Art entrepreneurship possibilities inherent in Omabe masking traditions of Orba- Nsukka, Southeastern Nigeria

The Omabe masking tradition of Orba community in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria, is a quadrennial masquerade festival celebrated by the cult members and their adherents. It demands an utmost collaborative effort to produce overwhelming artistic engagements for the cultural, economic and educational development and sustenance of the community. This cultural heirloom has expanded beyond a mere fiesta to an entrepreneurship development practice for the participants through intensive impartation and learning of artistic entrepreneurial skills. Foreign and indigenous scholars have written profusely on the Omabe masquerade and masking, but have scarcely delved into its artistic entrepreneurship possibilities. The data analysed in this study were collected from mixed sources comprising three primary sources(namely survey, semi-structured interviews and photographs), and triangulated with insights from secondary sources(namely scholarly publications on the subject).The findings revealed that many of the Omabe masquerade enthusiasts have been inspired to become self-reliant through the establishment of profit-oriented art business centres for economic and human development. Though most of the custodians of Omabe’s adornment and costume art have died, there is hope for its sustenance, as young men are still interested in tapping into its artistic entrepreneurship potential.