Njenje Media – Enugu | London 28th January 2026
Ahead of the maiden Igbo World Day of Adoration and Thanksgiving, prominent Igbo Christian leaders have called for deep repentance, moral introspection, reconciliation, and a return to the core values of industry, resilience, and responsibility that once defined Ndi Igbo.
This call was made during The State of the Igbo Nation series aired on Njenje Media TV London | Nigeria, featuring His Grace, The Most Reverend Dr Chibuzo Raphael Opoko, Methodist Archbishop of Umuahia; Secretary General of the Joint Body of South East Traditional Rulers and Representatives of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops; and Chairman of the Abia State Christian Fathers of Faith. The interview was anchored by Maazi Tochukwu Ezeoke, MD/CEO of Njenje Media Group.
Watch the full conversation below:
Archbishop Opoko explained that the proclamation of the Igbo World Day of Adoration and Thanksgiving, scheduled to hold this Saturday and to be observed annually on the last Saturday of January, is not merely for remembrance, but a deliberate call to reckoning.
“This is not only a day to thank God for survival after the civil war, but a time for honest reflection and genuine repentance—before God, before one another, and before the Nigerian nation,” he said.
Reflecting on the Nigerian Civil War and its aftermath, the Archbishop recalled the horrors of starvation, displacement, and mass death, noting that survival itself was nothing short of divine intervention.
“There was a time we thought the Igbo would disappear from the face of the earth. Hunger became a weapon of war. That we survived demands thanksgiving—but also repentance for our actions, words, attitudes, and failures,” he stated.
He stressed that repentance must not be confined to historical wrongs alone but must extend to present-day behaviours, including silence in the face of bad governance, corruption, greed, and moral compromise across society.
Archbishop Opoko challenged political leaders, traditional rulers, clergy, civil servants, and citizens who, he said, enabled decay either through action or inaction.
“Those who looted public resources, those who remained silent, those who sang praise when things were wrong, and those who benefited from injustice—we must all repent,” he declared.
Lamenting the abandonment of the economic philosophy of the old Eastern Region, Archbishop Opoko rejected the mentality of dependency on federal allocations, recalling the economic achievements of the Dr Michael Okpara era.
“We were once the fastest-growing economy without oil. Today, we say that without Abuja, we cannot survive. That mindset itself needs repentance,” he said.
He pointed to recent developments in Abia State as evidence that vision-driven leadership, discipline, and accountability can still deliver progress.
On inter-ethnic relations within Nigeria, the Archbishop acknowledged that Igbo enterprise and industriousness have often generated envy and misunderstanding. While urging other ethnic nationalities to move beyond resentment, he also advised Ndi Igbo to exercise restraint, humility, and social responsibility.
“Our wealth should not be for showmanship, but for the upliftment of our people and the communities where we live,” he said.
Addressing healing and reconciliation, Archbishop Opoko emphasised that repentance must be practical, visible, and transformative, noting that confession without change cannot produce healing.
“Where there is genuine repentance, there will be healing of the soul, of relationships, and of the land. Without it, there can be no progress,” he explained.
He also called on the Nigerian media to reject divisive narratives and instead amplify stories that promote unity, courage, sacrifice, and coexistence.
“The press must unite the country, not divide it. You do not save a drowning man by recording him; you dive in to rescue him,” he said.
The Igbo World Day of Adoration and Thanksgiving is expected to bring together Ndi Igbo at home and in the diaspora between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon, irrespective of denomination or location, for prayers, repentance, remembrance, and recommitment to renewal.
Archbishop Opoko concluded with a strong call for Ndi Igbo to abandon what he described as “Biafra of anger” and rediscover “Biafra of strategy” anchored in innovation, production, and self-reliance.
“We are not fighting to survive. We already survived. The task before us now is to build,” he said.
Njenje Media reports that the event has received broad backing from Igbo archbishops, bishops, traditional institutions, and socio-cultural leaders, marking one of the most coordinated spiritual and moral initiatives in recent Igbo history.
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