A cross-section of Igbo leaders during the ADF 2026 annual retreat in held on Monday, 5th January in Enugu
From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
The Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), a leading Igbo socio-cultural organisation, has restated its commitment to advancing the cause of the Igbo nation across the world.
The position was reaffirmed during the organisation’s 2026 annual retreat, held in Enugu on Monday, January 4, 2026.
In a keynote address, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of ADF, Prof. Timothy Uzodinma Nwala, recalled that the foundation was established in 2017 by prominent Igbo leaders, including the late Francis Akanu Ibiam, the Obi of Onitsha, late Col. Achuzia, Emeka Enejere, Dozie Ikedife, Archbishop Anikwenwa, Archbishop Obinna, among others, who at various times played critical roles in projecting the Igbo nation. He said the time had come for ADF to reposition itself to once again confront emerging challenges.
Prof. Nwala stressed that although the organisation had faced several challenges over the years, it remained undaunted in its resolve to reposition the Igbo nation within the global space for peace and progress.
He disclosed that many Igbos in the diaspora, who have traced their ancestry to “Alaigbo,” were eager to return to their homeland, assuring that ADF would not disappoint them.
According to him, “We must build a bridge with Igbos in diaspora. We have many of them in the British parliament, We have many of them who are scientists, We have many of them in other key sectors of the global economy, who want to come back to Igbo land. They are keenly interested in the peace, progress and development of Igbo land.”
He assured that the foundation would harmonise strategies to facilitate their return.
In a lecture titled ‘Security and Survival of the Igbo Nation’, Barr. Emmanuel Chikadibia Nwawulor, an international legal practitioner based in London, warned that insurgency in Igbo land could be tackled by strengthening and organising Igbo youths as local vigilantes to protect farmlands from destruction.
He urged communities across Igbo land to emulate the Mbaise Youth Council, which proactively formed vigilante groups tasked with driving insurgents away from farmlands across Mbaise communities.
Nwawulor expressed dismay that some Igbo individuals were allegedly aiding the invasion of Igbo farmlands by insurgents for selfish reasons.
In a second lecture, Dr. Augustine Okechukwu Agugua, an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Lagos, identified internal sabotage as one of the major challenges confronting the Igbo nation. He alleged the existence of internal collaborators contributing to purported plots aimed at destabilising the Igbo in Nigeria.
He further described food insecurity as the most critical problem facing the Igbo nation, adding that the globalisation of poverty posed a serious threat to Igbo survival in Nigeria.
Dr. Agugua commended Prof. Nwala for his resilience in championing the Igbo cause and assured that he would mobilise Igbos in the diaspora to participate actively in projects of the Alaigbo Development Foundation.
An Igbo-American, Dr. Sidney Davis, who joined the retreat via live streaming, pledged to collaborate with ADF on a global scale to promote a brighter future for the Igbo nation.
Prof. Nwala introduced Dr. Davis as one of the diaspora Igbos whose great-grandparents were sold into slavery but later traced their ancestry to Igbo land through DNA, prompting their desire to return home.
The retreat resolved to establish two committees: one to explore legitimate processes for securing Igbo land and another to drive the foundation’s globalisation agenda.
Issues of peace and security in Nigeria featured prominently during the 2026 ADF annual retreat in Enugu, which attracted leaders and representatives of various Igbo associations across Igbo-speaking areas of the country.
Also speaking, the personal assistant to the late Col. Achuzia, Hon. Major Charles N. Okechukwu, who attended the retreat from Ibusa, Delta State, urged Igbo leaders to rally behind ADF in the fight against food insecurity and the alleged invasion of Igbo land by insurgents.
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