Obi of Onitsha

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Photo of the current Obi of Onitsha; His Royal Majesty, Igwe Alfred Achebe in his white regalia. Obi of Onitsha.jpg
Photo of the current Obi of Onitsha; His Royal Majesty, Igwe Alfred Achebe in his white regalia.

The Obi of Onitsha is the traditional leader of Onitsha, Anambra State, southeast Nigeria. The post of the Obi is recognized by the state and federal government of Nigeria, and the Obi is seen as a representative of the people of Onitsha to the state and federal levels of government. The current Obi is His Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe. [1]

Contents


Career

Achebe severed as Shell Petroleum Development Company Director. In 2015 he became the Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria [2]

List of Onitsha sovereigns

Related Research Articles

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Eze is an Igbo word which means King. Such words as Igwe and Obi, plus others, are used by Igbo people as titles of respect and homage to the Eze. Igwe is derived from the Igbo word Igwekala or Eluigwekala, "the sky or heaven above the sky is higher or bigger than land", implying that the Eze is a higher servant of the people. Obi usually refers to the centre building for receiving visitors within an Igbo leader's or man's homestead. When used as a title of respect for the Eze, Obi implies: "the one who sits in the throne house or heart of the Kingdom."

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ofala Festival</span>

The Ofala Festival is an annual ceremony practiced by Igbo people, particularly the indigenes of Onitsha, Umueri, Umuoji and other neighboring communities such as Aguleri, Nnewi and Ukpo in Dunukofia Local Government Area. It serves as a rites of renewal of the king or Igwe or Obi and it is similar to the Igue festival in Benin and the Ine, Osi or Ogbanigbe Festival in many mid-West Igbo communities of Nigeria. The term ofala, is derived from two Igbo words - ọfọ and ala. The festival is celebrated within two days mostly in October by the Obi and is a customary obligation that must be performed every couple of years without fail.

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Nnaemeka Alfred AchebeCFR, mni is a traditional ruler and the 21st Obi of Onitsha, in Anambra State, South-Eastern Nigeria. He is chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University since 2015, and was earlier chancellor of Kogi State University. Achebe also serves as the chairman of the board of Directors of Unilever Nigeria, and the Chairman of International Breweries (ABInBev) Nigeria. Before emerging as the Obi of Onitsha, in 2002, he had a long and distinguished career in the Royal Dutch Shell Group serving as Director in various companies in the group.

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Umatu festival is one of the six major festivities held in Onitsha Ado N'Idu every year. The others are Ajachi, Owuwaji, Ofala, Osisi- Ite and Ife-Jioku. The Umatu is celebrated when the first maize has been cultivated. The people meet with the King (Obi) and his red hat leaders (Ndiche) to celebrate the prosperity of the maize crop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golibe Festival</span>

Golibe Festival which simply means 'To Rejoice’ is a festival in the City of Onitsha, that aims to demonstrate to the world the city's rich cultural history. It is an art, music, culture, family and community event From Christmas Eve to New Year, Golibe brings together residents of Anambra and the whole of southeastern countries and visiting indigenous people from the Diaspora.

References

  1. "Biography/Profile/History Of The 21st Obi of Onitsha, Anambra State "Igwe Nnanyelugo Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe" – Daily Media". dailymedia.com.ng. Archived from the original on 2017-10-04. Retrieved 2017-04-22.
  2. Sub-editor (2022-07-24). "Obi of Onitsha (Alfred Achebe): Biography, Age, Wife, Children, Net Worth and Source of Wealth". NewsWireNGR. Retrieved 2023-06-15.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  3. "Formal Annoncements". Sep 28, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved Apr 23, 2023.

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