Cultural Festivals in Enhancing Indigenous Knowledge for the Consolidation of National Integration in Cameroon: The Case of the Ngonnso Cultural Festival from its Origin to Present

Cultural festivals are significant events that celebrate the cultural heritage, traditions, and values of a community. They often involve a range of activities, including music, dance, food, art, and religious ceremonies, reflecting the unique identity of the community. This paper employed a qualitative ethnographic approach to investigate the role of cultural festivals in enhancing indigenous knowledge for effective national integration in Cameroon. The main objective of this study is to investigate the extent to which the Ngonnso festivals in Cameroon. Data for the purpose of this study was collected through document analysis, participant observation, and interviews granted to resourceful persons across the Nso land. Results indicate that, the Ngonnso cultural festivals is effective in showcasing indigenous culture, creating awareness, education and lifelong learning, entertainment, heritage promotion, tourism and national integration in Cameroon. They build community resources, their success is judged on profit and loss, and they provide a forum for community cohesion and celebration, as well as enhancing cultural knowledge. Furthermore, by providing empirical evidence on the impacts of the Ngonnso cultural festivals, this study will contribute to a deeper understanding of how cultural events can be leveraged to promote social harmony, cultural diversity and the fabrics of national integration.