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Cultural Heritage

Living Traditions

The Cultural Wealth of Benue

From the celebrated Kwagh-hir theatre of the Tiv to the majestic Iyo festival of the Idoma, Benue State is a living museum of African heritage. Select a category from the column below to explore our cultural traditions that shape the Food Basket of the Nation.

Categories
7

Select a category to filter entries

All Categories Full cultural roll
23
Festivals & Celebrations Seasons of drums, harvest and thanksgiving
6
Music & Dance Rhythms that tell our stories
3
Arts & Crafts The work of skilled hands
3
Cuisine & Food The taste of the Food Basket
3
Traditional Attire & Adornment Identity woven in cloth
2
Folklore & Oral Tradition Wisdom passed down by word of mouth
3
Historic Sites & Monuments Places that hold our memory
3
Click any category above to filter. Click an entry card to read the full historical narrative.
ALL HERITAGE DOMAINS • 23 Entries

All Heritage Entries

Festivals & Celebrations
Akata Fishing Festival

The biggest-fish competition remains the heart of the celebration. It highlights the patience, experience...

Katsina-Ala · Etulo
Festivals & Celebrations
Eje' Alekwu Traditional Festival of The Idoma People

Eje Alekwu serves as a means of preserving Idoma history, teaching moral values, encouraging social harmo...

Idoma Land · Idoma
Kwagh-Hir: The Living Theatre That Brings Tiv Culture to Life Festivals & Celebrations
Kwagh-Hir: The Living Theatre That Brings Tiv Culture to Life

A theatre born beneath the moonlight

Tiv Land · Tiv
Iyo Festival Festivals & Celebrations
Iyo Festival

Iyo is the grand cultural festival of the Idoma nation, bringing together Idoma sons and daughters at Otu...

Otukpo · Idoma
Okoho Soup Cuisine & Food
Okoho Soup

A celebrated Idoma delicacy prepared from the okoho plant, noted for its drawy texture and rich, distinct...

Otukpo · Idoma
Tiv Folktales & Proverbs Folklore & Oral Tradition
Tiv Folktales & Proverbs

Evening storytelling under the moonlight keeps alive tales of animals, heroes and ancestral wisdom, along...

Benue State · Tiv
Tiv Traditional Attire Traditional Attire & Adornment
Tiv Traditional Attire

Angas cloth in striking stripes, flowing gowns and distinctive hats form the classic Tiv outfit for festi...

Benue State · Tiv
Tiv Wood Carving Arts & Crafts
Tiv Wood Carving

Tiv carvers produce masks, stools, mortars, doors and the celebrated puppets used in Kwagh-hir theatre.

Gboko · Tiv
Ushongo Hills Historic Sites & Monuments
Ushongo Hills

Rolling hills and rock formations that offer sweeping views of the Benue plains and hold cultural signifi...

Ushongo · Tiv
Alech Dance Music & Dance
Alech Dance

A graceful Tiv dance performed by men and women in celebration, noted for its coordinated movement and tr...

Benue State · Tiv
Alech Festival Festivals & Celebrations
Alech Festival

A Tiv festival of dance and song performed during great occasions, marked by rhythmic drumming, colourful...

Gboko · Tiv
Idoma Oral Poetry Folklore & Oral Tradition
Idoma Oral Poetry

Bards and praise singers recount the deeds of clans and heroes in poetic chants at gatherings and festiva...

Otukpo · Idoma
Idoma Traditional Regalia Traditional Attire & Adornment
Idoma Traditional Regalia

Rich woven cloth, red caps and beaded adornment mark Idoma ceremonial dress and chieftaincy occasions.

Otukpo · Idoma
Ikwe Hills Historic Sites & Monuments
Ikwe Hills

Scenic highlands in Ukum Local Government Area, celebrated for their landscape and traditional lore.

Ukum · Tiv
Pottery & Terracotta Arts & Crafts
Pottery & Terracotta

Hand-built pottery for storage and cooking, fashioned from local clay and fired in open kilns.

Oju · Igede
Pounded Yam & Pocho Cuisine & Food
Pounded Yam & Pocho

A Tiv favourite — smooth pounded yam served with hearty pocho soup prepared with assorted meat or fish.

Gboko · Tiv
Igede Riddles & Songs Folklore & Oral Tradition
Igede Riddles & Songs

Riddles, riddling games and work songs transmit language, ethics and community memory among the Igede peo...

Oju · Igede
River Benue Waterfront Historic Sites & Monuments
River Benue Waterfront

The banks of the River Benue in Makurdi, the State capital’s defining natural landmark and historic trade...

Makurdi · Various
Swem Dance Music & Dance
Swem Dance

A popular Tiv communal dance characterised by energetic steps, drums and call-and-response singing.

Ushongo · Tiv
Traditional Weaving Arts & Crafts
Traditional Weaving

Raffia, cane and cloth weaving used for mats, baskets, hats and bags that serve everyday and ceremonial p...

Benue State · Various
Igede Cultural Dance Music & Dance
Igede Cultural Dance

Igede ensembles perform ceremonial dances with flutes, drums and rattles at funerals, festivals and rites...

Oju · Igede
New Yam Celebration Festivals & Celebrations
New Yam Celebration

The arrival of the new yam is welcomed with feasting, thanksgiving and traditional dances across farming...

Benue State · Various
River Benue Fresh Fish Cuisine & Food
River Benue Fresh Fish

Fresh and smoked fish from the Benue and Katsina-Ala rivers, a staple of local markets and kitchens.

Makurdi · Various
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