Organisation for the Advancement of Anioma Culture (OFAAC)
Encyclopedia
Organisation for the Advancement of Anioma Culture (OFAAC) is the culture umbrella body of the Anioma people, in Delta State
, Nigeria
. It was established in November 2003 with core focus in the preservation, promotion and advancement of the appreciation and development of the rich cultural heritage
of the Anioma people and Nigeria. OFAAC is a proactive commitment to the projection and advancement of the cultural heritage of Anioma people of Delta State of Nigeria.
• To preserve and advance Anioma culture by creating forum for exhibition and celebration of our rich heritage.
• To foster unity among the people
• To promote the use of our traditional attires
• To create in the people, the Anioma consciousness and identity through cultural events
• To promote our traditional cuisine.
• To showcase to the outside world our rich culture through music, dance, fashion, drama, food etc in well organized annual events.
• To kick-state the adoption of this form of event as necessary harbinger to the cultivation of a reversal of attitude towards our culture especially among the teeming youth.
• To organize seminar
s, workshop
s and lecture
s for the promotion of Anioma culture; and
• To carry out research and development of Anioma Culture among others.
, workshops / lecture using the Anioma Annual Lecture Series, research and publication using the Anioma Essence Magazine, Cultural festival by organising the Annual Cultural Fiesta, Exhibitions and the Anioma MicroCredit Scheme.
tagged “celebrating our people through our culture” with the zonal competition at the three Federal Constituencies of Delta North. This, since then has always been organized in two segments. The first is held in the three zones which represent the Federal Constituencies namely: Aniocha/Oshimili, Ika
and Ndokwa/Ukwuani
. Winners in the zonal levels qualify for the Grand Finale held at the state capital, Asaba
.
While the zonal fiesta hosted a few thousands in zonal venues in Ogwashi-Uku
, Agbor
, and Kwale
, the all important finals (Grand Finale) have always had over 10,000 persons as participants and audience. A galaxy of Royal fathers from Anioma area was always on hand to offer their royal solidarity to the event.
The Oshimili South Local Government Arcade, Asaba is always a beehive of cultural activities on those particular days that the final fiesta held. An array of cultural dancers who varied in types and styles grace the occasion, over 50 adult cultural groups and 18 in the children’s category throng the venue. Exhibition of Arts and Crafts whose creativity was appreciated by the distinguished guests and participants take the centre stage while Anioma cuisine which make most guests journey to our roots for the appreciation of the original natural foods whose taste and sumptuousness our people used to relish.
A major feature of the fiesta has always been the huge financial outlay in form of cash prizes winners go home with. First prize is usually N300,000 : 00, second N200,000 :00 and third, N100,000 : 00. There is also the N500,000 : 00 set aside for winner of each categories of dances. Consolation prizes are usually given to other finalists who failed to clinch any positions. They get N10,000 : 00 each beside the transport subsidy
given a few days to the event.
Participation of cultural groups from the zones is of utmost concern to OFAAC for without the people, its objective of fostering unity, oneness and the sense of belonging in Anioma would be in jeopardy. As it is customary in contests for some to win and some to lose, Aguba royal group of Ubulu-Uno in Aniocha South and Uloko Cultural Dance Group from Ndemili Utagba-Uno in Ndokwa West
had to emerge sometime as champions 2004 and 2005 editions respectively.
The Royal Fathers of Anioma, State Governor, his Deputy and other Government Functionaries at both subordinate and superordinate levels have been a key part of this ‘OFAAC’ package and programmes of activities from the inception.
To ensure that our traditional rulers are effectively carried along, ‘OFAAC’ members regularly visit these custodians of our culture and tradition. The introduction of Anoma cultural fiesta was first preceded by numerous courtesy visits to these highly respected traditional rulers. Predictably, these royal fathers have been very receptive of the programmes of ‘OFAAC’ and have given enormous support to their efforts. The visits, long and extended, covered a large expanse of land constituting the geopolitical configuration known as Delta North Senatorial District. From Asaba in Oshimili South Area through Abavo in Ika South to Amai
in Ukwani, ‘OFAAC’ sought and received the co-operation and encouragement of these royal fathers.
A major revelation of the visits has been this show of solidarity and “the affirmation of the homogeneity of Anioma Nation in cultural matters and linguistic affinity”. Officials undertaking these visit in no place sought the assistance of interpreters. This, though, does not preclude the existence of a few dialectical departures, which nevertheless, do not attenuate their mutual intelligibility.
.
The second in the series was also held in MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos in 2006 with the theme “Integration of Indigenous Architecture in contemporary Housing Development in Nigeria”. The lecture was delivered by Sir S.P.O. Fortune Ebie, former Managing Director of Federal Housing Authority, and Chaired by Chief Ernest A.O. Shonekan, GCFR, CBE, former Head of Interim National Government of Nigeria.
drive in Anioma, which is consistent with Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) of United Nations
’s desire to eradicate extreme poverty by the year 2015.
The scheme since its introduction has helped build sustainable business
enterprises in Anioma nation. As thousands of small business owners in Anioma have had access to the micro credit scheme. Beyond cash disbursement to assist people engaged in farming, trading, arts and craft etc. Beneficiaries are also supported with farm implements, equipment acquisition and other materials.
Delta State
Delta State may refer to:*Delta State, a state in southern Nigeria.*Delta State , a Canadian animated television series.*Delta State University, a public university located in the U.S. state of Mississippi....
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. It was established in November 2003 with core focus in the preservation, promotion and advancement of the appreciation and development of the rich cultural heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
of the Anioma people and Nigeria. OFAAC is a proactive commitment to the projection and advancement of the cultural heritage of Anioma people of Delta State of Nigeria.
Aims and Objectives
The objectives of OFAAC as outlined by its founders are:• To preserve and advance Anioma culture by creating forum for exhibition and celebration of our rich heritage.
• To foster unity among the people
• To promote the use of our traditional attires
• To create in the people, the Anioma consciousness and identity through cultural events
• To promote our traditional cuisine.
• To showcase to the outside world our rich culture through music, dance, fashion, drama, food etc in well organized annual events.
• To kick-state the adoption of this form of event as necessary harbinger to the cultivation of a reversal of attitude towards our culture especially among the teeming youth.
• To organize seminar
Seminar
Seminar is, generally, a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subject, in which everyone present is...
s, workshop
Workshop
A workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...
s and lecture
Lecture
thumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...
s for the promotion of Anioma culture; and
• To carry out research and development of Anioma Culture among others.
Leadership
OFAAC has a seven member board of trustees. The members are: Chief Newton Jibunoh, Chief Philip Asiodu, Sir Fortune Ebie, Prof. Pat Utomi, Arc. Kester Ifeadi, Mr. Emeka Nmadu.OFAAC Activity Vehicles
Since 2003, OFAAC has made appreciable progress in the mobilization of Anioma people with a sense of unity and provided a new platform for Anioma cultural revival. The major strategies and activities for this evolution are built around advocacyAdvocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
, workshops / lecture using the Anioma Annual Lecture Series, research and publication using the Anioma Essence Magazine, Cultural festival by organising the Annual Cultural Fiesta, Exhibitions and the Anioma MicroCredit Scheme.
Anioma Essence
Anioma Essence is a quarterly magazine published by the OFAAC. It serves well researched articles about Anioma as well as all the happenings around Anioma.Anioma Cultural Festival
The Organization for the Advancement of Anioma Culture (OFAAC) as one of the strategies designed for the realization of its objectives since 2004 commenced her activities with cultural fiestaFiesta
Fiesta, a Spanish word that means "party", "feast" or "festival", may refer to:-Film:*Fiesta , a 1941 American film directed by LeRoy Prinz*Fiesta , a 1947 MGM film starring Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalbán-Music:...
tagged “celebrating our people through our culture” with the zonal competition at the three Federal Constituencies of Delta North. This, since then has always been organized in two segments. The first is held in the three zones which represent the Federal Constituencies namely: Aniocha/Oshimili, Ika
Ika
Ika may refer to:*Ika, Nigeria, a Local Government Area*Ika people, a subgroup of the Igbo people**Ika dialect* Ika Fjord, now spelt Ikka Fjord, near Ivittuut, Greenland*Ika, a town in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia...
and Ndokwa/Ukwuani
Ukwuani
Ụkwụànì are an Igbo group in Delta and Rivers states in Nigeria.-Language:The Ụkwụànì dialect, which is intelligible with the dialects of Aboh and Ndoni, is considered a dialect of the Igbo language.-Economy:...
. Winners in the zonal levels qualify for the Grand Finale held at the state capital, Asaba
Asaba, Nigeria
Asaba is the capital of Nigeria's Delta State, and has an estimated population of 149,603 .- Etymology :Ahaba in Igbo is from 'Ahabagom', meaning I have chosen well, a quote from the founding father of Asaba.- Geography :...
.
While the zonal fiesta hosted a few thousands in zonal venues in Ogwashi-Uku
Ogwashi-Uku
Ogwashi-Uku is an Igbo town in southern Nigeria in Delta State west of the state capital, Asaba. It is the headquarters for the local government area, Aniocha South. The population of Ogwashi-Uku, Nigeria is 26,137 according to the GeoNames geographical database. -Institutions:*Delta State...
, Agbor
Agbor
Agbor, also known as Agbor Boji Boji, is a town in Delta state, Nigeria. The indigenes of Agbor town are of Ika descent, an Igbo group with heavy Bini influence. Agbor was originally named Agbon a Bini word for "land", until the British anglicized it to Agbor. The people of Agbor have traditionally...
, and Kwale
Kwale
Kwale is a small town in Coast Province, Kenya. It is located at around ; 30 km southwest of Mombasa and 15 km inland. It is capital of the Kwale District. The town has an urban population of 4,200 . It is next to the Shimba Hills National Reserve...
, the all important finals (Grand Finale) have always had over 10,000 persons as participants and audience. A galaxy of Royal fathers from Anioma area was always on hand to offer their royal solidarity to the event.
The Oshimili South Local Government Arcade, Asaba is always a beehive of cultural activities on those particular days that the final fiesta held. An array of cultural dancers who varied in types and styles grace the occasion, over 50 adult cultural groups and 18 in the children’s category throng the venue. Exhibition of Arts and Crafts whose creativity was appreciated by the distinguished guests and participants take the centre stage while Anioma cuisine which make most guests journey to our roots for the appreciation of the original natural foods whose taste and sumptuousness our people used to relish.
A major feature of the fiesta has always been the huge financial outlay in form of cash prizes winners go home with. First prize is usually N300,000 : 00, second N200,000 :00 and third, N100,000 : 00. There is also the N500,000 : 00 set aside for winner of each categories of dances. Consolation prizes are usually given to other finalists who failed to clinch any positions. They get N10,000 : 00 each beside the transport subsidy
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
given a few days to the event.
Participation of cultural groups from the zones is of utmost concern to OFAAC for without the people, its objective of fostering unity, oneness and the sense of belonging in Anioma would be in jeopardy. As it is customary in contests for some to win and some to lose, Aguba royal group of Ubulu-Uno in Aniocha South and Uloko Cultural Dance Group from Ndemili Utagba-Uno in Ndokwa West
Ndokwa West
Ndokwa West is a Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Kwale.It has an area of 816 km² and a population of 149,325 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 322....
had to emerge sometime as champions 2004 and 2005 editions respectively.
The Royal Fathers of Anioma, State Governor, his Deputy and other Government Functionaries at both subordinate and superordinate levels have been a key part of this ‘OFAAC’ package and programmes of activities from the inception.
To ensure that our traditional rulers are effectively carried along, ‘OFAAC’ members regularly visit these custodians of our culture and tradition. The introduction of Anoma cultural fiesta was first preceded by numerous courtesy visits to these highly respected traditional rulers. Predictably, these royal fathers have been very receptive of the programmes of ‘OFAAC’ and have given enormous support to their efforts. The visits, long and extended, covered a large expanse of land constituting the geopolitical configuration known as Delta North Senatorial District. From Asaba in Oshimili South Area through Abavo in Ika South to Amai
AMAI
thumb|200px|right|AMAI official Logo The Mexican Association of Marketing Research and Public Opinion Agencies is the agency responsible for maintaining the transparency and quality in market research in Mexico, setting the standards of quality and socioeconomic levels.-History:Founded in...
in Ukwani, ‘OFAAC’ sought and received the co-operation and encouragement of these royal fathers.
A major revelation of the visits has been this show of solidarity and “the affirmation of the homogeneity of Anioma Nation in cultural matters and linguistic affinity”. Officials undertaking these visit in no place sought the assistance of interpreters. This, though, does not preclude the existence of a few dialectical departures, which nevertheless, do not attenuate their mutual intelligibility.
Anioma Annual Lecture Series
The Anioma Annual Lecture Series usually precedes the Anioma Cultural Festival. The first in the series of Anioma Annual Lecture, to further the aspirations Anioma was held in 2006 at MUSON Centre, Lagos. The theme was “Anioma Culture: The Past, The Present and The Future. The speaker was Chief Newton Jibunoh, former Chairman Costain West Africa and Desert Warrior, and chaired by Ambassador Segun Olusola, Former Nigerian Ambassador to EthiopiaEthiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
.
The second in the series was also held in MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos in 2006 with the theme “Integration of Indigenous Architecture in contemporary Housing Development in Nigeria”. The lecture was delivered by Sir S.P.O. Fortune Ebie, former Managing Director of Federal Housing Authority, and Chaired by Chief Ernest A.O. Shonekan, GCFR, CBE, former Head of Interim National Government of Nigeria.
Anioma Microcredit Scheme
The Micro Credit Scheme of the Organisation For the Advancement of Anioma Culture was introduced in 2005, aimed at empowering the poor and less privileged in Anioma nation by supporting them with micro-credit to boost their businesses at the grass root. The scheme is an important milestone in OFAAC’s poverty reductionPoverty reduction
Poverty is the state of human beings who are poor. That is, they have little or no material means of surviving—little or no food, shelter, clothes, healthcare, education, and other physical means of living and improving one's life....
drive in Anioma, which is consistent with Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
(MDGs) of United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
’s desire to eradicate extreme poverty by the year 2015.
The scheme since its introduction has helped build sustainable business
Sustainable business
Sustainable business, or green business, is enterprise that has no negative impact on the global or local environment, community, society, or economy—a business that strives to meet the triple bottom line. Often, sustainable businesses have progressive environmental and human rights policies...
enterprises in Anioma nation. As thousands of small business owners in Anioma have had access to the micro credit scheme. Beyond cash disbursement to assist people engaged in farming, trading, arts and craft etc. Beneficiaries are also supported with farm implements, equipment acquisition and other materials.