Iri Ji Grand Finale enters third edition with Anambra as host

The Iri Ji Grand Finale is entering its third edition with Anambra State confirmed as host, as organisers Heritage and Culture Africa secure the backing of the Federal Ministry responsible for Culture and Tourism and the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) for the 2026 staging.
The event, now in its third edition, was formally launched on Saturday at the Anambra Country Club, Solution Fun City, Awka, where government officials, traditional rulers, corporate leaders and youth representatives gathered for a stakeholders’ forum and press conference. The festival previously held in Enugu in 2025 will move to Anambra this year, continuing organisers’ plan to expand the celebration of Igbo culture, agriculture, tourism and entertainment across the region.
Federal recognition of the project, organisers say, gives it standing beyond a state-level celebration. Officials at the launch described the endorsement as a signal that culture, tourism and agriculture can be harnessed to create jobs and draw investment for young Nigerians.
The Anambra State Government was represented at the launch by the Commissioner for Tourism and the Secretary to the State Government, alongside the Chairman of the Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers, Igwe Umueri, and the Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Officials from the state’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA) also attended, underlining the festival’s agricultural and investment components.
Corporate figures present included Arc. Chukwudi Ezenwa, Founder of Sliding Towers and Chairman/CEO of GSS Group, who led private-sector representation, along with Dr. Ekwunife of Julezmanuel Interprojects Ltd and representatives of Glamour Properties.
Organisers say the three-day grand finale, scheduled for 20–22 November 2026 at the Awka City Stadium, is expected to draw more than 10,000 attendees. Its centrepiece will be an attempt at the largest yam pyramid by community contribution, intended to celebrate farmers and the yam value chain while pushing the festival onto an international stage. Other planned activities include an Igbo Unity, Agro and Technology Summit, a grand cultural parade, a masquerade parade, an agricultural and yam exhibition, youth and creative-industry programmes, a live music concert, and business networking sessions.
Speaking at the launch, Project Director Prince Davidson Okoroanyanwu said the festival was designed to be broader than an entertainment event, bringing together government, traditional institutions, investors, farmers and young people around a shared cultural platform. He said the scale of federal and state participation, along with the corporate figures present, reflected growing confidence in the project.
Kelechi Kennedy Nnabara, Founder of Heritage and Culture Africa, the festival’s organiser, said the initiative was built on the idea that African culture can serve as a platform for development and investment rather than simply a subject for preservation. He thanked federal and state institutions, traditional rulers, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and corporate partners for their support across the festival’s editions, from its origins to the coming 2026 staging in Anambra.
Organisers describe the shift from Enugu to Anambra as part of a broader ambition to rotate the festival across states with significant Igbo populations, building national and international attention for the region over time.
In the coming months, Heritage and Culture Africa says it will roll out stakeholder engagements, cultural programmes, agricultural partnerships, youth activities and media campaigns ahead of the November finale, while continuing to call on government institutions, financial partners, farmers, entrepreneurs and tourism operators to join the initiative.
The festival’s dates, 20–22 November 2026, and its venue, Awka City Stadium, have been confirmed, with the yam pyramid attempt positioned as the event’s flagship activity heading into the grand finale.

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