Banbury Nigerian Community celebrates Iri Ji Festival
16/09/2025
The festival symbolises the end of the rainy season and the start of the yam harvest
Members of the Eastern Nigerian community and local residents have come together to mark the annual Iri Ji festival. The event, held on Saturday August 30, was organised by Eastern Nigerian Connect, Banbury.
Town Mayor, Councillor Kieron Mallon, was in attendance.
The Iri Ji festival is widely celebrated in West Africa and symbolises the end of the rainy season and the start of the yam harvest, with yam regarded as the “king of crops.”
Traditional rites were performed with roasted yam, with a variety of different dishes served.
The organisation’s Chair, Dr Chukwudi Okeke, noted the celebration reflected Banbury’s bicultural identity. He said: “I was happy to see many people from different backgrounds attend the event despite the rain.
“We are bicultural, British and Nigerian cultures, and it is important that we maintain both cultures, especially the children. Embracing both cultures will lead to better, more successful integrations within the society.”
Councillor Mallon praised the event for fostering unity, noting that although we come from different places, we are one Banbury.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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