The Awka Development Union, Nigeria (ADUN), Lagos State chapter has announced series of events to celebrate its 12th biannual Awka Day.
The celebrations, organized by the umbrella body of Awka indigenes in Lagos, will feature a weeklong lineup of activities starting on Sunday, November 23.
Chief Francis Sequence Anagor, chairman of Awka Day 2024, informed the events will include a youth day, a couples’ night and an empowerment day aimed at benefiting the indigenes of the community.
The festivities will culminate with a grand parade featuring all the villages, followed by an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding members of the community.
“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.
He 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,” Anagor added.
The Awka Day celebrations promise to be a significant event for the community, highlighting its rich cultural heritage and commitment to development and unity among its members.
He said that ADUN Lagos has been an agency through which innovations and development purposes are achieved for the community.
As agent of social change, ADUN Lagos has demonstrated that, through collective action, it can improve on their material conditions of existence, mobilise against the out-group, and defend a common cause.
Awka is the capital of Anambra State and the region in ancient times was the site of the Nri Civilization that produced the earliest documented bronze works in Sub-Saharan Africa around 800 AD.
Prior to the 20th century, Awka was famous for metal working.
It’s blacksmiths were prized throughout the region for making farming implements, weapons and tools.
