Pat Utomi: Ochichi Na Odimma Igbo

Ikenga: The Strength of the Right Hand

Rudolf's "Memo To My Fellow Ndi-Igbo"

Igbo drummers

I write you all with great humility. I forgot how much I missed you all and missed engaging in the all-important conversation we need to have within our “mkpuke” (inner chamber) and the ones we need to have in the square.

As a kid, I was once marveled by the sight of a large cart kept in the church premises on which it was written, “Ọ bụ m, ka ọ bụ gị?” I asked my parents what it meant. They explained that the cart was used to push coffins into the church for funeral mass and was simply asking the question, ”Would it be me or you?” In other words, for whom does the bell toll?

Igbo People and Igbo Land

Olaudah Equina - Jaja of Opobo - Nri Obalike - Chinua Achebe
Philip Emeagwali - Pat Utomi - Chris Abani - Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Chimamanda N. Adichie - Chiwetel Ejiofor - Mikel Obi - Genevieve Nnaji

(From The World Igbo Congress) - Igbo people are among the largest single ethnic groups in Africa. They are based mostly in southeastern Nigeria constituting about 25% of the population of the country. Because the Igbo is daring, competitive, hard-working and enterprising, they can be found doing business in all parts of Nigeria, in Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. 

These attributes brought success, wealth and power… as well as distrust, jealousy and outright hatred within the polity. The mass exodus of Igbo people from their homeland has continued unabated and the Igbo can indeed be found in very significant numbers in all parts of the world. Their language is Igbo. 

Administratively, Igbo people make up 100% of the five states of the southeast zone comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. The contiguous states of Delta and Rivers in the south-south zone also have very significant Igbo populations. Igbo is the language throughout Igbo land. Prominent cities/parts in the Igbo country include Aba, Awka, Owerri, Orlu, Nnewi, Mbaise, Nsukka, Enugu, Onitsha , Afikpo, Okigwe, Umuahia, Asaba, amongst others.