Why University of Lagos lecturers are propagating Igbo culture, language

By Chidiebere Onyemaizu

Whenever an exhilarating symphony between soul-stirring sound of Oja (Igbo traditional flute) and the sonorous Ogene (gong) find amity with the mesmerising beating of ikoro (carved wooden drum) amid a scintillating shuffling of masculine feet and rhythmic movement of feminine waists, you are most certainly being culturally serenaded by Oriental men and women (Igbo of southeast Nigeria).

Such was the case recently at the University of Lagos (Unilag) Staff School, during the annual end-of-the-year thanksgiving and get-together of the Igbo socio-cultural group, Otu Nnoko Igbo Unilag.

At a time when the Igbo language is facing the danger of extinction, especially among diaspora Igbo and the Gen Z generation, the Igbo academic community in the University of Lagos, under the aegies of Otu Nnoko Igbo Unilag, which figuratively translates to a ‘group for Igbo unity and togetherness’, has become a bulwark against the unsettling situation.

During the 2025 edition of the event, the group vowed not to waver or falter in its mission: Propagation and promotion of Igbo language and culture.

Not only is Otu Nnoko Igbo Unilag committed to the propagation and promotion of the Igbo language and culture, it is also actively engaged in the impartation of the people’s culture, morals and values on Igbo youths – part of the famed Gen Z generation – within and outside the Unilag academic community.

The colourful 2025 Otu Nnoko thanksgiving and get-together, which was chaired by former Deputy Vice Chancellor (management services) of the university, Prof. L.O. Chukwu, attracted an array of academic and non-academic staff -retired and serving- of Igbo extraction in Unilag, as well as other guests outside the university; it also featured the inauguration of the new Otu Nnoko executive council members, led by Prof. Friday Ndubuisi of the Department of Philosophy. He was re- elected for a second term in line with the group’s constitution.

Other members of the new executives include Dr. Okwy Okpala (vice president), Dr. Carol Anyagwa (general-secretary), Mrs.  Sandra Okolie (assistant general-secretary), Prof. Modestus Odo (financial secretary), Mr. Maduka Onoka (public relations Officer), Mr. Morrison (welfare officer) and Mrs. Nonyem Oguama (treasurer).

The new executive members who were sworn in by the convener and patron of Otu Nnoko, a retired professor of finance of the university, Prof. Wilfred Chifumnanya Iyiegbuniwe (Ojiba Eze of Ubulu-Okiti, Delta State), have a two-year mandate.

Iyiegbuniwe, who had earlier presided over the traditional Igbo rituals of kolanut-breaking, charged the new executives not to fail Otu Nnoko Igbo Unilag, reminding them that all eyes were on them to deliver.

Decked in Igbo traditional attire, members of the group gave a good account of themselves in terms of projecting the rich Igbo cultural heritage at the event. The vicinity of the Unilag Staff School wore the visage of an important Igbo traditional festival as guests and awe-struck spectators were treated to cultural displays and traditional Igbo songs amid intermittent bellowing of “Igbo Kwenu”, a signature Igbo traditional exclamation that connotes unity, affirmation, cultural pride and collective agreement.

Igbo proverb competition involving  Dr. Okwy Okpala of the Department of Accountancy, Comrade Uche Anosike and Prof. Tony Iweka further added colour to the event. Dr. Okpala beat his two rivals to cart away the competition prize.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Otu Nnoko Igbo president, Prof. Friday Ndubuisi, explained that the annual thanksgiving and get-together aimed at “thanking God for seeing us through in the out-going year and committing the coming year into His hands.

“We gather every year to thank God for our achievements, articulate our programmes for the coming year and evaluate opportunities. We also use Otu Nnoko’s annual thanksgiving and get-together as a platform to celebrate our members and colleagues who attained various milestones during the year.

“For example, many Otu Nnoko members got promoted in 2025 as professors and associate professors, while some also got various appointments. We also celebrate our members who at one time or the other have been honoured by the university with delivering inaugural lectures”

Prof. Ndubuisi, who was the vice-chancellor of a private university, St. Christopher University, Mowe, Ogun State, disclosed that Otu Nnoko Igbo is apolitical and open to all academic and non-academic staff of Igbo extraction in the University of Lagos, including mature postgraduate students. According to him, the main aim of Otu Nnoko is the promotion of Igbo language and culture.

“Otu Nnoko Igbo is an organisation that brings together Igbos in Unilag and helps in the propagation of the Igbo language and culture. We are also our brother’s keeper, our neighbour’s keeper. We help our members in need or needing any form of assistance,” he said.

On the relationship between Otu Nnoko Igbo and the Unilag management, Ndubuisi described it as excellent, pointing out that the school management has no problem with the existence of Otu Nnoko.

“The university management is completely at home with Otu Nnoko Igbo. As I said earlier, Otu Nnoko is apolitical. We are a cultural organisation and we have just been registered by the Corporation Affairs Commission as such. So, the Unilag management has no problem with the existence of Otu Nnoko. In fact, the management has often attended our events and some of its members had been honoured in the past by Otu Nnoko Igbo,” Prof. Ndubuisi added.

The Otu Nnoko president pledged that under his leadership the group would attain greater heights.

In his address, Professor Chukwu lauded the leaders of the group, especially Professors Ndubuisi and Iyiegbuniwe, for their tireless efforts in ensuring its progress. He congratulated all Otu Nnoko members who attained various academic heights in 2025 and urged them to always be good ambassadors of the group and the Igbo race.

Other Igbo academics who graced the Otu Nnoko Igbo event were Professor Maureen Egenti, Professor Mercy Onwuama, Professor Nonye Ikonta, Professor Nkem Onyekpe, Professor Iwu Ikwuzo, Professor Virgy Onyene, Professor Uchenna Udeani, Professor GSM Okeke, Professor Obi Iwuagwu, Professor UAC Okafor, Professor Jim Unah, Professor Chinwe Nwanna, Professor Victor Ariole and Professor Chuka Chukwube, among others.