Doris Ewoh, Enugu
Christian leaders across Igboland, in partnership with Ohaneze Ndigbo, have agreed to dedicate the last Saturday of January every year as a day of thanksgiving to God for His love, mercy, and grace upon the Igbo people, particularly for saving them from extermination during the Nigeria–Biafra Civil War of 1967–1970. The event will be marked as the Igbo World Day of Adoration and Thanksgiving.
This resolution was announced at a press conference held on Monday, January 26, 2026, at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Independence Layout, Enugu. The leaders emphasized the need for the Igbo people to come together in gratitude to God for survival and prosperity, despite the starvation, homelessness, and devastation caused by the war.
Speaking at the press conference, the Archbishop of the Anglican Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Engr. Sosthenes Eze, stated that the annual prayer exercise is purely spiritual and not political. According to him, its aim is to thank God for what He has done for the Igbo people since the beginning and end of the three-year Civil War.
Quoting Psalm 124, Archbishop Eze said that if not for the Lord who was on the side of the Igbo people, they would have been completely overwhelmed. He noted that despite deliberate attempts at oppression over the years, ranging from denial of rights to destruction of property, the Igbo people have survived by God’s grace.
“Instead of bitterness, we chose gratitude and worship,” he said.
The Archbishop also explained that his episcopal ministry is deeply rooted in the liberation and preservation of the Igbo race. He outlined activities for the annual thanksgiving, stating that church services will be held across Igbo communities on the last Saturday of January, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
“Town criers have been engaged in various communities, and we urge markets to observe a three-hour closure to enable people to participate fully. We are also seeking cooperation from political leaders, as a central thanksgiving service will be held in a designated church,” he added.
Also speaking, Bishop Obi Onubogu of the Rock Family Church, Enugu, said that despite the storms of the past, God has brought the Igbo nation to a place of abundance. He recounted his personal experience of the war in his twenties and stressed the need for unity and thanksgiving.
“What we are doing is celebrating what God has done for us. I was in my twenties during the war, and now I am 86. If I had died then, I wouldn’t be alive today with 15 grandchildren. Saturday is not for politics or arguments; it is a day of gratitude. We did not survive by our strength but by God’s mercy,” he said.
He further shared his survival story, including escaping snake bites, bullets, bombings, and scorpion stings, attributing his life entirely to God’s intervention. He disclosed that he worked as a personal assistant to Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, even during Ojukwu’s exile in Ivory Coast.
Also contributing, the former Bishop of Oji River Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Dr. Amos Madu (rtd.), described the Igbo World Day of Adoration and Thanksgiving as timely and necessary. He said it provides an opportunity for the Igbo people to acknowledge God’s omnipotence and faithfulness.
“That the Igbo nation still exists today is a miracle. What happened between 1967 and 1970 was unimaginable. We survived without food, shelter, or basic amenities—it can only be God,” he said.
He added that earlier generations failed to collectively thank God after the war and that the proposed annual thanksgiving would help correct that omission.
Similarly, the Archbishop Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Enugu Synod, Most Rev. Prof. Ezichi Anya Ituma, said the event would strengthen the Igbo people’s relationship with God and foster unity.
Sharing his own experience, he revealed that his father narrowly escaped death during the war through divine intervention.
“We expect unity and gratitude to God. All Igbos should take this prayer seriously,” he urged.
Meanwhile, the Archbishop of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Enugu ArchDiocese, Most Rev. Barr. Christopher Edeh, represented by the Very Rev. C. C. Ojike, called on Ndi Igbo everywhere to place great value on the exercise, noting that its spiritual benefits are immense.