Iria is a festival celebrated by the Igbani, Kalabari, Okrika and Opobo ethnic groups of River State, which marks the transition of a girl into womanhood. The festival showcases women decked in beautiful wrappers with beads on their legs and ankles, as well as bowler hats to match. The girls to be initiated also carry walking sticks.
The Iria in communities such as Buguma, Kula, Sagbama, Billie, Kakrama and Abonnema, is also used to celebrate women after childbirth before the dedication of the child.
Women and maidens also wear the Iria costume during burial ceremonies, especially when the deceased is one of the parents of one of the maidens.
A Kalabari cultural analyst, Mrs Ayanaba Lawson, explained Iria thus: “Prior to attaining the age of puberty, a girl runs naked around the neighbourhood, but once she reaches the age of puberty, her parents acquire a wrapper for her. The presentation of this wrapper to the girl marks a special day and is celebrated with great enthusiasm.”
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Mrs Lawson said the Iria culture comprised three stages: Kala-Egerebite, Opu-Egerebite and Bibite, explaining that: “The Kala-Egerebite is for girls aged between 12 and 15. On the day of the ceremony, the girls wear a single wrapper known as ‘suu’ on their chest, along with light beads. Opu-Egerebite is meant for women aged between 18 and 21, as well as those slightly older. During the ceremony, the women tie a waist wrapper called ikaki, along with popo and damask fabrics, paired with matching blouses. The Bibite is reserved for women aged 40 and above. At this stage, the women wear traditional garments such as the George wrapper and the lili-inji wrapper. The Bibite holds the highest level of honour and respect within the Iria marriage ceremony in Bonny, and it receives special attention and reverence.
History has it that in the olden days, young people walked almost naked. So, when teenage girls got to puberty and began to mature in sensitive parts of their body, their parents acquired a wrapper and made the presentation day a ceremony. This was basically how Iria started.
Mrs Soiboma Iyai-Sokari, the Director of Ibifi-Ayi Enterprise, an Ijaw cultural outfit shop, said, “Njiri Iria is another component of Iria that is used for three purposes: first and second burial, as well as childbirth.
She said Njiri is the George wrapper, explaining that the wrapper is tied round the waist to showcase a woman’s beauty and demonstrate that her husband took good care of her during her stay in the fattening room.
Analysing the different dimensions of Iria, Mrs Iyai-Sokari said, “In the case of childbirth, after a woman dedicates her child in the church, a week later she will dress like this and walk round the town as a beautiful woman. People will be giving her money. She must use Njiri and it goes with a walking stick and other accessories on her legs, hands and neck.”
She further said, “Egene Bite Iria is for maidens, especially virgins. Once a girl attains womanhood, she is dressed in this attire and presented by her family to the town. That’s why most times when women are getting married, what I do is to dress all the maidens in this attire while they escort the bride to the house of her groom. She moves out with an umbrella with the inbi on her neck, waist and hands. The Hausa people call it jigida (inbi).”
A teenager, Ibinabo Amachree, dressed in the Iria costume, said, “The Ijaw nation, especially the Kalabari, value our cultural heritage. What I am putting on is the Iria costume. From the hat, the njiri, the waist beads, the walking stick and the flat plate in my hand, represent our cultural value which showcases the beauty of a Kalabari woman.”
Margret Ikiriko, a Nollywood actress and Rivers State-based journalist, who hails from Buguma, said Iria demonstrates the cultural heritage of the people and shows respect for women.
She said, “Our culture is our way of life. A nation without culture is doomed. We have continued to preserve our cultural heritage which stands us out from other nationalities. Iria shows the beauty of a typical Ijaw woman as she matures from childhood to womanhood.”
Hellen Jack-Wilson, the Women Leader of Bonny Kingdom, in a paper presented at the Bonny Noble Awards ceremony, stated that Iria is usually celebrated according to one’s economic strength, noting that there is no specific rule on the amount one should spend.
She further said, “Iria is also a mode of inducting women into the Ibani native customs and morality. This includes mode of dressing, comportment, way of sitting, manner of salutation and so forth. This is particularly for women who are not originally from Bonny, but brought in by marriage. It is important that that set of women blend into Bonny ways.
“There are three stages of the Iria ceremony: Kala-Egerebite – for maidens within the age bracket of 12 and 15. Opu-Egerebite – For young ladies from 18 to 21 and slightly above, and Bibite – for women above the age of 40. However, women who were unable to meet up with the two stages are permitted to combine all and do them at once. That’s why we have people tag their Iria as Egerebite/Bibite Ceremony, which is a combination of the three. The woman is to tie all the wrappers in one day.”
Fattening room
Margret Ikiriko explained that, “The fattening room is a lockdown period designed to improve the outward looks of the Iria celebrant. It is not a time for her to be skinny. She has to look robust so that the wrapper can fit her properly on the D-day. If she is a maiden, the fattening room would as well make her shiny and robust enough to attract potential suitors her way.
“The fattening room is also an induction ground for women to be taught the precepts and principles of womanhood, especially as it concerns Bonny people. She is supposed to be surrounded by older women of experience to impact her positively. Apart from being well-fed and taken care of, she is supposed to come out of the room as a full-fledged Bonny woman.”
Myths about Iria
Jack-Walson was quoted to have said, “Some people carry rumour that Iria is diabolic. This is not true. I did my own Iria and there was nothing fetish about it. I believe in Christ, the son of the living God, and that reflected all through the ceremony.
“But I must say that everything is prone to abuse. So, how your Iria ceremony goes is dependent on who you are. There is nothing bad about Iria. It is our identity, our heritage and our culture. As we all know, the uniqueness of one’s culture is the foundation for tourism. So, we should cherish our culture, protect, don’t abuse it, and we will all see it impact us for good.
“As Bonny Kingdom’s women leader, I, with my exco, will continue to do our part to protect our cherished culture that is embedded in the Iria traditional ceremony. We are already working out modalities to package the ceremony for the enticement of tourists and fun seekers. God help us, we will finish strong.”
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