http://www.centreformemories.org/

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

Q: What is the address?

2 Awgu Street, Off Umuoji Street, Independence Layout Enugu

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.

11/06/2026

CHRIS AFUBA AT 79

The Centre for Memories - Ncheta Ndigbo celebrates Chris Afuba, the pioneering sculptor and founding member of the AKA Group of Artists, who turned 79 this June.

Chris Afuba was born on June 3, 1947. In 1971, he joined the late Professor Uche Okeke for an informal but deeply formative period of art training spanning eleven months of labour and learning. It was an education that no institution could have offered.

Later, Chris enrolled at the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, and it was during that period that one of his most iconic work took shape.

Between 1980 and 1981, Afuba produced “Otiịgba”, originally conceived as an alternative graduating project sculpture. The work was eventually sold and installed at what is today known as Otiịgba Junction on New Haven Avenue, where it has stood ever since as one of the most recognised works of public art in Ala Ìgbò.

Happy birthday Chris!

Maka Unyaa, Taa na Echi.

30/05/2026

59 YEARS AFTER: REMEMBERING THE DECLARATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF BIAFRA

Today, May 30, 2026, marks 59 years since Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, then Military Governor of the Eastern Region, declared the birth of the Republic of Biafra.

That declaration on May 30, 1967 arose from the desire of a people to survive in the face of targeted violence and displacement. Following a series of pogroms in Northern Nigeria that claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Eastern Nigerians, predominantly Ndị Ìgbò, and the failure of the Nigerian state to uphold the Aburi Accord, a peace agreement reached in Ghana, Ojukwu took a bold and irreversible step.

In his speech, he proclaimed: “Having mandated me to proclaim on your behalf, and in your name, that Eastern Nigeria be a sovereign and independent Republic, now therefore, I, Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu... do hereby solemnly proclaim that the territory and region known as and called Eastern Nigeria together with her continental shelf and territorial waters shall henceforth be an independent sovereign state of the name and title of the Republic of Biafra.”

That declaration ignited a brutal civil war that lasted from 1967 to 1970, three years that left over three million civilians dead, mostly from starvation and disease.

For us at the Centre For Memories, these are not just numbers. They were fathers, mothers, children, teachers, artists, traders, and neighbours whose lives were cut short by a conflict that exposed the structural fault lines in Nigeria’s post-independence journey.

Yet, Biafra was not only a story of suffering. It was also a story of resilience, innovation, and human dignity. In the face of overwhelming odds, people devised extraordinary solutions—from local refineries and indigenous technologies to new systems of production and survival. Nearly six decades later, that spirit remains part of our collective memory.

In remembrance this year, the Centre For Memories has throughout the month of May convened a series of documentary screenings, reflective readings, public conversations, and engagements exploring the events, personalities, ideas, and experiences that shaped the Biafra story. These programmes have created opportunities for learning, reflection, and intergenerational dialogue around a history that continues to shape lives and identities today.

This month-long commemoration culminates this evening in a public discourse titled History and Post-conflict Memory: Insights from The Legacies of Biafra Heritage Project, to be led by Dr. Jachike Stanley Onyemechalu of the University of Cambridge.

We warmly invite you to join this important conversation as we continue the work of remembrance, reflection, and understanding.

Today: Saturday, May 30, 2026
Time: 3:00 PM
Venue: Centre For Memories, 2 Awgu Street, Off Umuoji Street, Independence Layout, Enugu.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Maka Ụnyaa, Taa na Echi.

24/05/2026

IN MEMORIAM:

RICHARD ASIEGBU SNR
(1955 – 2026): VETERAN BROADCASTER, SPORTS COMMENTATOR, AND MEDIA ICON.

On behalf of Ndị Ìgbò, The Centre for Memories — Ncheta Ndigbo, joins family, colleagues, and the wider media community in mourning the passing of Richard Asiegbu Snr.

Richard Asiegbu Snr was a distinguished Nigerian broadcaster, sports commentator, and media executive whose career spanned decades of impactful service to the broadcasting industry.

A former Director-General of the Imo Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) and former Deputy Director/Head of Network Sports at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Headquarters, Abuja, he distinguished himself as a leading voice in sports journalism and ceremonial commentary.

A graduate of the Institute of Journalism, Berkshire, England, he received extensive professional training in news production, presentation, broadcasting, and media management. He also served as Africa Regional Correspondent for the Voice of America (VOA) from 1989 to 1999, contributing to international media coverage of African affairs.

Throughout his career, he covered and led broadcast teams to major global sporting events, including the FIFA World Cups in the USA (1994), France (1998), Korea/Japan (2002), the Commonwealth Games in Manchester (2002), the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia (2004), and the Olympic Games in Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008).

He was widely recognised for his excellence in sports journalism, earning several honours, including Nigeria’s Sports Writer of the Year (1992) and the National Sports Merit Award (2003). He was also a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administration and an alumnus of the International Media Training Centre, Washington DC, USA.

Richard Asiegbu Snr leaves behind a legacy defined by professionalism, excellence, and an enduring influence on generations of broadcasters across Nigeria and beyond.

The Centre for Memories celebrates this enduring legacy that will continue to inspire us to uphold excellence, integrity, and dedication in service.

Maka Ụnyaa, Taa na Echi.

23/05/2026

From the screening to the conversations that followed, yesterday evening returned us to the language of declaration, its weight, its consequences, and the questions it continues to raise within the memory of the Nigeria–Biafra War.

We are grateful to all who were present, and to those who continue to follow this series, which is part of our month-long public reflection marking 59 years since the declaration of the Republic of Biafra.

Next Friday, we will gather once more for the concluding screening in the series.

We look forward to welcoming you again.

22/05/2026

“...do hereby solemnly proclaim that the territory and region known as and called Eastern Nigeria... shall henceforth be an independent sovereign state of the name and title of The Republic of Biafra.”

This evening, we return to one of the most defining declarations in Nigeria’s history with the screening of: FULL TEXT OF OJUKWU’S DECLARATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF BIAFRA by Back In History

59 years later, the words still carry questions, and have continued to shape conversations around identity and nationhood.

Date: Friday, May 22, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM Prompt
Venue: Centre For Memories, 2 Awgu Str, Off Umuoji Street, Independence Layout Enugu.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Maka Ụnyaa, Taa na Echi.

21/05/2026

The Centre For Memories – Ncheta Ndigbo was on Monday, May 18, honoured to receive His Excellency, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, alongside several distinguished guests for an engagement centred on memory, identity, justice, and national cohesion.

Prof. Osinbajo visited the Centre alongside Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, Chairman South-East Traditional Rulers Council, Chief Uche Obisi, the Enugu State President Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Hon. Justice Mabel Segun-Bello, Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Dr. V. C. Odo, Enugu State Chairman Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), traditional rulers, academics, policy thinkers, and other distinguished guests.

The delegation toured the Ọzọemena Exhibition, the Centre’s permanent exhibition on the Nigeria–Biafra War, which features photographs, personal archives, oral testimonies, and wartime memorabilia that bear witness to the human experience of conflict, displacement, survival, and memory.

Following the exhibition tour, Prof. Osinbajo participated in a dialogue session organised by the Centre For Memories in partnership with the Justice Research Institute (JRI) on “Polarisation and the Ìgbò Living Experience in Nigeria and the Diaspora.” The conversation explored questions of identity, belonging, historical memory, resilience, and the shared humanity that transcends divisions.

Panelists at the session included Dr. Grace Okudo, the Lead of the Training Committee of Nkata Ndi Inyom Igbo, Prof. Olusegun Oludapo Sogbesan, Founder of the Onitsha Business School, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Suleiman Haruna Suleiman, the Sarkin Hausawa of Enugu State, Mrs. Philomena Ibhade Nwajagu, Founder of Kidpreneur Place, Enugu, and Yagazie Obinwanne, a broadcaster and storyteller — all of whom shared personal reflections and stories around coexistence, hospitality, migration, identity, and living within Igbo communities.

In his welcome address, the Executive Director of the Centre For Memories, Mazi Iheanyi Igboko, highlighted the significance of the partnership with JRI, noting:

«“This partnership with the Centre for Memories is therefore significant because it brings together two institutions committed, in different but complementary ways, to confronting difficult questions through dialogue, reflection, and public engagement. At a time when mistrust, fear, disinformation, and deepening social fractures increasingly shape public life, this collaboration affirms the importance of creating spaces where memory, justice, identity, and national belonging can be discussed honestly and constructively.”»

The session brought together academics, civil society actors, traditional leaders, representatives of different ethnic communities living in the South-East, community stakeholders, and young people. Throughout the engagement, storytelling emerged as a powerful tool for healing divisions, fostering empathy, and strengthening the possibility of national understanding and civic cohesion.

One of the major highlights of the evening was the fireside conversation titled “Storytelling for Unity: Countering Polarisation and Rebuilding Civic Cohesion in Nigeria” featuring Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and moderated by Udo Jude Ilo, CEO of the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law and Board Member of the Centre For Memories.

At the Centre For Memories, while our work is dedicated to preserving and advancing the Igbo experience, we also recognise the importance of helping others understand that experience — our history, resilience, aspirations, traumas, and the realities that continue to shape public consciousness among our people.

In recognition of the role of storytelling in preserving memory and strengthening society, the traditional Igbo musical instrument, the Ubo-aka, was presented to Prof. Osinbajo as a symbolic reminder that the song of justice, identity, reconciliation, and healing must never cease.

We remain grateful to everyone who joined this important engagement and reaffirm our commitment to creating spaces where history may be encountered with honesty, depth, reflection, and care.

The Ọzọemena Exhibition remains open to the public at the Centre For Memories. If you have not yet visited, now is the time.

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

We look forward to welcoming you.

Maka Ụnyaa, Taa na Echi.

17/05/2026

CELEBRATING SIR EMMANUEL OGUEJIOFOR OKALA AT 75: LEGENDARY GOALKEEPER AND AFRICA’S FIRST NIGERIAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR

In the story of African football, there are players, and there are landmarks. Okala belongs to the second group. A goalkeeper whose presence made the belief in victory feel inevitable.

Born on 17 May 1951 in Onitsha, Anambra State, Emmanuel Okala’s journey began not in goal, but on the flanks—as a left-winger. Yet fate, and football itself, had other plans. His height, calmness, and commanding presence soon drew him into goalkeeping, where he would redefine what it meant to guard a net.

From 1966 to 1970, he guarded the goal for Onitsha Red Devils FC, laying the early foundation of what would become a legendary career. His big breakthrough came with his move to the newly formed Rangers International Football Club of Enugu, replacing Cyril Okosieme. It was not just a transfer—it was the birth of an era. Rangers, fiery, fearless, and deeply symbolic of post-war Eastern pride, became the pride of the East and the hope of a nation. And at the heart of it all stood Okala—unshakeable, unbreakable.

They called him “Iroko”, “Tallest”, and most famously, “Man Mountain”. In packed stadiums filled with hope and tension, fans turned his name into a chant of certainty: “No Okala, no Rangers. No Okala, no Green Eagles.”

Between 1974 and 1977, Rangers lifted the Nigerian Challenge Cup three consecutive times, a historic run driven by Okala’s leadership, command of the box, and remarkable reflexes. In 1977, they conquered Africa, winning the prestigious African Cup Winners’ Cup.

His excellence reached its continental peak in 1978, when he was named Nigeria’s Footballer of the Year and became the first Nigerian player to be crowned African Footballer of the Year. It was a moment that redefined Nigerian football’s place on the African stage.

The pinnacle came in 1980, when he played a commanding role in leading Nigeria to its first-ever Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) victory. For that triumph, and his long-standing excellence, Okala was awarded the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON), a national honour fitting for a man who had become a symbol of unity, excellence, and pride.

And yet, Emmanuel Okala’s greatness was never only in trophies or titles. It was in his quiet dignity. His discipline. The way he carried the national colours without noise, but with authority. He inspired generations of Nigerian youths to stand tall, even when the odds were taller.

After hanging up his gloves, he continued to serve Nigerian football as a goalkeeper coach and assistant coach for Nigeria’s national teams, mentoring the next generation of goalkeepers and passing on the discipline that defined his career. His presence, even off the pitch, remained commanding.

In 2024, when the Centre For Memories screened the documentary “Never Say Die: The Story and History of Rangers International Football Club” in a private viewing, Sir Emmanuel Okala graced the occasion. He did not just attend; he embodied everything the Rangers story stands for: courage, unity, resilience, and an unbroken refusal to surrender.

Today, we celebrate Sir Emmanuel Oguejiofor Okala—not only as a legend of the past, but as a living archive of excellence in African football.

Happy Birthday, Man Mountain. Thank you for being our wall, our certainty, our pride, our champion.

Maka Ụnyaa, Taa na Echi.

16/05/2026

Across the world, museums and heritage institutions serve a purpose far greater than collecting and displaying objects. They are places where understanding, cooperation, and even peace are quietly built among peoples.

It is from this conviction that the Centre For Memories, in partnership with the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Nigeria Nsukka, invites you to join the global commemoration of International Museum Day (IMD) 2026.

This year’s theme — NJIKỌ KA: Museums Uniting a Divided World — places an honest question before all of us: when communities grow apart and tensions rise, what role can museums play in rebuilding common ground?

Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Time: 12:00 Noon
Venue: Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, UNN

The event will bring together presentations, panel conversations, cultural performances, medical outreach, and guided tours, all anchored in one central idea: that museums are instruments of understanding.

Plan to be part of this event. We look forward to welcoming you.

Maka Unyaa, Taa na Echi.

Centre For Memories - Ncheta Ndigbo

17/06/2026

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