Iri Ji Grand Finale: 15,000 Yams, One Pyramid — Can Anambra Build a World Record?

What happens when 15,000 tubers of yam come together in one place, not just to celebrate Iri Ji, but to chase a world record?

For the Igbo, yam is regarded as the king of all foods, “isi nri ndi Igbo.” It symbolises wealth, prestige and prosperity, and its importance is reflected in the celebration of Iri Ji, the New Yam Festival.

But what if this respected symbol of Igbo culture becomes the centre of a record-breaking attempt involving 15,000 tubers of yam?

The Iri Ji Grand Finale Project Launch and Press Conference, held at Solution Fun City, Awka, on August 15, 2026, brought to light one of the major events planned for the forthcoming celebration: the Tallest Yam Pyramid Project.

Under the plan, organisers intend to construct a giant yam pyramid using 15,000 tubers contributed by communities across the region, in an attempt to achieve a Guinness World Records feat.

One Yam, One Contribution

The project is built around the philosophy:

“One yam, one contribution, one united people”

More than simply piling up thousands of yams, organisers want every contribution to represent a family, community or individual coming together to create something collectively, thereby promoting unity, wider participation and togetherness among Ndigbo.

To achieve this, contributions can be made physically or financially, with different levels of support available to individuals and corporate organisations.

In addition, the “Adopt-a-Yam” campaign was introduced, allowing individuals, brands and groups to support the pyramid by adopting a yam.

Ultimately, the initiative seeks to make the pyramid not only a record attempt, but also a symbol of collective contribution and unity.

As the Igbo proverb goes, “A nyuko mamiri onu ogba ufufu.” And, as another popular saying reminds us, “Igwe bu ike.” Together, these sayings capture the idea behind the project: its strength lies in collective participation.

Indeed, as the organisers put it, the Igbo Yam Pyramid is being built not only with yams, but with identity, pride and collective contribution.

Confidence Behind the Record Attempt

For the organisers, the 15,000-tuber target may be ambitious, but it is not impossible.

Stephen Muogbo, Business Development Lead for the Iri Ji New Yam Music Festival 2026, spoke about what it would take to achieve a record of such scale.

“We've done a yam pyramid of 1000 and 1,500 before,” he said. “So what is 15,000 that we cannot do? We just have to triple up our hustle, keep pushing, and get more sponsors.”

Beyond expressing confidence, Mogbo also called on prospective sponsors, including Tochukwu Ezisi of Emaline Suites and Chief Afonwa Elotanna of Afonwa Global, to deepen their support for the project as breaking the world record would need a lot of financing.

For Chiamaka Nnake, Secretary to the Anambra State Government, the achievement would mean more than a record.

“Our culture broke the world record. Iri Ji on the global map.”

She explained that the achievement would resonate not only in Anambra but across Igbo culture.

Similarly, a student identified as Iheakaram Chioma Precious who attended the launch expressed pride at the possibility of seeing the feat achieved, particularly as an Igbo person.

Can 15,000 Tubers Become One Record?

At this point, the ambition is huge, and its success will depend on how well communities, families, individuals and sponsors respond to the call for contributions.After all, difficult feats are what test collective strength.

The success of the project will depend largely on the willingness of communities, families, individuals, sponsors and other stakeholders to contribute towards the target.

If successful, the project could become more than a Guinness World Records attempt. It could stand as a physical representation of unity, culture and collective Igbo identity.

The question, therefore, remains: will the 15,000-tuber yam pyramid remain an ambitious idea, or will Anambra turn the proposed record into reality at the Iri Ji Grand Finale?

For now, the answer rests with the communities and the yams they bring.