ABUJA / ENUGU — The Convener and National Chairman of Igbo Agenda Dialogue (IAD), Chekwas Okorie, has sounded a stark warning about what he describes as long-standing existential challenges confronting the Igbo people across Nigeria issues he says have persisted ever since the end of the Nigeria–Biafra Civil War in 1970. Okorie’s remarks were issued in a statement on Wednesday outlining what he views as deep-rooted political, social and psychological grievances that continue to shape Igbo experience within the Nigerian polity.
In the statement, Okorie said that Igbo citizens both in the 13 states where they are indigenous and in the other 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory have faced economic hardship, marginalisation, and diminishing confidence in their role within the Nigerian nation since the civil war’s conclusion. He credited the community’s resilience, “doggedness” and “never-say-die spirit” for their survival, but lamented what he called a near exodus of Igbo people in search of greener pastures abroad for education, employment and better opportunities. According to Okorie, this migration has resulted in Igbo settlements in virtually every country in the world, and Igbo diaspora remittances contribute a significant share of Nigeria’s foreign exchange inflows.
Yet, while the diaspora’s success underscores the community’s industriousness, Okorie expressed deep concern that many Igbo have “surrendered and lost confidence in their citizenship of Nigeria”, choosing instead to remain politically aloof or disengaged from the country’s democratic processes. He attributed low voter turnout and minimal leadership recruitment from Igbo-dominated regions to this apathy, which he believes has further exacerbated political underrepresentation at national, state and local levels.
Okorie argued that the situation is untenable and urged a collective political awakening. “We are unarguably the largest ethnic group in Nigeria … a sleeping giant that only needs to awaken from its self-induced slumber to resume its place of pride in the country,” he said, calling on Igbo organisations, youth associations, unions and diaspora groups to strengthen unity and political engagement.
The IAD — inaugurated in August 2025 as a non-partisan socio-political platform aims to organise Igbo political voices into a cohesive force. Its leadership plans to convene the first Igbo Political Summit in early 2026, where it intends to unveil a Igbo Charter of Political Rights and Aspirations, building on historical frameworks such as the Ahiara Declaration during the civil war era.
The concerns Okorie raised echo broader debates within and beyond the Igbo community about equity, inclusion and national integration in Nigeria. For decades, Igbo organisations and leaders have pointed to a range of issuesincluding political marginalisation, economic exclusion and cultural alienation—that they say stem from unresolved civil war legacies and post-war policies.
Okorie’s comments come amid renewed discussions among socio-cultural groups on national reconciliation and federal restructuring, initiatives aimed at tackling systemic imbalances that many believe have fuelled distrust and hindered full political participation in Nigeria’s multi-ethnic society.