The Façade Nigeria Periodical Vol II: No. XIII - XX

Vol II: No XIII-XX. Ofala Festival, 1871 (The Annual Appearance of the King of Onitsha).

The Façade Nigeria Periodical returns with its October/November 2025 edition.

In this edition, we chronicle the Ofala Festival during the reign of Obi Akazue; the death of Obi Akazue and the ceremony of Crying for the Dead King in the years 1871 and 1872 respectively.

We continue with stories in our recently included section, Life on the Niger, where we bring undiluted day to day activities from the pens of Church Missionary Society missionaries. In this edition, we venture to Onitsha through Rev. John Buck, Rev. John Williams &c.

“Working on this edition was like homecoming for me. I remember I planned to attend last year’s Ofala Festival but due to unforeseen circumstances and some constraints, I couldn’t, which would have gone on to be a cover story at some point, but I still didn’t think it would come this soon. There wasn’t a plan to make this the cover story for this edition, in fact, there was a previously named cover story - which the team has decided to postpone till further notice. But, in the course of personal research, and drafting a part of the previous edition, there was a lightbulb moment on a very warm afternoon, on my work table that I got from God to make this the cover story. It is fulfilling to bring this part of Igboland, and not just the Ofala Festival, but daily life on this corner of the Niger River - undiluted to everyone who would come across this volume. My hope also is that, as it is released in the same month as this year’s Ofala Festival, it will serve not just as a collector’s item but as a resource for all generations, present and future, young and old, and that there are people who will feel nostalgic reading through.” - Kelechi Anabaraonye.