The Bakor Nation has once again come alive with color, dance, and deep tradition as nine communities gathered for the 2025 edition of the New Yam Festival. The celebration, rooted in the agrarian heritage of the people, marked the symbolic thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest and the renewal of unity among clans.

This year’s festival drew together indigenes, visitors, and dignitaries from across the State and beyond. Including some management staff of the Cross River State Ministry of Tourism, Arts And Culture led by the Permanent Secretary, Pastor Mrs Eme Affiah.

Cultural troupes, masquerades, and performers filled the air with the sounds of drums and flutes, while elders offered prayers to the ancestors for protection and prosperity in the year ahead to make the beginning of the yam season in their communities.

In his address at the event, the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly called on the people of Bakor to embrace peace and brotherhood above all else. He stressed that the festival should not only be a time for merriment, but also a moment of reflection on the values that bind the community together.

“Without peace, there can be no meaningful development. Our land is rich, our people are resourceful, and our culture is strong. But all of these can only flourish in an atmosphere of harmony. Let the spirit of this New Yam Festival guide us into a season of unity and progress.” He added.

His words carried weight against the backdrop of social and political challenges facing rural communities across the state, especially within the Bakors. By invoking peace, he emphasized the role of culture as a unifying force, capable of healing divisions and strengthening bonds between generations.

The festival closed with Barrister Chris Agara announcing his sponsorship for a hospital to be located in Nkarassi, scholarship for ten indigen followed by communal feasting, the sharing of roasted and pounded yam, and traditional dances that carried well into the evening. For the Bakor Nation, the 2025 New Yam Festival was not just about celebrating harvest—it was also a reminder that peace remains the most fertile soil on which progress can grow.

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