The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, commemorated its golden jubilee in Lagos with a landmark book launch and a solemn reflection on five decades of history, challenges, and aspirations.
The 602-page publication, titled Ohanaeze at 50: The Burden of Memory, The Politics of Relevance – A Critical Biographical Reflection of an Igbo Institution, was authored by Agbeze Ireke Kalu Onuma (AI-KO), a Russian-trained scholar and Administrative Secretary of Ndigbo Lagos. Onuma, who has been closely involved with the organisation since its inception, offers a fearless, independent, and deeply critical account of Ohanaeze’s journey since its post-Civil War founding in 1976.
The event monitored by Veracity Desk (veracitydesk.com) which held at Dover Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, brought together distinguished Igbo leaders and stakeholders, including Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, former Anambra State Governor and the Presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Peter Obi, His Royal Highness Igwe Alfred Achebe, Obi of Onitsha; Enachioke, King of Abriba Kingdom, Prof. Okey Anueyiagu, Dr. Uma Eleazu, Comrade Ada Agina-Ude, Elder U.K. Eke, Nollywood icon Kanayo O. Kanayo, among others.
Unlike typical anniversary celebrations marked by music and merriment, the golden jubilee was deliberately designed as an intellectual and reflective engagement. Participants examined the organisation’s legacy, internal struggles, and future relevance in Nigeria’s socio-political landscape.
Governor Alex Otti’s Call for Renewal
Delivering his keynote as Special Guest of Honour, Governor Alex Otti urged Ohanaeze Ndigbo to embrace transformational change as it enters its next 50 years.
Key highlights from his remarks emphasized the urgent need to involve Igbo youth in preserving cultural identity and values, warning that “a people who forget their roots will struggle to map out their future.”
He also challenged Ohanaeze to evolve structurally and strategically to meet modern realities. The Governor praised the author, AI-KO, for his painstaking documentation of the organisation’s history and for producing a work of enduring relevance.
Reviewer of the book on his part, Prof. Okey Anueyiagu lauded the book for its introspective approach, noting that it avoids blaming external forces and instead confronts internal weaknesses. He urged Ohanaeze to anchor itself firmly in culture, heritage, and civilization, while steering clear of partisan politics.
The book itself is not a celebratory chronicle but a bold, analytical reflection on Ohanaeze’s successes, failures, and the burden of remaining relevant in Nigeria’s evolving political and cultural environment.
In his closing remarks, author Agbeze Ireke Kalu Onuma expressed deep appreciation to the event chairman, guest speakers, reviewers, and endorsers for their support in bringing the project to fruition. He described the book as both a historical record and a call to action for the Igbo nation and also for scholars and researhers.
