On December 12, 2025, the rhythms of Igbo cultural memory will converge in Abagana, where the Council of Igbo States in Americas (CISA) and the Igbo World Assembly (IWA) host CISA-Fest at the Ikendigbo Event Center, opposite the Njikoka Local Government Headquarters. Under the guiding theme “Oganiru Ifediiche (Positive Impact),” the festival aims to reconnect a global people with ancestral spaces that continue to define their identity.
For years, CISA has stood as the principal consortium of Igbo organizations in the Americas, sustaining language and customs through diaspora leadership circles, educational programs, and reconstructions of Igbo Villages that serve as living classrooms. This convention deepens that heritage mission by inviting diaspora descendants into physical and symbolic communion with the homeland.
The schedule—unfolding from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.—interlaces cultural performances, ancient masquerades, and conversations with elders, scholars, and diaspora advocates. The spiritual aura of the gathering is heightened by the presence of traditional royalty. HRM Eze Chukwuemeka Eri, Eze Eri, Ezeora 34th & Aka Ji Ovọ Igbo, presides as Royal Father of the Day, reaffirming the primordial roots of the Igbo people. Alongside him, His Eminence Dr. Eberechukwu Oji, the Eze Aro of Arochukwu, appears as Guest Royal Father, bringing centuries of Aro history into the festival space.
The stewardship of the event rests with Dr. N. A. Anakwenze, Regent/Onowu of Abagana, Chairman of the CISA Governing Council and President of IWA, as Chief Host; Chief Dr. (Mrs.) Uzoamaka Josephine Aguoji (Nee Ekunnọ), President of CISA, as Host; and Onye Nze Amadiebube Mbama, CISA Vice Board Chairman and Coordinator of GIL, as Co-Host.
Further enriching the dialogue are figures such as Dr. Juan Ávila Abrahams; Chief Laverne Holden, Ugosimba I of Ibagwa Nike (United Kingdom) and CEO of Able Farms Ltd; Chief, Prince Dr. Sidney Eluemuno Davis, who speaks for countless African Americans tracing lineage to Igbo ancestry and remains instrumental in DSG Diaspora and Igbo Landing remembrance projects; and Lolo Nneka Chimezie, IWA Women Council President.
For Chief Dr. (Mrs.) Aguoji, CISA-Fest is not simply an event but a cultural intervention—an intentional return to language, symbols, and values that risk erosion in the contemporary world.
