By Romanus Udekwe Okue-Agbomma
When Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Igbo nation, conferred the chieftaincy title “Oku Nyelu Ife Ndigbo” on Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, during the 2025 World Igbo Day celebration in Awka, it was not a mere spectacle of drums, dances and colourful insignia. It was an act that carried deep political, cultural, and moral undertones, one that resonated across the Igbo homeland and the diaspora.
The title is not an empty ornament. In Igbo political culture, chieftaincy honours are rarely symbolic gestures; they represent the collective endorsement by a community and the assignment of responsibility. In this case, the community was not confined to a village or town council but was embodied in Ohanaeze Ndigbo itself, the umbrella body of the entire Igbo people. By this conferment, Soludo was entrusted with a role that extends far beyond the governance of Anambra State. He was effectively recognised as a torchbearer for the aspirations of people seeking clarity and cohesion in a challenging national environment.
What lent the conferment additional weight was its timing and setting. It was performed at the World Igbo Day, an occasion that draws together Igbo leaders, traditional rulers, and stakeholders from across Nigeria and beyond. The honour was therefore witnessed by a wide spectrum of the community, covered by national media, and immediately interpreted as a signal of approval from the collective. In a season of uncertainty, Ohanaeze’s gesture was both a celebration of Soludo’s service and an expectation of greater responsibility.
The governor’s response underscored that the moment was more than ceremonial. He seized the platform to call for honest conversations about the Igbo future, both regionally and internationally, reminding his audience of the scars of war and the need to prioritise peace over conflict. He urged Ohanaeze to lead a moral renaissance by reviving and promoting the value system that once defined the Igbo nation. In a bold political move, he reiterated his call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, a plea that immediately reverberated through national discourse. In doing so, Soludo demonstrated that he understood the weight of the title: that the light entrusted to him must not only shine in Anambra but radiate across Igboland.
The implications of this recognition are significant. By choosing to honour a serving governor, Ohanaeze appeared to be signalling a desire to consolidate Igbo voices around leaders with both intellectual credibility and institutional authority. The title also carries with it a moral burden: Soludo will be measured not solely by infrastructure projects and economic policies in Anambra but by how he embodies the broader expectations of his people. At a time when the South-East contends with insecurity, economic strain and questions of integration within Nigeria, the symbolism of elevating Soludo as “the one who brings light” sends a strong message of hope and responsibility.
Yet, titles in Igbo society are not just rewards for past deeds alone; they are also calls to greater service. The applause that greets the conferment will quickly give way to scrutiny. The real test will lie in whether the light entrusted to Soludo burns steadily through inclusive governance, peace-building initiatives, and cultural revival. For Ohanaeze, the act of honouring him has set a benchmark of expectation. For Soludo, the honour is not simply a mark of prestige but a crown of duty.
In the end, the conferment of “Oku Nyelu Ife Ndigbo” is best understood not as a ceremonial flourish but as a collective endorsement of a leader seen to embody both competence and courage. It is also a reminder that at critical historical junctures, communities seek out light-bearers who can articulate their aspirations with clarity and act on them with conviction. The Igbo nation has now placed that responsibility squarely on Soludo’s shoulders, and the measure of his stewardship will be whether the light entrusted to him guides his people towards peace, unity and renewal.
