Today, during the 1st Annual Festac ICDU Iwaji Festival, my book, Ibusa Iwu Festival: Dancing Through Time, will be officially unveiled—a significant milestone in my continuing commitment to documenting, celebrating, and preserving the rich cultural heritage of Ibusa.
In addition to the book unveiling, I will deliver a lecture titled “Iwaji Festival: The Essence and Continuity in Ibusa Society.” The lecture will explore the deeper cultural significance of Iwaji, its place in the collective identity of the Ibusa people, and the responsibility we bear in ensuring that our cherished traditions endure across generations.
Since the 1990s, Ibusa has witnessed a remarkable increase in the number of chiefs and other holders of traditional titles. While this growth reflects an expanding recognition of traditional institutions, it also raises a fundamental question: To what extent has this increase translated into meaningful efforts to preserve, promote, and sustain Ibusa culture and tradition?
Equally troubling is the growing tendency among some prominent Ibusa families to distance their children from the cultural activities of our community. Why are many parents no longer actively involving their children in the traditions that shaped their ancestors and continue to define our collective identity?
These are questions we must confront with honesty and a genuine sense of responsibility. A culture cannot survive on titles, ceremonies, and pronouncements alone; it must be practised, transmitted, and embraced by successive generations. The preservation of our heritage requires deliberate action, collective commitment, and the active participation of both traditional institutions and families.
As I celebrate this important milestone, I am deeply grateful to the distinguished sons and daughters of Ibusa whose encouragement and support have contributed to making this book a reality. Among them are two personalities whose contributions deserve special recognition: Prince Emmanuel Isieze Nwadei and Mr. Emmanuel “Kwasa” Amatokwu, the Mayor of Ibusa.
In 2019, Prince Nwadei reached out to me and mobilised my efforts towards producing pamphlets on Iwu for the Umuodafe celebrants of the festival. What began as a modest documentation project became a powerful source of inspiration and encouragement, sowing the seeds for the more ambitious undertaking that has culminated in the publication of Ibusa Iwu Festival: Dancing Through Time.
His early intervention was more than a gesture of support; it was an investment in the preservation of our cultural memory. It reinforced my conviction that our traditions deserve to be documented, interpreted, and passed on to future generations, not merely as remnants of the past, but as living expressions of our identity.
I remain profoundly appreciative of Prince Nwadei for that timely encouragement and of Mr. Emmanuel “Kwasa” Amatokwu, alongside the many other Ibusa patriots who believe in the importance of safeguarding our cultural inheritance.
Today is not merely about unveiling a book; it is about renewing a commitment to our roots, interrogating our responsibilities, and inspiring a new generation to take pride in the cultural heritage of Ibusa.
May our traditions never become distant memories in the land of our ancestors. May we continue to dance through time, carrying the wisdom of the past into the promise of the future.
Ibusa culture is our heritage. Its preservation is our collective responsibility.
- Emeka Esogbue
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