Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has officially declared the last Saturday of every January as Igbo Adoration and Thanksgiving Day, a day set aside for collective prayers, thanksgiving, and spiritual reflection for Ndigbo at home and in the Diaspora.
The decision was taken at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide held on January 20, 2026, according to a statement signed by the organisation’s Publicity Secretary, Ezechi Chukwu, Ph.D.
The declaration followed a formal appeal by the Igbo College of Bishops, represented at the NEC meeting by Archbishop David Onuoha of the Owerri Anglican Province and Archbishop Sosthenes Eze of the Enugu Anglican Province, alongside other clerics. The appeal, based on spiritual symbolism, sought a revision of an earlier resolution by the Imeobi Ohanaeze meeting of December 23, 2025, in Enugu, which had proposed the last Sunday of January for the observance.
Consequently, the NEC resolved that the celebration be held on the last Saturday of every January, noting that the Imeobi Ohanaeze would be formally briefed at its next meeting.
Speaking on the importance of the decision, the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator Azuta Mbata, urged Ndigbo across the globe to reflect deeply on the significance of the day.
He described the observance as a moment of collective gratitude to God “for His enduring mercies and grace upon the Igbo nation, despite the numerous challenges encountered over the decades.”
Accordingly, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has called on all churches in Igbo land to observe the maiden edition of the Igbo Adoration and Thanksgiving Day on Saturday, January 31, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, with prayers, adoration, and thanksgiving dedicated to God.
The organisation further urged Igbo communities worldwide to participate wholeheartedly, describing the day as a unifying spiritual landmark aimed at strengthening faith, unity, and collective identity among Ndigbo.
