Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has called on Igbo people living in Nigeria and abroad to unite their resources, knowledge and expertise to develop the Southeast, stressing that individual success must translate into collective progress at home. Soludo made the call in a post on X after speaking at TEDxEnugu…...
Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has called on Igbo people living in Nigeria and abroad to unite their resources, knowledge and expertise to develop the Southeast, stressing that individual success must translate into collective progress at home.
Soludo made the call in a post on X after speaking at TEDxEnugu at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, on Saturday, where he delivered a speech titled “Transcend Beyond Borders: The Next Chapter in the Igbo Story.”
The governor said the Igbo people had recorded significant achievements in business, innovation and enterprise across the world, but needed to pay greater attention to the development of their homeland.
“Ndi Igbo, we need to have an honest conversation with ourselves,” he said.
He noted that more than half of the Igbo population lived, invested and thrived outside Ala Igbo, raising concerns about the need to channel more resources towards building their communities.
“But let us ask ourselves: while we are building everywhere, who will build home?” Soludo asked.
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He added, “We have conquered the world individually, but we have a collective void at home. Personal wealth alone does not build a sustainable homeland. True power and lasting legacy come from unity, strategic organization, and collective purpose.”
Soludo outlined three priorities for the next chapter of the Igbo story, including building a resilient and modern Igbo identity capable of competing in a global, talent-driven economy.
He also urged young people to prioritise hard work, skills acquisition and continuous learning, noting that innovation, enterprise and technology would be important to the region’s future.
“Our youth must choose hard work, skills, and continuous learning. The future belongs to high-value innovation, enterprise, and technology — not to unproductive rhetoric or social vices,” he said.
The governor further called for renewed efforts to rebuild the Southeast, urging the people to move beyond historical grievances and embrace pragmatic engagement, economic diplomacy and long-term planning.
He encouraged young people to consider public service as a means of contributing to society, saying private success should be used to advance the public good.
“I told our young people: see public service as the highest form of philanthropy — where your private success becomes a tool for public good,” he said.
Soludo said the region’s future would depend on deliberate action rather than complaints, urging the Igbo people to bring their collective capital, knowledge and energy back home to build a prosperous, livable and secure Southeast.
“The next chapter of the Igbo story will not be written by lamentation, but by intentional action,” he said.
He concluded by expressing hope for continued progress in Anambra State and the wider Igbo homeland, saying, “May Anambra continue to win, May Ala Igbo continue to rise.”