Anambra Launches ‘Onwa Dezemba’ Festivities to Spice Yuletide Celebrations

The Anambra State Government has announced a series of events to commemorate the 2025 yuletide season, officially branded as the Onwa Dezemba celebration.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo had earlier disclosed, following a State Executive Council meeting in November, that the government had mapped out activities aimed at ensuring residents and visitors enjoy a memorable festive period across the state.

Details of the planned festivities were made public in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, and released to journalists in Awka.

According to the commissioner, the Onwa Dezemba programme is designed to surpass popular end-of-year celebrations such as the Calabar Carnival in Cross River State and Lagos’ widely known Detty December.

Mefor explained that for the Igbo people, the yuletide season extends beyond Christmas, serving as a period of tourism, reflection and cultural reunion.

He noted that December traditionally attracts large numbers of Igbo indigenes returning from different parts of Nigeria and the diaspora to reconnect with family members and participate in extended community festivities that often last several weeks.

He further stated that while December celebrations are not new to the region, the Soludo administration is introducing a coordinated and fully branded festival to be observed annually in Anambra.

The initiative, he said, is intended to position the state as a major festive and tourism destination during the holiday season.

According to the statement, the Onwa Dezemba festivities officially began on December 10 with the illumination and decoration of a massive Christmas tree at the Solution Fun City, marking the start of weeks of cultural, social and entertainment activities across the state.