By ThankGod Ofoelue
When Nkerefi hosts its Economic and Security Summit on September 28, 2025, it will not just be another gathering of speeches and ceremonies. It will be a revelation of hidden potential — a bold statement that this ancient agrarian community is ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with the fastest-growing economies of Enugu State.
🌍 Nkerefi at a Glance
Nkerefi is made up of four autonomous communities — Ishienu Amofu, Ohuani Amofu, Enuogu, and Imeoha. Each of these communities is rich in culture, history, and leadership. Together, they form one of the largest and most agriculturally endowed towns in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The town shares borders with Uburu in Ebonyi State, and with Nara, Mburubu, Ugbawka, Ihuokpara, and Agbani in Enugu. Its fertile lands and strategic location place it at the heart of an agricultural belt that produces and supplies cassava, yams, rice, maize, palm oil, abacha, and vegetables to distant towns and cities across Nigeria. The community is nourished by rivers such as Ovu, Aesu, and Okobo, which sustain its thriving farms and daily life.
🛒 Markets That Beat With Igbo Time
Nkerefi’s economy is powered by its traditional markets, which follow the rhythm of the Igbo four-day week. On days like Eke Nkerefi, Afor Umuogbii, and Afor Imeoha, the town explodes into activity as traders, buyers, and farmers converge.
Bags of rice, cassava, yams, abacha, vegetables, and gallons of palm oil are loaded onto trucks, lorries, and motorcycles, bound for Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, and beyond. These market days are more than commerce — they are the heartbeat of community life, fueling trade, building bonds, and sustaining households across states. For decades, Nkerefi’s produce has quietly kept kitchens and marketplaces alive far outside its borders. The summit offers the opportunity to transform this quiet strength into structured agribusiness, food security, and large-scale investment.
🏫 Schools, Churches, and Human Capital
Nkerefi is not only blessed with fertile soil but also with fertile minds. Education and faith have long been the pillars of its human development. Schools like Union Primary School, Umuogbii Nkerefi — the oldest in the community — and Model Secondary School, Isienu Amofu, Igwebuike Comprehensive Secondary School, Imeoha, Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Enugu Nkerefi, and Community Secondary School, Nkerefi have produced leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals who now shape Enugu State and Nigeria at large.
Faith institutions like Methodist Church Umuogbii Nkerefi — the town’s oldest church — alongside St. Patrick’s Catholic Parish Mt. Zion, St. Paul’s Imeoha, Emmanuel Church Mgbanocha, and many others, have anchored moral and social life, nurturing values of discipline, resilience, and community spirit.
👑 Traditional Leadership: Guardians of Culture and Unity
Nkerefi’s monarchs remain the custodians of peace, culture, and traditions.
In Ishienu Amofu Nkerefi, the throne is held by HRH Igwe Christian Ogbonnaya Agu (Christag), Eze Oha Chiri I, whose election on February 4, 2024 ended a nine-year vacancy following the murder of HRH Igwe Peter Ani Onuoha in 2013. A son of Ishiuga village, Christag’s ascension was marked with celebration, music, and renewed hope.
In Imeoha Nkerefi, HRH Igwe Luke Ogbu Ogbuta Okorie, Ezeanyanecheoha I, crowned in 2002, stands tall as both monarch and international business mogul. As CEO of Ogbuta Investment Company Ltd, he has etched his name in the sands of time, balancing commerce with community development.
Enuogu Nkerefi is under the wise leadership of HRH Igwe Onukwube, a respected ruler whose voice of reason and active role in community affairs has guided his people.
In Ohuani Amofu Nkerefi, the traditional institution remains a vital pillar of cultural life, strengthening Nkerefi’s unity and its place in the larger Nkanu family.
🌟 Roll Call of Statesmen and Achievers
Nkerefi’s Economic Summit comes at a time when its sons and daughters are making strides across politics, business, academia, and social development.
Foremost among them is Dr. Gabriel C. Ajah, mni, immediate past Chairman of ENSUBEB and former Secretary to the Enugu State Government, whose scholarship and authorship of The History of Nkerefi has cemented him as one of the community’s leading lights. Alongside him stands Engr. Michael Ogbuekwe, a senior political figure in Enugu State, former Commissioner, and current Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture as well as Managing Director of Enugu Marketing Company, whose work links agriculture to industrial and economic growth. Also in this league is Barrister Chima Okorie, the Enugu State Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, whose influence in policy and governance is widely respected.
Barrister Prince Joshua Ejeh, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Peter Mbah on Research and Communications, represents a younger generation of policymakers shaping discourse and strategy at the state level. Hon. Barr. Mrs. Ngozi Ogbonna, former Deputy Mayor of Nkanu East LGA and fondly known as Ada di Ora Nma na Nkerefi and Ada Nkanu, has been a bridge-builder and advocate for women and development. ThankGod Onukwube Ofoelue, journalist and publisher of Jungle-Journalist.com, has amplified the community’s image across Nigeria and beyond.
The roll continues with respected names such as Zulu Solomon Ofoelue, former Provost of ATCOE and current Executive Director of AFRISEEB; Justice Prof. Cyprian Ajah,* Enugu State High Court Judge and Visiting Professor in Georgia, USA; Chief Emmanuel Anih (Omeluoha na Denmark), a philanthropist and diaspora leader; Chief Onuchukwu Mark Jnr, CEO of Mountain Tapp Table Water; Mark Uchechukwu Nwige,* cybersecurity expert and ECOWAS HackerLab finalist; Pastor Fred Obasi, chairman of NDU Lagos Branch; Ogbuefi Jerry Egbo (Jerry Japan), popularly known as Agunaeche Mba na Nkerefi, a patron of community development; Matthew Chukwu Onyeabor, CEO of Ivado Universal Option Nigeria Ltd; Emmanuel Chukwu Onyeabor,General secretary Ishienu Amofu autonomous community Nkerefi and Director, Biospring Health Links Ltd Enugu; Chief Monday Igwe, CEO of Igwe Moon Ventures; Mr. Chidiebere Onu,* founder of Don Maseratte Classic Ltd; Monday Diamond Anih,* youth leader, politician, and master of ceremonies; and Bishop Dr. Joseph O. Onuchukwu, a very senior, serving Bishop of Grace of God Mission International and Director on the Board of Victory Microfinance Bank.
Together, these men and women embody the intellectual, political, entrepreneurial, and cultural strength of Nkerefi. And this roll call is not exhaustive — many other prominent sons and daughters continue to carry Nkerefi’s light into different corners of the world.
🤝 The Organizers and the Diaspora Spirit
Behind the summit is the Nkerefi Development Union (NDU), working hand in hand with its branches in Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, and Benin. Their diaspora wings and youth groups have mobilized resources, publicity, and logistics to ensure the summit makes the boldest possible impact.
Notably, figures like Monday Diamond Anih (Chairman CPC) and Nze Cletus Chukwu (CPC Secretary) have been at the forefront, galvanizing youth energy, rallying political will, and lending their voice to Nkerefi’s renaissance. Their contributions, alongside those of countless silent hands in the community and abroad, reveal a unified vision: Nkerefi is open for investment, and Nkerefi is ready for growth.
🚀 The Summit as a Catalyst
The Nkerefi Economic Summit 2025 will not be a mere talk shop. It is set to lay the blueprint for prosperity — harnessing agriculture, building agro-industries like rice mills, cassava processing plants, and palm oil refineries, while improving infrastructure such as roads and schools. It will also focus on ICT, healthcare, and architectural designs like the unveiling of a multipurpose civic hall. With publicity stretching from local to international media, Nkerefi is positioning itself to attract the world’s attention.
🔥 The Secret You Don’t Know
Nkerefi has long been underestimated, known mostly for its farmlands but rarely celebrated for its hidden potential. The coming summit will change that narrative, unveiling Nkerefi as a place of history, tradition, resilience, and unmatched opportunity.
On September 28, 2025, Nkerefi will not just gather; it will declare to the world: We are open for business. We are ready for investment. We are poised for prosperity.
✍️ About the Author
ThankGod Onukwube Ofoelue is a journalist, writer, and publisher of Jungle Journalist Media Limited. He is a proud son of Umuogbii, Amofu Nkerefi, and has dedicated much of his work to amplifying the stories, struggles, and successes of his people.
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