By Ogwe Chibuzor & Edited by Idenze Ezeme In the contested terrain of southern Nigeria’s ethnic historiography, few individuals have influenced the identity discourse of the South-South Igbo People as profoundly—and controversially—as Late Elder Dick Azundah Hekerem Emejuru. Through his long career in education and his writings on the origins of the Ikwerre, Ogba, and…
In the cultural life of the Ngwa Igbo, a significant Igbo sub-group in present-day Abia State, relationships between men and women have always reflected more than personal affection. They express an entire social philosophy of kinship, morality, and economic balance. Among these relationships, one of the most misunderstood yet socially structured institutions was iko mbara,…
Place Ngwa
The figure of Akalaka occupies a central position in the collective memory of the Igbo people of Ogba, Ekpeye, and Ikwerre peoples of present-day Rivers State, Nigeria. His story blends history, oral tradition, and ethnolinguistic continuity, linking three closely related communities to a shared ancestral source. While various traditions claim Akalaka was a Benin prince,…