Former Imo State governor Rochas Okorocha has said the new Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide headquarters in Enugu will be completed and handed over to the organisation within the next three to four weeks.
Okorocha, who financed and facilitated the construction of the new headquarters, said the remaining work included the removal of the existing structure and completion of the landscaping before the facility could be formally handed over.
He spoke on Tuesday during a visit by Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu State, to inspect the new headquarters, which is nearing completion.
According to Okorocha, the building was conceived after he visited the old Ohanaeze secretariat several years ago and concluded that the facility was inadequate for the organisation.
‘I was here some years ago and I saw the building called the Igbo Secretary. I felt that it was not sufficient enough, so I decided to seek permission from Ohanaeze and put up this building for my people,’ he said.
Okorocha said the project was not driven by personal wealth or an attempt to showcase affluence, but by his desire to create a permanent institutional home for the Igbo socio-cultural organisation. ‘It is simply my heart speaking, the heart of love for my people,’ he said.
He said the new headquarters should provide Ohanaeze with a stronger platform to articulate the interests of Igbo people and change what he described as longstanding misconceptions about the group.
‘We have often been misunderstood and misrepresented by the entire world. This is the time to correct that and let the world know who we are: that we are peace-loving people, hardworking people and people who love progress,’ the former governor stated.
Four-week handover
The former governor said the physical structure was substantially complete, with landscaping and the removal of the old structure among the remaining tasks.
‘I think that in about three or four weeks, this place will be ready. The Ohanaeze president-general and the governor of the state will arrange the commissioning,’ he said.
The former governor said his role would end with the formal handover of the facility to Ohanaeze, after which the organisation and the state government would determine how the remaining aspects of the project would be handled.
For Okorocha, the ultimate measure of the project is not simply the size or appearance of the building, but what future generations make of it.
‘I want young Igbo people who encounter the facility in the next 15 years to 20 years to leave with a stronger understanding of their roots and identity and I want the pride of being Igbo to be restored,’ he added.
Senator John Azuta-Mbata, president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, described the project as a significant contribution to the organisation and the wider Igbo community.
He thanked Okorocha and the Rochas Foundation for what he described as a deliberate effort to provide a permanent institutional facility for Ohanaeze.
‘We are already at the threshold of opening this building,’ Azuta-Mbata said, adding that the facility would stand as a legacy for future leadership of the organisation.
He said the headquarters would strengthen Ohanaeze’s ability to represent, support and defend the interests of Igbo people. ‘This will remain and stand as a legacy to the General Assembly and the leadership of Ohanaeze to continue doing everything we can to protect the ideals of the organisation,’ he said.
More than an administrative headquarters
The new building is being designed to serve functions beyond conventional administrative offices.
Uloma Rochas-Nwosu, managing director of Walsh Blanc, the design firm involved in the project, said the facility was conceived as a space that would combine administration, cultural preservation, education and public engagement.
She said Okorocha’s plan was to create a building that would tell the story of the Igbo people while providing a sense of pride and belonging.
One of the key features is a memorabilia section in the basement, where audiovisual materials, artworks, documentaries and historical information are expected to preserve and communicate aspects of Igbo history.
The facility also includes about 11 offices, including offices for the president-general, deputy president-general, an ICT office and conference rooms.
Rochas-Nwosu said the building’s design incorporated seven pillars and seven lights, representing the seven Igbo-speaking states.
The project also includes two amphitheatres, one of which incorporates Igbo-themed imagery, while red and white elements have been used to reflect aspects of Igbo heritage.
‘The idea is that the walls themselves will speak to you when you come in. You should get a sense that you are in the Igbo nation and understand what the space represents,’ she said.
For Okorocha, however, the significance of the new headquarters extends beyond its physical structure.
He said he expects the secretariat to develop a stronger role in supporting Igbos living outside Nigeria, particularly those who encounter legal or other difficulties abroad.
‘The organisation should be positioned to intervene when Igbo people in countries such as China, the United States and Singapore face problems. Many of our children have been molested abroad, maltreated, jailed and imprisoned, and they often appear to have nobody to cater for them or speak on their behalf.
‘So this secretariat is going to take a new direction. It is not only about Igbos here; it is mostly about Igbos in the diaspora, giving them a sense of belonging,’ he affirmed.
He said he expected the Ohanaeze leadership to use the new headquarters as a bridge between the organisation and Igbo communities across the world.
Peter Mbah, who inspected the facility, said the project represented a reminder of the shared roots of Igbo people and the need for greater unity.
He commended the Okorocha for the project, adding that the location of the facility in Enugu was significant given the state’s position within the Igbo cultural and institutional landscape.
Mbah said he expected the formal commissioning to take place in the coming days or weeks once the remaining work was completed.
With construction now at its final stage, the focus has shifted from building the physical structure to determining how Ohanaeze will use the new facility to expand its administrative, cultural and diaspora-facing functions after the planned handover.