Economic and commercial activities run by Ndigbo across the country and in the diaspora will be shut down for three hours on Saturday, January 30, as Igbo people observe a solemn day of prayer, adoration, and thanksgiving to God for their survival during the Nigerian civil war.
The programme, tagged “World Igbo Day of Adoration and Thanksgiving,” is being organised by Ohanaeze Ndigbo in collaboration with Igbo religious leaders and will be observed in churches across Igboland and beyond.
Speaking at a press briefing in Enugu on Friday, the Archbishop of the Enugu Ecclesiastical Province of the Anglican Communion, Rt Rev Sosthenus Eze, said the initiative was born out of deep reflection on the aftermath of the 1967–1970 civil war and the need for collective gratitude.
He explained that the three-hour shutdown would allow Igbo people to participate fully in prayers and thanksgiving services, marking about 55 years since the end of the conflict.
“That war was planned to exterminate the Igbo nation completely, but we survived as a race, despite all that we passed through. In response to this, God has been speaking through various people about this. This burden has been shared and agreed upon.
Archbishop Eze noted that the observance was not political but spiritual, stressing that it was meant to acknowledge divine preservation despite the hardship, loss, and trauma experienced during the three-year war.
According to him, churches are expected to lead special prayer sessions focused on thanksgiving, remembrance, and hope, while businesses owned by Igbo people are encouraged to suspend operations briefly in solidarity.
Organisers say the annual remembrance will also serve as a moment of reflection for younger generations on the resilience of the Igbo people and the importance of unity, faith, and gratitude in the face of adversity.
