some state culture are also the same due to tribal relationship.

Hundreds of this culture have been accepted as a normal lifestyle while others have been discarded due to the advent of Christianity and Islam which are against it. Most of the culture always have a period of festival which last for a day, week(s) or even a month.

I’m from Akwa Ibom state. My state is located at the southern region of Nigeria and share boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. There are several cultural festivals in my state, but I’ll focus on the must popular festival in my state and tribe in precision is called the Annang Festival of Art and Culture (AFAC).

The Annang Festival of Art and Culture (AFAC)

source🔗

This is a festival that is celebrated in Ikot Ekpene Local Govenment. The capital of local governments that consist of Annang tribe.

It is celebrated to honor the tribe's historical achievement, promote unity and hence awake forgotten cultures.

AFAC festival is celebrated between the second to last week of December, but does not have an exact date or duration. The first celebration which was held at City of Raffia, a popular community in Ikot Ekpene on 12 December 2016 and lasted for 7 days due to several events that took place. However, none have last for such first duration since it was reviewed by elders that a week celebration is too long. Currently, it lasts for a maximum duration of 3 days.

source🔗2019 AFAC flyer

Every celebration always gain a massive number of spectators that reaches 5,000 or even more from the nation and across. A national organization known as Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) always join hands with some of the state organizations that handle festive planning operation to make the festival a successful one.

Brief history of AFAC

The Annang tribe is a tribe that consists of eight local governments in Akwa Ibom state, with the capital been Ikot Ekpene Local government area. This unique tribe shares nearly everything in common of which language and is not an exception.

The close relationship that have existed for more than a century finally resulted in a meeting held by counsel of traditional rulers known as Paramount rulers, Clan heads and Senator in the year 2016 and there was decision to initiate a AFAC on every December. A festival that will always bring the eight local governments in accord.

Since then, the festival have continued to exist and gain a nice reputation till today.

Events in Annang Festival of Art and Culture (AFAC)

There are lots of events that are always celebrated during in the festival. While some are celebrate at any time, some have gender view restriction, others have proper time which can be (morning, midday or night) and few are strictly on invitation. This is the major reason why many people can’t figure out the exact numbers.

However, all this celebration falls into the following major events;

Ekpo parade:

source🔗

Hundreds of masquerade parade known as EKPO (ghost) always take place. It is done in celebration of ancestors. In this celebration, the participants dress and dance base on the imagination of behaviors of ancestral ghosts.

Hall of fame crown and induction:

This celebration is for recognizing the efforts of indigenous people of the Annang tribe in various places both within and outside the country.

Furthermore, new youth leaders for various positions are also induct as well.

source🔗 Induction

Pageantry

It is not an exception during AFAC festival. This always lead to crowning of a queen known as Ujai Annang (beauty of Annang). The winner is always rewarded with a beautiful car.

Source Pageantry flyer

Writing competition:

A writing competition is among the events. It is always in categories which are; Advance level (university students), middle level (high school students) and primal level (students in primary education). The winner is always awarded with a scholarship and certain amount of money. The topics are always related to things that can contribute to growth of Annang either in unity and innovations.

Every participant in a competition is chosen as a representative of his/her Local Government through a grassroot screening.

Conclusion

Annang Festival of Art and Culture have promoted unity and growth since its existence. The amusement enjoyed by spectators always force them to attend it regularly no matter their location, except there is an unexpected problem that hinder it.

I missed last year festival, but my wish is ....never again because is always give opportunity to connect with various people.

Thanks for reading my entry