By SHEDDY OZOENE
(Also Published In SATURDAY VANGUARD Newspaper, today)
Next week, Enugu — the Coal City — will once again come alive with the biennial Agbaja Summit. From November 26 to 27, 2025, Agbaja sons and daughters from across Nigeria and the Diaspora will converge for the second edition of a gathering designed to restore identity, rekindle community spirit, and shape a collective vision for the future.
Agbaja, a cluster of more than 40 communities spread across Udi, Ezeagu, Enugu North, Enugu South, and Igbo-Etiti LGAs, is bound by shared ancestry and an enduring sense of kinship. The maiden edition in 2022 was not just an event — it was a rediscovery of purpose.
This year’s gathering carries even deeper meaning. The most anticipated feature of the 2025 Summit will be the special honours to be bestowed on towering figures whose legacies helped shape Agbajaland: the late Okwuloha of Agbaja, Chief Onyeama Onwusi; the former Governor of old Anambra State, Chief Christian Chukwuma Onoh (CC Onoh); and the influential community leader, Chief Goddy Chinze.
Chief Onyeama Onwusi (Onyeama N’Eke)
These tributes which form the major highlight of the Summit, go beyond ceremonial recognition. They symbolize a return to memory, an acknowledgement that today’s generation stands on pathways carved by the courage, ambition, and leadership of those who came before.
Eighteen other men and women will also receive honours, but the stories of Onyeama, Onoh, and Chinze stand out. Onyeama was the first Paramount Ruler of the Agbaja subgroup; Onoh, for decades, was the area’s foremost political leader and arrowhead of the agitation that birthed Enugu State.
Chief Onyeama, the Okwuloha of Agbajaland, remains a towering figure in the political evolution of the region. Rising to prominence during the colonial era, his authority stretched across what is now Udi, Ezeagu, and beyond. He shaped early governance, influenced the spread of Western education and Catholic missions, and played decisive roles — including the formal granting of permits for coal exploration in Enugu.
An’nefungwu CC Onoh
Onyeama embodied early authority, CC Onoh personified modern political grit. Born in Ngwo in 1927, CC’s political life was defined by courage and dogged resilience. His 1979 governorship contest travelled all the way to the Supreme Court, and in 1983 he clinched victory against formidable odds. Though his tenure lasted only three months before the military coup, he emerged from that turbulent era as a respected elder statesman and an uncompromising defender of the Wawa identity. His life continues to inspire generations across Agbajaland.
Chief GMC Chinze
Chief Goddy Chinze, though less publicly celebrated, left his mark as Chairman of the former Agbaja/Ngwo County Council. He spearheaded many developmental projects that still define the area today and helped push the region to early administrative prominence.
The idea of a periodic gathering was conceived by the Agbaja Leaders of Thought, led by former Minister Professor Chinedu Nebo, who recognized the urgency of reconnecting a people whose shared identity had been blurred by modern administrative boundaries.
The 2022 Summit opened with an Economic and Investment Forum and climaxed with a vibrant Cultural Carnival at Michael Okpara Square — a spectacle of music, masquerades, and dance that reawakened communal pride. The presence of dignitaries such as Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, former Governor Sullivan Chime, and Deputy Governor Cecilia Ezeilo lent official weight to what began as a grassroots aspiration.
Barr. Sullivan Chime, Chairman, Agbaja Summit 2025
The true legacy of the maiden edition was the 12-point Agbaja Development Blueprint, placing education, healthcare, youth empowerment, environmental stewardship, and entrepreneurship at the centre of future community planning.
One early fruit of that blueprint — the Agbaja Declaration — was inspired by a humbling discovery that many schoolchildren in the area still attended classes barefoot and without school bags. The response was immediate and symbolic: “No Agbaja child will go to school without sandals and a school bag.” Stakeholders in the area worked together to ensure it did not end in mere rhetoric.
That commitment informs the theme of the 2025 Summit: “Education and Skills Development — The Pathway to Sustainable Progress.” Across the country, the gap between academic learning and employable skills continues to widen. Governor Peter Mbah’s 2024 inaugural lecture at ESUT underscored the urgency of experiential, creativity-driven education.
The 2025 Summit will lean heavily on that philosophy. According to Prof. Anibeze, this year’s edition will feature a colloquium that brings together educators, industry experts, and policymakers to explore practical models of vocational training, digital skills, and youth entrepreneurship.
The second day will return to the beloved Cultural Fiesta — a full expression of Agbaja music, dance and masquerades.
Every renaissance faces its greatest test after the applause fades. The question is: will the momentum of 2022 and 2025 endure? Prof. Anibeze believes it can, but only if the movement remains inclusive: “The Agbaja project must go beyond an elite gathering… it must live in our town unions, women’s groups, youth associations, and diaspora communities.”
As Professor Nebo reminded participants at the maiden edition, the Summit is “a way to reclaim our place in history.”
Today, from the rocky hills of Udi to the farmlands of Ezeagu, anticipation is high. The return of the Summit is more than a calendar event; it is a reaffirmation of identity..
