Pastor Pharm. Ikechukwu Ekunno and Kasie Abone receiving the award on behalf of Chief Dr Mrs Uzoamaka Josephine Aguoji presented by Director of the Centre for Igbo Language and Culture, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, Professor Christiana Ngozi Ikegwuonu
The Centre for Igbo Language and Culture, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam, has honoured Chief Dr. (Mrs.) Uzoamaka Josephine Aguoji with an award in recognition of her exceptional contribution to humanity, dedication to excellence, and outstanding efforts in advancing education as well as promoting and sustaining Igbo language and culture both in Nigeria and the diaspora.
The award was presented during the Centre’s maiden Cultural Day Festival, a colourful celebration of Igbo heritage that brought together scholars, traditional rulers, cultural enthusiasts and members of the public.
Speaking at the event, the Director of the Centre for Igbo Language and Culture, Professor Christiana Ngozi Ikegwuonu, described the six-month-old Centre as a strategic platform established to preserve, promote and project the rich cultural heritage, language, hospitality, values and identity of the Igbo people.
She commended the Vice-Chancellor and the university management, particularly Professor Kate Omenugha, for establishing the Centre, describing it as a timely intervention towards safeguarding the Igbo language and culture for future generations.
Professor Ikegwuonu stressed that the Centre requires the support of individuals, organisations and philanthropists to achieve its objectives, noting that major donors would be immortalised through projects named after them.
She reminded parents that culture begins at home and urged them to deliberately teach their children the Igbo language and values, including respect for elders, running errands for the elderly, refraining from calling elders by their names, community service, hard work, honesty, contentment and peaceful coexistence.
According to her, migration, urbanisation and increasing interaction with other cultures have contributed to many Igbo families neglecting their language, with many children born both at home and abroad unable to speak Igbo fluently.
“Our language and culture define our identity. They tell the world who we are and where we come from. Parents must intentionally involve their children in the culture of their people because once the language is lost, identity is gradually lost as well,” she said.
Receiving the award on behalf of Dr. Aguoji, her brother, Pastor Ikechukwu Ekunno, thanked the university for recognising her immense contributions to Igbo cultural promotion across the globe.
He called for sustained efforts to preserve the Igbo identity by documenting the language, history and traditions in books and other educational materials.
According to him, a new cultural awakening is taking place among Igbo communities in the diaspora, resulting in growing demand for books and learning materials that teach children born overseas the Igbo language and culture.
The recognition of Dr. Aguoji was widely viewed as a fitting tribute to a woman whose decades-long career has combined educational excellence with selfless community service and cultural advocacy.
As the first female President of the Council of Igbo States in the Americas (CISA), Dr. Aguoji made history by returning the globally acclaimed CISA Festival of Arts and Culture to Nigeria after many years of being held exclusively in the United States.
Hosted in her hometown of Abagana, the historic festival marked the first homeland edition of the event and symbolised a reconnection between the Igbo diaspora and their ancestral roots.
Speaking during that festival, Dr. Aguoji had explained that her vision was to “bring this beacon back to source,” a goal she said required conviction, courage and collective support.
That vision was realised with the backing of the CISA leadership, including Board Chairman Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze, Vice Chairman Onye Nze Amadiebube Mbama, Board Adviser Professor Napoleon Onyechi and members of the Governing Council.
The festival, themed “Oganiru Ifediche: Reconnecting Igbo Global Roots for Cultural Renaissance,” emphasised a renewed commitment to preserving Igbo identity while celebrating the remarkable achievements of Igbos around the world.
Dr. Aguoji also laid the foundation for what has become a dual-hosting model, allowing future editions of the festival to alternate between the diaspora and the homeland.
The initiative has already generated keen interest among several Igbo states, with Ebonyi and Imo States reportedly indicating interest in hosting future editions.
In her farewell message as CISA President, she urged future leaders to sustain the homeland connection, describing the relationship between the diaspora and the homeland as the greatest asset of the Igbo nation.
Former Anambra State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Chief Don Onyenji, also commended the renewed interest in Igbo cultural values.
He recalled that although there was widespread concern in the early 2000s that the Igbo people were gradually losing their cultural identity, there has been a remarkable renaissance in recent years.
According to him, his interactions with Igbo communities abroad revealed an increasing desire among younger generations to learn the language and reconnect with their roots.
He added that initiatives such as Anawood and other creative platforms have continued to project Igbo values through films, music, dance and comedy, thereby strengthening cultural consciousness among the people.
The maiden Cultural Day Festival ended with renewed calls for greater collaboration among educational institutions, traditional institutions, governments and Igbo organisations worldwide to ensure that the language, customs and traditions of the Igbo people continue to flourish for generations to come.
