Ohanaeze Ndigbo has commenced the 2026 Igbo Day celebration in Umuahia, Abia State, with stakeholders calling for greater unity, practical development strategies and increased use of technology to strengthen the economic future of the South-East.
The celebration, hosted by the Abia State Government at the Michael Okpara Auditorium in Umuahia, featured a lecture, dinner and panel discussions under the theme, “The Igbo Charter and Development of Alaigbo.”
The event also marked an opportunity for leaders, professionals and other stakeholders to examine ways of translating the Igbo Charter for Strategic Engagement for National Development into practical programmes and initiatives.
Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, who spoke at the flag-off of the celebration, said his administration had focused on laying what he described as a solid foundation for the development of the state.
Otti said the state was being repositioned from conventional trading towards manufacturing and technology-driven commerce, with digital delivery becoming an increasingly important part of the strategy.
Igbo Charter And Development
The keynote address was presented virtually by Professor Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu, Chairman of the Igbo Charter Committee for Strategic Engagement for National Development and former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Moghalu said the Igbo Charter should remain separate from party politics and function as a non-partisan roadmap for development.
According to him, its implementation should be driven by merit, accountability and measurable targets rather than remaining at the level of discussions and declarations.
He also identified issues including true federalism, equitable citizenship and devolution of power as important considerations in the development of the South-East.
Among the priorities highlighted were the promotion of the Igbo language, development of a digital marketplace, stronger diaspora engagement, improved security and investment, and a shift from dependence on remittances towards productive investments.
The event was chaired by Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, a veteran journalist and former Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission, who is also an indigene of Abia State.
Ohanaeze Calls For Greater Unity
The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, said the annual celebration was part of efforts to galvanise and harness the strength of Ndigbo through a unified development strategy.
He noted that despite the enterprise, resilience and individual achievements associated with Ndigbo, the group had yet to fully realise its collective potential.
Azuta-Mbata recalled that the Igbo Charter for Strategic Engagement for National Development was developed by more than 67 Igbo technocrats and business leaders as a framework for engaging the Nigerian state and the wider international community.
He said the Charter also contained proposals aimed at protecting Igbo culture, particularly the Igbo language.
Azuta-Mbata called for the Igbo language to be made compulsory in primary and secondary schools across Igboland.
He also called on the Federal Government to find a political solution to the case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
The 2026 celebration is being held under the theme “Njikọ Ka”, meaning “Unity is Supreme,” highlighting the organisers’ emphasis on collective action and unity.
Abia Pushes Digital Commerce
Governor Otti used the occasion to outline his administration’s emphasis on digital commerce and technology as part of Abia’s economic transformation.
He said Abia had historically been known for trading but was now deliberately moving towards manufacturing and technology-driven commerce.
According to the governor, digital commerce would give entrepreneurs in the state opportunities to compete in global markets rather than remain dependent solely on conventional physical markets.
“We (Ndigbo) must therefore move away from there, starting in Abia. Abia is both in manufacturing and trading. But we are moving from conventional trading to digital trading. That’s where the world is going hence, we either embrace it or risk being left behind,” Otti said.
He further said his administration was investing in digital skills for young people through initiatives such as the TechRise programme.
Otti stated that some young people trained through the initiative were already working remotely from Aba for global technology companies.
“When I spend money here training my young people in digital technology under the TechRise initiative, I know what I am doing. Some of them are already working for Google and Amazon from Aba,” he said.
The governor linked the push for digital skills and technology to the broader need for Abia and the wider South-East to adapt to changing patterns of global commerce.
He said the state was supporting manufacturing while also driving digital delivery, citing the global growth of platforms such as Alibaba as an indication of the direction of modern commerce.
Abia’s Role In Igbo Renaissance
Governor Otti assured the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo of the continued support of his administration for the celebration and said the theme of unity was appropriate to the occasion.
He maintained that his administration had laid a foundation for further development in the state.
“Our administration has laid a solid foundation for the development of the State, and we assure that Abia will continue to witness significant transformation,” he said.
The governor also reiterated the importance of moving from conventional markets towards manufacturing and digital commerce.
Professor Gregory Iyke Ibe, founder of Gregory University Uturu and chairman of the 2018 Igbo Day Organising Committee held in Owerri, Imo State, also congratulated the Abia State Government on hosting the 2026 edition.
In a goodwill message signed by Rev. Sleek Ogwo, Ibe described the event as an opportunity to highlight Abia’s growing profile and its role in the broader Igbo development agenda.
He said hosting the celebration could contribute to positioning Abia as a cultural gathering point for Ndigbo while strengthening its role within Alaigbo.
The 2026 Igbo Day celebration has consequently brought together cultural, political, professional and business voices around a common discussion on the future of the Igbo people.
With the Igbo Charter serving as a central focus, discussions around culture, unity, investment, security, manufacturing, technology and digital commerce are expected to remain important elements of the broader conversation on development across the South-East.