The World Igbo Congress (WIC) has announced that its 2025 convention, scheduled for August 29 at the Marriott Hotel in Boston, USA, will centre on studying the economic and development models pioneered by the late Dr. Michael Okpara, former Premier of Nigeria’s Eastern Region.

Dr. Okpara, who led the Eastern Region from 1959 to 1966, is widely remembered for his development-focused leadership, stressing agricultural modernisation, industrialisation, cooperative development, and self-reliance. Under his administration, the Eastern Region became one of the fastest-growing economies in sub-Saharan Africa, with thriving farms, industries, and infrastructure—progress largely disrupted by the Nigerian Civil War.

Vice President of WIC, Hon. Basil Onwukwe, highlighted the group’s mission, stating that WIC, founded in 1994, serves as an umbrella organisation representing Igbo interests in the diaspora, advocating for cultural preservation and fostering development partnerships between Igbo communities abroad and at home.

Onwukwe described this year’s convention as “a policy dialogue and grassroots initiative with Igbo people across the world, including leaders, youths, friends, other Africans, Nigerians, Caribbeans, and African-Americans.”
He added, “It is also an excellent opportunity to network and celebrate our shared cultural heritage. But the economic reengineering of southeast Nigeria from the diaspora, in line with Dr. Michael Okpara’s vision, will dominate discussions at this month’s WIC convention.”

The WIC Vice President stressed the need to leverage the convention to overcome economic and political barriers facing the Igbo people.

“WIC has been instrumental in shaping the narrative of Igbo identity on the global stage and wants to use this year’s convention to capitalise Igbo Credit Union Bank with the aim to revisit Dr. M.I. Okpara’s developmental model that focused on how the southeastern region became the world’s fastest-growing economy in the 60s,” he said.

Onwukwe added that WIC Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. Festus Okere, alongside himself and other members, are rallying participation to ensure the convention maximises the harvesting of Igbo talents worldwide for the socioeconomic transformation of the homeland, with particular attention to financial empowerment and political influence.