Chekwas Okorie, Convener and National Chairman of the Igbo Agenda Dialogue (IAD), has stated that the Igbo people have been confronting existential challenges since the end of the Nigeria-Biafra war in 1970.
Speaking on Wednesday, he highlighted that Igbo communities across the 13 states where they are indigenous, as well as the 23 other states and the Federal Capital Territory, have faced ongoing socio-political and economic struggles.
In a statement issued on behalf of the group, Okorie said:
“The Igbo have survived, thrived, multiplied, and prospered only by the special grace of God and our resilience, determination, and never-say-die spirit.”
“Millions of our people were compelled to seek better opportunities abroad, including education and skills acquisition, to improve their well-being and support families back home.”
Okorie emphasized that this large-scale migration has resulted in Igbo settlements in almost every country in the world.
He also noted that the Igbo diaspora contributes about 75 percent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange remittances annually.
Expressing concern over political disengagement among the Igbo, Okorie said many have lost confidence in their citizenship, resulting in low participation in Nigeria’s democratic process.
He added that this apathy has contributed to poor leadership recruitment at the national, state, and local levels, worsening the community’s challenges.
“We can reverse our situation without violence. We are the largest ethnic group in Nigeria, with extensive networks of associations both at home and in the diaspora.”
“We are like a sleeping giant that only needs to awaken to reclaim our rightful place in the country,” he said.
The Igbo Agenda Dialogue, inaugurated in August 2025, is a non-partisan socio-political platform aimed at uniting all Igbo associations, unions, and organizations into a cohesive political force.
The group plans to host the first-ever Igbo Political Summit in the first quarter of 2026, during which it will unveil the Igbo Charter, following in the footsteps of the historic Ahiara Declaration.
Okorie called on all patriotic Igbo citizens, youth associations, unions, and institutions to support the IAD’s mission of reawakening Igbo political consciousness.
“We have the capacity to redraw the Nigerian political map by taking control of our destiny. A unified and proactive political strategy in the 2027 general election can attract both local and international attention to the Igbo Nation. The time is now or never,” he urged.
