Question 48
BECE_MODEL_QUESTIONS_VOL1
•
2024
•
EDO_L1
•
objective
Explain the significance of the Igba (New Yam) festival among the Edo people, and compare its role in promoting social cohesion with that of the Eyo festival in Lagos.
Answer Options
A.
The Igba (New Yam) festival is primarily a marriage ceremony among the Edo, where families exchange dowries of yam and perform bridal dances to seal alliances. It has little to do with agriculture or ancestor worship. The Eyo festival in Lagos, on the other hand, is a religious fast observed by the Yoruba to honour the sea deities, involving silent prayers and abstention from food. While both festivals involve communal gatherings, Igba focuses on matrimonial bonds and Eyo on spiritual purification, rather than social cohesion through harvest or heritage.
Correct Answer
B.
The Igba (New Yam) festival is a thanksgiving ceremony that marks the start of the yam harvest among the Edo people. It honors ancestors, thanks the deities for a good yield, and involves communal feasting, dancing and sharing of yam dishes, which unites families and neighbours. The Eyo festival in Lagos, on the other hand, commemorates the memory of a departed chief and features colourful masquerades, processions and street performances. Both festivals serve to bring people together, promote a shared identity and reinforce social ties, but Igba is rooted in agricultural gratitude while Eyo is a civic‑cultural celebration of heritage.
C.
The Igba (New Yam) festival is a contemporary music concert introduced by the Edo youth, featuring popular bands, DJ sets and fireworks, intended to attract tourists and generate revenue. It does not involve any traditional rites or yam offerings. The Eyo festival in Lagos is a political rally organized by local parties to campaign for elections, with candidates parading in colourful costumes. Both events are modern spectacles that aim to entertain crowds, but neither has roots in thanksgiving, ancestor reverence, or the promotion of communal identity.
D.
The Igba (New Yam) festival is a martial rite that celebrates the Edo warriors' victories in battle. It is performed to honor the spirits of fallen soldiers, featuring mock combats, war drums and the distribution of meat dishes, which supposedly strengthens clan alliances. The Eyo festival in Lagos, by contrast, is a harvest ceremony that marks the beginning of the rice season, with participants wearing white robes and carrying baskets of rice to the market. Both events are said to bring people together, but Igba is centred on warfare while Eyo is an agricultural celebration, not a civic‑cultural procession.
Correct Answer
B
Correct Option:
The Igba (New Yam) festival is a thanksgiving ceremony that marks the start of the yam harvest among the Edo people. It honors ancestors, thanks the deities for a good yield, and involves communal feasting, dancing and sharing of yam dishes, which unites families and neighbours. The Eyo festival in Lagos, on the other hand, commemorates the memory of a departed chief and features colourful masquerades, processions and street performances. Both festivals serve to bring people together, promote a shared identity and reinforce social ties, but Igba is rooted in agricultural gratitude while Eyo is a civic‑cultural celebration of heritage.
About This Question
This is
Bece Model Questions Vol1
2024
Edo L1
Question 48.
It is one of the
objective
questions from the
2024
Bece Model Questions Vol1
Edo L1
examination.
Difficulty level:
Medium
.