Return home Ohanaeze tells over 250 Igbo leaders in Diaspora
By Amarachukwu Egwu-Agha Abakaliki
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called on more than 250 prominent Igbo leaders living abroad to return to the South-East, warning that their prolonged absence is worsening insecurity, economic decline, and cultural erosion in the region.
The appeal, contained in a press release dated January 25, 2026, was jointly signed by the Deputy President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and the National Spokesman, Chief Chinyereze Ohia.
Ohanaeze specifically urged elder statesmen above retirement age, including former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Vice Admiral Ebitu Ukiwe (rtd), former Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Allison Madueke (rtd), former governors, ex-ministers, and other influential Igbo figures, to consider returning home in 2026 to help rebuild the region.
According to the organisation, the continued absence of experienced leaders from the South-East has created a vacuum in leadership, weakened mentorship for younger generations, and discouraged large-scale investments by wealthy Igbo individuals.
“The absence of our most distinguished leaders has accelerated the collapse of cultural values, language preservation, and traditional institutions, while insecurity continues to thrive in the region,” the statement said.
Ohanaeze noted that the situation has also undermined its Aku-Ruo-Ulo campaign, which encourages Igbo business leaders to relocate investments to the South-East, stressing that visible leadership presence is critical to restoring investor confidence.
The organisation contrasted the situation with other regions of the country, particularly the South-West, where retired national figures such as former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Pa Olu Falae, and Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka are actively engaged in regional affairs and development.
It recalled the post-civil war example of past Igbo leaders such as Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, and Dr. Michael Okpara, who chose to live and contribute to the region until their final days, describing their presence as instrumental to rebuilding the South-East after the war.
Ohanaeze warned that the leadership vacuum has left many young people vulnerable to violence and unrest, a situation further aggravated by the exclusion of Nigerian history from the school curriculum, which it said has weakened identity and civic consciousness.
The group clarified that the appeal was not an indictment of the leaders but a call to duty, stressing that their experience and moral authority remain crucial to the region’s recovery.
“As we strive to reposition the South-East as a major economic hub in Africa, the return of our elder statesmen is essential for mentorship, political guidance, and economic revitalisation,” the statement added.
Ohanaeze expressed confidence that the return of Igbo leaders in the diaspora would help stabilise the region, revive cultural values, and inspire a new generation of leadership committed to peace and development.
