Women of Obuohia Obi-Ibere community in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State have resolved to take the lead in rehabilitating their dilapidated community hall, a facility they describe as the heartbeat of their town’s social and cultural life.
Speaking during the 2025 annual August meeting of the Obuohia Obi-Ibere Development Union (ODU) Women’s Wing, held at the community primary school, the group’s National President, Mrs. Chinyere Onuigbo, challenged the women to mobilise resources towards restoring the structure, estimated to cost N20 million.
Mrs. Onuigbo who is also wife of former federal lawmaker and current South-East representative on the North East Development Commission Board, Chief Sam Onuigbo, described the hall as more than just a building. “It is a sacred space where our stories are told, leaders deliberate, youths are trained, our culture is preserved, and our unity reaffirmed. We must not allow it to waste away. This is our moment to rise together and restore it.”
She noted that the August meeting has, for generations, served as a platform for women to empower one another, address pressing social concerns, and embark on projects that transform the community. This year’s edition, themed “Community Engagement and Participation: Women in Purposeful Transformation and Advocacy,” placed a spotlight on women as drivers of sustainable change.
In a goodwill message, her husband, Sam Onuigbo, represented by his aide, Abraham Osondu, commended the women’s initiative and urged greater government investment in women, who he described as “custodians of peace and stability in communities.” He stressed that many abandoned projects across Nigeria have only been revived through the united efforts of women.
Other speakers, including the National President of ODU Men’s Wing, Chiedozie Atuma, and the Women’s Wing National Coordinator, Mrs. Gloria Nwabuike, praised the resilience of Obuohia women. Nwabuike highlighted how women-led interventions had curbed school dropouts, reduced maternal health challenges, and tackled drug abuse among youths through collaborative programmes with agencies such as the NDLEA and Ministry of Health.
The gathering also acknowledged the support of First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, through the Renewed Hope Initiative, and Abia First Lady, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, for mobilising women across the state for development causes.
