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Igbo leaders have called for greater unity among Ndigbo at home and in the diaspora, emphasizing that the near-completion of the new Ohanaeze Ndigbo World Headquarters in Enugu will serve as a permanent rallying point for the ethnic group.
The call was made on Tuesday when Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, and former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, conducted a working inspection of the multi-billion-naira facility situated on Park Avenue, Enugu GRA, ahead of its formal handover scheduled for early October.
Speaking after a tour of the complex, Governor Mbah commended Okorocha, whose foundation financed the project, describing the edifice as a timely reminder of the shared lineage and collective destiny of the Igbo people.
“This edifice reminds us of the fact that at a time like this, Ndigbo must come together,” Mbah said. “Having a son of Igboland site this in Enugu—the homeland and capital of the Igbo nation—means that we are from a common stock, and there wouldn’t be a better time to continually remind ourselves of that than now.”
Mbah assured that the state government would support the socio-cultural body, promising to issue the official Certificate of Occupancy for the property to secure its ownership permanently for Ndigbo.
In his remarks, Okorocha stressed the need to build socio-cultural institutions that match the global strength and resilience of the Igbo people.
He noted that the new headquarters was designed to defend the dignity of Ndigbo worldwide, preserve their heritage, and provide legal and institutional support for Igbo citizens facing challenges abroad.
“Ndigbo are a strong people, and my prayer has always been that our institutions would be as strong as our people,” Okorocha said. “Ohanaeze carries the aspirations of millions of us, and a body carrying that weight must sit somewhere equal to the task.”
Explaining why he undertook the project, the former governor stated that the dilapidated state of the old Igbo Secretariat impelled him to step in, adding that the effort was driven by a desire to reshape the Igbo narrative globally.
“We have often been misunderstood and misrepresented by the world. This is the time to correct those impressions and let the world know that we are a peace-loving, hardworking, and progress-oriented people,” Okorocha added.
Designed and executed by spatial architecture firm Walsh Blanc—a subsidiary of the UL Group under its Managing Director, Mrs. Uloma Rochas Nwosu—the 3,000-square-metre facility features twin raked auditoriums with integrated acoustic treatment, 11 executive offices, two conference rooms, an interactive audiovisual library, and a subterranean creative art space.
The building is currently undergoing final landscape works following the demolition of the old structure, with an official handover to the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo expected in the first week of October.
