By Aliyu Bala Gerengi, Gombe
The Igbo community in Gombe State has celebrated its 2026 annual New Yam Festival, bringing together traditional rulers, community leaders, farmers, elders and families to mark the beginning of the consumption of newly harvested yams and celebrate the community’s rich cultural heritage.
The festival, an important cultural tradition among the Igbo people, from South East Nigeria, provided an opportunity for thanksgiving for a successful harvest, prayers for peace and prosperity and renewed calls for greater agricultural productivity and food security in the coming farming season.
The 2026 celebration was led by Dr. Chidebelu Chimack Ewuzie, Special Adviser to the Governor of Gombe State on Inter-Community Relations, who highlighted the cultural and economic significance of yam to the Igbo people.
Dr. Ewuzie described yam as more than a staple food, noting that it represents wealth, prosperity, hard work, fertility and cultural identity.
He said the annual celebration served as a reminder of the community’s enduring traditions and the vital role of agriculture in sustaining livelihoods.
Dr. Ewuzie also commended the Gombe State Government under Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for its developmental initiatives, particularly in the agriculture and health sectors, which he said had positively affected individuals and communities across the state.
According to him, the administration’s interventions in these critical sectors have contributed to improving livelihoods and supporting community development.
The Special Adviser further urged members of the Igbo community to embrace farming and other agricultural activities as practical ways of strengthening food security, generating employment and promoting economic self-reliance.
He emphasised that agriculture remained a viable pathway to addressing hunger, creating jobs and improving the economic well-being of residents.
Speaking at the event, the President-General of the Igbo Community Welfare Association, Mr. Harvard Nweye, described the festival as an important occasion for thanksgiving, traditional prayers and the reaffirmation of shared cultural values.
He explained that community leaders and elders use the celebration to pray for sustained peace, prosperity and abundant harvests, while encouraging unity and solidarity among members of the community.
Mr. Nweye noted that, in keeping with tradition, recognised traditional rulers and respected elders may perform the ceremonial first tasting of the newly harvested yam before it is shared with other members of the community.
He added that the festival also recognises the dedication of farmers and reinforces the importance of agriculture to the community’s economy, cultural heritage and continued survival.
The celebration underscored the importance of preserving indigenous traditions while encouraging agricultural development, community cohesion and peaceful coexistence among the diverse ethnic groups in Gombe State.
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