In the Igbo community, masquerades manifest among the people periodically, sometimes lasting for several days, weeks, or even months, depending especially on the particular masquerade type.
Known locally as Mmmanwu, the Igbo Masquerades entertain people through different forms of display, dancing, drama, and athletics.
It is quite unfortunate that the Europeans that arrived in Africa in the late nineteenth century misunderstood many elements of the indigenous practices, including the use of masquerades as a mechanism of entertainment, political control, and conflict resolution in the Igbo society.