Ohanaeze Ndigbo Bans Eze Title, Launches Onyendu Role for Diaspora

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide announced the prohibition of the “Eze Ndigbo” title for Igbo leaders residing outside Nigeria’s South‑East region and introduced a replacement title, “Onyendu Ndigbo.” The decision was disclosed in Owerri, Imo State, during an induction ceremony that inaugurated 32 Onyendu Ndigbo leaders drawn from Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Ghana and other locations. A subsequent ceremony inducted a second batch of diaspora leaders.

The chairman of the South‑East Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Emmanuel Okeke, warned that holders of the new title would lose it and their certificates if they fail to meet integrity standards. Committee chair Charles Odunukwe explained that the change aims to end long‑running disputes over the old title and to establish a more organised, credible leadership structure for Igbo communities abroad. The initiative is supported by Ohanaeze’s leader, Senator John Azuka Mbata, and is presented as a step toward greater unity and cultural pride for the Igbo diaspora.