The Diary Game || 08-02-2025 || Carnival Day Experience in Lagos State as a Corper

NYSC Experiences: Carnival Day

Life as a corp member can be tasking and challenging sometimes , yet enjoyable and memorable.

It is no wonder our predecessor's always advice fellow corp members to enjoy camp life while they can, as, that may be the only enjoyable part of Serving for some people.

I thought to share some of my camp experiences with you through a simple yet captivating series.
Today's own is captioned Carnival day.

Carnival day is a day set asides in NYSC Camp to explore the different cultural diversity which we have in Nigeria.

I camp in Lagos state at the Iyana Ipaja camp, Agege, and i must say the experience was so thrilling. The social events were what i looked forward to enjoying each day, and carnival day was fun and exciting.

We have a approximately but not limited to 371 tribes in Nigeria which include: Ibibio,Yoruba,Tiv,Igbo,Igala,Hausa,Efik,Urobo,Ijaw,Kanuri,Nupe,Fulani,Bini,Jukun,Igala,Idoma,Isoko,Igede,Gbagyi,Kamwe,Gade,Ukwuani,Itsekiri,e.t.c to name a few.

Each platoon were alotted a tribe based on the open ballot system. My platoon which was platoon 5 with the motto: "Diligence" happen to represent the Benin Culture, and we were to present the Igue festival.

The narrator for my platoon went on to introduce the festival to our audience, stating that the Igue Festival is a significant annual festival in the Benin Kingdom of Edo State, Nigeria. It's a time of thanksgiving, purification, and renewal for the Oba (king) and his people, typically celebrated around the end of the year. It's a deeply rooted tradition that honors ancestors and seeks blessings for the coming year.

The presentation involved the chief priest dancing around and throwing the scepter up and catching it successfully,it is said that he must not allow the scepter fall or else it would bring calamity to the kingdom.

The king alongside his Queens, Princes, Princess's, Chief's, and other members of his cabinet match in and the significance of the igue festival is discussed to the audience.

Another notable attribute is that the Queens and princesses of the kingdom must always cover their mouth, it is said that only the king is supposed to see his Queen's smile. And of course the beautiful Queens and Princesses emulated and acted this out very well ,it was almost as though they were all from the tribe.
Indigenous foods from the tribes were also displayed in a buffet setting showing the rich culture of the Benin people.

The concluding scene was when the dancers came in and wowed the audience with their moves while the King and his convoy exit the stage.

The were a total of 10 platoons in my Batch C2 and among the other Cultures displayed were: Igbo,Fulani,Nupe, Yoruba, etc.

How i miss my Platoon members,as they made camp life exciting . I must say we made the most of the event, we gave it our all and the cheer from the audience most certainly proved we did excellently well.

The Fulani marriage festival called the Sharo Festival was also presented by platoon 10.
The festival started with men dancing in with sticks on their necks and their hands woven around it. A young man was been put in the middle and the sharo test began.

The Sharo is a test of a young man's manhood, and the flogging is meant to mark him as courageous and successful in his transition to adulthood. The festival, which usually lasts a week, is held in a public place, often a market square, where the groom-to-be is flogged until he can withstand the pain. The scars from the flogging are seen as badges of honor and proof of the man's courage.

The play showed how the young man courageously withstood the pain and in the end he was given his bride.
Happily he along his bride , his kinsmen, and other cultural dancers danced happily around and exit the stage.

Another Platoon's presentation i enjoyed was Platoon 3. They presented the Argungu Fishing Festival ,and, i must say it was a beautiful sight to behold. The presentation was a mix of beautifully dressed women wearing the tribes cultural attire dancing to the beautiful rhythm of the cultural drums played.

Their narrator went forth to describe the significance of the festival,mentioning that, the Argungu Fishing Festival's origins are rooted in the history of the Kebbi people. Initially, it was a ritual to mark the peaceful resolution of a conflict between the Kebbi and Sokoto people. Over time, it became a major annual event to celebrate the local fishing culture and the abundance of the Argungu River.

Their concluding scene was when two men brought in a very big fish, which was dramatized to have been the spoils from the harvest. A truly magnificent sight to see.

I cannot fail to mention Platoon 4 presentation which was the new yam festival celebrated by the Igbos. The narrator went on to explain that the "New Yam Festival" known as Iri Ji or Iwaji in Igbo, is a significant cultural celebration among the Igbo people of Nigeria.

It marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of a new cycle of planting. The festival is a time to express gratitude for a bountiful yam harvest and to honor the yam, a staple food and symbol of Igbo culture.

Among the items used tor their demonstration were tubers of yam, a goat, masquerade, cultural dancers and different well dressed men and women all properly adored in the igbo cultural attires and beads, the were about 5 different ankara materials worn by different groups which made the presentation so colorful and epic. One could even mistake it for a wedding ceremony. I was especially fascinated by their performance.

A certain platoon even performed the Durban festival, which is an annual cultural, religious and equestrian festival, celebrated as a core part of the Arewa (Northern Nigerian) Hausa culture. I couldn't see much of their performance due to the crowd that covered the scene when the king rode in on his horse. I do remember seeing some well dressed dancers ,performing for the king.

The other platoons also performed exceedingly well but i have only discussed the few performances that really captivated my attention.

The fun fact is that most of us were put in groups were we knew nothing about the culture and traditions of the places we choosed, but, we had to come together, learn and study about this great festivals, learn their significance and we came out to give a beautiful performance as though we were from that tribe. This emulates the true meaning of unity and diversity.

Given the chance i would love to attend these ceremonies in person and have yet another thrill.