Onitsha monarch launches lecture series on Igbo heritage

Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, has launched an annual lecture series on Igbo culture, traditions, and values.

The Anambra monarch spoke at the maiden edition of the lecture which was held on December 17.

The lecture series, launched in partnership with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, was titled “Onitsha Traditional Society: Origin, Spread, and Culture”.

At the event, the monarch highlighted the need for a deeper exploration of Igbo history, particularly the origins and ancestral ties between the Igbo, Yoruba, and Edo language groups.

He outlined three hypotheses regarding Igbo origins, including autochthony, internal migration, and external migration.

The Obi suggested a possible shared ancestral root before linguistic and cultural divergence.

The monarch called for the scrutiny of the author B.O.N. Eluwa’s book “Adona-Idu” and its claims about an ancient Igbo kingdom with links to Ile-Ife.

The lecture stressed the importance of authenticating the histories of communities descended from Eze Chima, a pivotal figure in the founding of Onitsha and related settlements.

The Obi noted discrepancies in oral histories, suggesting Eze Chima may have ties to the Nri civilization, Benin, or Yoruba traditions.

In addition to cultural heritage, the monarch addressed governance and development in Onitsha.

He urged the government to address what he described as an observable “urban decay” and establish a greater Onitsha development authority to restore the city’s industrial and cultural prominence.

The Obi Nnaemeka Achebe Annual Public Lecture Series is named after Nnaemeka Achebe himself, a revered traditional ruler and cultural advocate who has served as the Obi of Onitsha since 2002.

The public lecture series was attended by academics, traditional rulers, and government officials.

It featured the foundation stone laying for the Obi Nnaemeka Achebe Dome, which will house the World Centre for Igbo Repository.