Traditional naming ceremony . In Igbo, the ceremony is referred to as “Igu Afa”

 

GINI BU AHA GI? 

“When a person is given a name, his gods accept.” –

Traditions like the naming ceremony demonstrate the importance of names within Igbo society. In Igbo, the ceremony is referred to as “Igu Afa”.

In contemporary Igbo culture, the custom is usually performed on the eighth day after the child is born. Two names are usually given to the child by each side of the family. However, only one name is retained for later life.

Within the diaspora and those in Nigeria who live outside of Igboland. The tradition and context of names can become a lost part of a person’s heritage.

Many of us living abroad bear surnames that feel alien to us, relics from a culture that has often not been explained or elaborated to us.

In the modern globalised world, names can be a unique glimpse into a person’s history and origin. With surnames, in particular, being important indicators that map the collective journey of a family or clan.