By Fred Chukwuelobe
The Craze For “Eze Ndi Igbo” Titles
By Fred Chukwuelobe
The controversy surrounding the title Eze Igbo or Eze Ndi Igbo will continue to rage until Ndi Igbo themselves resist its misuse by those who deploy it for personal aggrandisement. Since the latest crisis over the matter resurfaced in faraway South Africa, many have argued that Igbo people in the diaspora have a right to choose leaders to lead them. That is not in dispute; they do and should. But such leadership should not assume the titles Igwe or Eze.
To digress briefly: when former Biafran war leader, the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (Ikemba Nnewi), returned from exile, he was conferred with the title Ikejiejemba Ndigbo (shortened to Ikemba) of Nnewi. Another group later honoured him with the title Eze Igbo Gburugburu. These titles enjoyed widespread acceptance among the Igbo and were not controversial. However, the more recent proliferation of the Eze Ndi Igbo title, often driven by wealthy individuals and persons of questionable standing, has gained traction outside Igboland, distorting its true cultural meaning.
In Igboland, the title Igwe (or Eze, as it is known in some communities) denotes a traditional ruler; a custodian of culture, customs, and the collective identity of his people. These titles are neither casual nor self-assumed; they are conferred through well-established traditional processes and are rooted in specific communities and lineages.
By contrast, in other parts of Nigeria and across the diaspora, community leadership is typically expressed through titles such as President or Chairman – designations that reflect modern administrative structures rather than ancestral authority.
It is, therefore, important to understand that the legitimacy of the titles Igwe or Eze is inseparable from Igboland, its culture, traditions, and communal structures. Anyone who adopts these titles outside their proper cultural and communal context, without due recognition from a bona fide Igbo community of origin, misrepresents their meaning and should be treated with caution or disregarded altogether.
Igbo communities, both within and outside Igboland, already have structured associations. At the village level, leaders are appropriately designated as Presidents or Chairmen. The same applies to state and regional associations in the diaspora. The titles Igwe and Eze remain strictly community-based and should be respected as such.
Anyone who desires to be Igwe or Eze should return to his community and aspire to the position through the established traditional process. Where rulership is hereditary, he should respect the institution and, if necessary, accept a chieftaincy title. Where it is contestable, he is free to try his luck; if unsuccessful, he should not go in search of a non-existent Eze Igbo in foreign lands.
Those who insist on doing so, whether out of wealth or an overreaching desire to rule, should understand that their version of Eze Igbo is alien to Igboland. They should stop stoking the fire with their inordinate desires.
(c) Fred Chukwuelobe
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