http://www.centreformemories.org/

Centre For Memories - Ncheta Ndigbo, 2 Awgu Street, off Umuoji Street, Independence Layout Enugu, Enugu (2026)

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2 Awgu Street, Off Umuoji Street, Independence Layout Enugu

13/07/2026

CELEBRATING PROFESSOR BARTHOLOMEW NNAJI AT 70: ENGINEER, INVENTOR, ENERGY PIONEER, AND VISIONARY INDUSTRIALIST

The Centre for Memories – Ncheta Ndigbo joins family, friends, colleagues, and admirers around the world in celebrating the 70th birthday of Professor Bartholomew Nnaji, one of Africa's foremost engineers, innovators, and nation-builders.

Born on 13 July 1956, Professor Nnaji has dedicated his life to solving one of Nigeria's greatest development challenges: access to reliable electricity. Through scholarship, innovation, entrepreneurship, and public service, he has become one of the continent's most influential voices in engineering and energy.

Raised with a deep appreciation for learning, Nnaji studied engineering in Nigeria before furthering his education in the United States, where he earned both a Master's degree and a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). His pioneering research and academic contributions earned him international recognition as a distinguished engineer, inventor, and educator.

Professor Nnaji has combined academic excellence with practical innovation throughout his career. He has held teaching and research positions at leading universities, secured numerous engineering patents, and contributed significantly to the advancement of manufacturing systems, robotics, and industrial engineering.

His vision found perhaps its boldest expression in the energy sector. As the founder and Chairman of Geometric Power Limited, he championed one of Nigeria's most ambitious private electricity projects, pioneering the development of the Aba Integrated Power Project. More than a power plant, Geometric Power represents a long-term vision for reliable electricity as the foundation for industrial growth, economic transformation, and improved quality of life.

His commitment to national development also led him into public service. Between 2011 and 2012, he served as Nigeria's Minister of Power, where he played a key role in advancing reforms aimed at modernising the country's electricity sector, encouraging private investment, and improving power generation and distribution.

Beyond Nigeria, Professor Nnaji remains a respected voice in global conversations on energy security, sustainable development, industrialisation, and innovation. His work continues to influence policy, inspire investment, and demonstrate the vital role of engineering in national development.

As he celebrates this milestone, we honour his remarkable contributions to engineering, education, enterprise, and national development. His life stands as a powerful reminder that knowledge, when matched with purpose and service, can transform nations.

Happy 70th Birthday, Professor Bartholomew Nnaji.

Maka Ụnyaa, Taa na Echi.

13/07/2026

Every visit brings another generation closer to the Ìgbò story.

Thank you, Salma Private School - The SafeHands, for visiting the Centre For Memories. We look forward to welcoming many more young minds.

Schedule your visit today: https://bit.ly/cfmtours

Maka Ụnyaa, Taa Na Echi.

07/07/2026

On behalf of Ndìgbò, we heartily congratulate Chimdiebube Onwubiko, Don Anele Munachimso, and Onyedikachi Egejurum on their outstanding performances at the Grand Finale of the International STEM Olympiad in Rome, where they won gold medals and brought honour to Nigeria and the Ìgbò nation on the global stage.

At the Centre for Memories, our work involves documenting and preserving the contributions of Ndìgbò to Nigeria and the world. Our ỌLA NDÌGBÒ exhibition is a living archive of Ìgbò excellence, telling the stories of men and women whose vision, intellect, creativity, enterprise, and service shaped the eighteenth and nighteenth centuries, and left enduring legacies.

Today, Chimdiebube, Don, and Onyedikachi remind us that this story is still being written. Their achievement reaffirms that the Ìgbò tradition of learning, innovation, resilience, and excellence is not confined to the past, it continues to find new expression in every generation.

We also extend our profound appreciation to Alex Onyia Alex , Founder and CEO of Educare Educare Software , whose vision, personal commitment, and sponsorship made this achievement possible. We equally celebrate their teachers, schools, parents, and everyone whose dedication, guidance, and belief helped nurture the excellence we celebrate today.

Congratulations once again. May this remarkable achievement inspire countless other young Ndìgbò and Nigerians to dream boldly, pursue excellence, and believe that the world is within their reach.

06/07/2026

TODAY IN HISTORY; 6 JULY 1967

On this day, 59 years ago, the first shots of the Nigeria–Biafra War were fired.

The opening military offensive, code-named Operation Unicord, began on two fronts: Ogoja in the east and Nsukka in the west.

On the Ogoja front, Nigerian federal forces under Colonel Martin Adamu launched an assault using artillery and heavy mortars against Biafran forces commanded by Captain Patrick Anah.

Simultaneously, on the Nsukka front, federal troops under Major Sule Apollo advanced after heavy shelling of the town.

Within five days, Garkem, Obudu, and Ogoja had fallen. By 15 July 1967, Nsukka was under federal control.

The story of those opening days of the war forms part of the historical narrative preserved in the Ọzọemena Exhibition at the Centre For Memories.

Schedule your visit today: https://bit.ly/cfmtours

Maka Ụnyaa, Taa na Echi.

06/07/2026

We closed the month of June with the delightful visit of the Grade 7 students and teachers of Prime College, Enugu.

Our current exhibitions gave these young minds a chance to experience the Ìgbò story in a whole new way. And their curiosity, enthusiasm, and conduct made the experience just as memorable for us as it was for them.

With each group that walks through our doors, our community of memory-keepers is becoming a little larger.

Very special thanks to Prime College, for their interest in the work we are doing and for choosing to invest in the cultural education of these remarkable young learners.

We’d love to welcome you next.

Schedule your visit: https://bit.ly/cfmtours

Maka Unyaa, Taa na Echi.

03/07/2026

CELEBRATING THE 80TH BIRTHDAY OF PROFESSOR RINA OKONKWO: HISTORIAN, SCHOLAR, AND BOARD MEMBER OF THE CENTRE FOR MEMORIES

Today, the Centre for Memories – Ncheta Ndigbo celebrates an extraordinary scholar, historian, teacher, and one of the quiet architects of our institution, Professor Rina Okonkwo, as she marks her 80th birthday.

Some people study history. Others preserve it. Professor Rina Okonkwo has spent a lifetime ensuring that history is not only remembered but understood, documented, and passed faithfully from one generation to the next.

Born in New York and raised in the United States, Professor Okonkwo made a life-changing decision in 1973 when she relocated to Nigeria. That decision would shape not only her own journey but also the study and preservation of Nigerian and Ìgbò history for generations.

For four decades, she taught at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where she trained and mentored countless students, inspiring many to pursue careers in history, research, and academia. Following her retirement, her passion for scholarship remained undiminished. She joined the Department of History, International Studies and Diplomacy at Godfrey Okoye University, where she continued to teach, provide academic leadership, and later served as both Head of Department and Dean of the Faculty of Arts.

When the Centre For Memories was founded, Professor Okonkwo became one of its earliest pillars.

As our Resident Historian, she helped shape the intellectual foundation of the Centre. She guided research, supervised historical documentation, contributed significantly to exhibition development, and ensured that every story we told rested on rigorous scholarship and historical integrity. Many visitors who have walked through our exhibitions may never have met her, yet they have encountered her work at every turn.

Her influence extends far beyond exhibitions.

She was instrumental in establishing the Centre's monthly Book Club, creating a platform for reading, dialogue, and intellectual exchange. She has helped curate numerous public lectures, conversations, and educational programmes, enriching the Centre's mission of preserving, interpreting, and promoting the history, culture, and heritage of Ndị Ìgbò.

A prolific author and respected historian, Professor Okonkwo's books and scholarly publications continue to deepen our understanding of our past while inspiring new generations of researchers and historians.

Today, as a member of the Board of the Centre For Memories, she continues to provide thoughtful guidance, institutional wisdom, and unwavering support for our mission.

On this milestone birthday, we celebrate not only an accomplished academic but also a mentor, a colleague, a memory keeper, and a custodian of our shared heritage.

On behalf of the Board, Management, Staff, Volunteers, and the wider Centre for Memories community, we express our profound gratitude for your years of service, your generosity of spirit, and your immeasurable contributions to preserving the stories that define us.

Happy 80th Birthday, Professor Rina Okonkwo.

Maka Unyaa, Taa na Echi.

19/06/2026

We are delighted to share that our Senior Programmes Lead, Ifeoma Nnamani, has been selected as a Fellow of 2026!

Ifeoma joins a remarkable cohort of 50 museum and heritage professionals from 31 African and European countries who are reimagining the future of museums, memory, heritage, and cultural collaboration across continents.

This opportunity is especially meaningful to us at the Centre For Memories because it reflects our commitment to ensuring that Ìgbò histories, experiences, and perspectives are part of global conversations on heritage preservation, public history, and museum practice.

As part of the fellowship, Ifeoma is currently participating in onsite sessions in Berlin, with another onsite visit to Rwanda coming up later in September. In September also, Ifeoma will visit Freedom Park in Pretoria for a weeklong residency.

These exchanges will provide invaluable opportunities to share ideas, learn from diverse institutional approaches, build lasting professional relationships, and contribute to shaping more inclusive and community-centered heritage practices.

At a time when questions of memory, identity, belonging, and representation are increasingly important, we are proud to see one of our own contributing to these conversations on an international stage.

Congratulations, Ifeoma! We look forward to the insights, partnerships, and possibilities that will emerge from this journey.

Maka Unyaa, Taa na Echi.

18/06/2026

CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF HRM EDOGA BONIFACE UGWOKE NWANI (1923 – 2025)

The Centre for Memories – Ncheta Ndigbo joins the people of Dunoka Village, Lejja Town, Nsukka Local Government Area, and the entire Lejja community in mourning the passing of their revered Onye Ishi, His Royal Majesty Edoga Boniface Ugwoke Nwani, who departed this life at the remarkable age of 101.

His Royal Majesty was a custodian of history, culture, and community values whose life spanned more than a century of service, wisdom, and leadership. His passing marks the end of an extraordinary era and leaves a profound void within Dunoka, Lejja, and beyond.

The Centre for Memories is especially grateful for the support, guidance, and encouragement he extended to our work over the years. Through his openness, commitment, and leadership, we were able to deepen our documentation and preservation efforts around the historic Lejja Iron Smelting Site, one of the most significant cultural heritage landmarks in Africa. His dedication to safeguarding the history and heritage of his people greatly enriched our collective understanding of the past.

Edoga Ugwoke Nwani embodied the values of wisdom, consensus-building, and communal responsibility. He was a bridge between generations and a steadfast guardian of the traditions entrusted to him.

While we mourn his passing, we also celebrate a life well lived in service to community, culture, and posterity.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, the people of Dunoka Village, the Lejja community, and all who were touched by his remarkable life and leadership.

May his memory remain a blessing, and may his enduring contributions continue to inspire future generations.

Maka Unyaa, Taa na Echi.

17/06/2026

If Things Fall Apart had one line written just for you, which one would it be?

@68

Maka Unyaa, Taa na Echi.

17/06/2026

THINGS FALL APART DAY 2026

Sixty-eight years ago today, the hardback edition of Achebe’s masterpiece was first published by the London-based publishing house William Heinemann.

The book, set in a fictional Ìgbò community in pre-colonial times, has since been translated into more than 66 languages and sold over 30 million copies worldwide.

TIME Magazine also listed it among the TIME 100 Best English-language Novels (1923–2005), affirming its place in the global literary canon.

With clarity and restraint, Achebe renders a society rich in structure, culture, and rhythm, then traces its destabilisation under the arrival of Christian missionaries and British colonial administrators.
Okonkwo stands at the centre of this tension - not as a hero, but as a deeply human response to a world in upheaval.

Since 2020, the Centre for Memories has continued this annual observance of Things Fall Apart Day, which has grown into a weeklong literary and cultural festival, The Things Fall Apart Festival.

Now in preparation for its 2026 edition, we pause once again to honour Achebe and the enduring gift of a story that still speaks to us, sixty-eight years after it first entered the world.

@68

Maka Unyaa, Taa na Echi.

Centre For Memories - Ncheta Ndigbo

13/07/2026

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