In recent times, the administration of Governor Peter Mbah has taken deliberate steps to deploy public art as a living canvas of Igbo heritage.
Through a thoughtful investment in monumental sculptures, the government is anchoring culture, memory, and identity in the very landscape of Enugu.
These artistic expressions do more than decorate the city; they stand as markers of history and symbols of aspiration.
From Otigba to Okpara Square and down to the UNEC gate, one encounters the same compelling narrative: sculptures functioning as silent chroniclers of a people’s journey. Their imposing forms tell the story of a society whose past is as layered and enduring as the coal beneath Enugu’s soil.
They speak not only to residents but also to the countless visitors who encounter them, offering a visual archive of Enugu’s identity, triumphs, and struggles.
Among these installations, the metal Ijele masquerade sculpture at Onuasata Roundabout in Obiagu stands out as a masterpiece.
The Ijele is one of the most majestic masquerades in Igbo cosmology; an embodiment of royalty, grandeur, and sacred symbolism. By situating this sculpture at a bustling roundabout, the Mbah administration has positioned Igbo tradition at the crossroads of modern urban life.
This is more than aesthetics; it is a cultural declaration.
Significantly, the location itself carries historical weight. Onuasata Roundabout was once a natural gathering point during festive seasons, a place where masquerades graced the streets and communities converged.
By returning the Ijele to this symbolic space, the government has moved heritage out of the confines of museums and into the rhythm of daily living. It is a revival of memory, seamlessly woven into the city’s contemporary pulse.
Further along the city, at the popular “Monkey Junction” near the EFCC State Office, the newly reimagined “three monkeys” sculpture, expressing the ancient wisdom of see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, stands tall and refined.
These figures speak to a timeless moral philosophy deeply rooted in Igbo communal ethics.
They remind us of the virtues of restraint, mindfulness, and moral clarity. Their presence in a vibrant urban corridor suggests that values once taught in the village square continue to echo strongly across modern Enugu.
These sculptural interventions align with Governor Mbah’s broader developmental vision. Enugu is not only being positioned as an infrastructural and digital economic hub, but also as a cultural destination; alive with arts, memory, and meaning.
Through these creative projects, Gov Mbah’s administration is reframing the city’s narrative: from the familiar “Coal City State” to a dynamic centre where Igbo heritage, creativity, and community pride stand boldly in view.
In celebrating these sculptures, Enugu celebrates itself, its past, its present, and the cultural soul that binds its people together.
Well done Gov Peter Mbah !!!
