*Food Security Challenges in Igboland*

The current  animals proteins, cereals, beans, rice etc general food consumption security as faced by our Igbo communities is at break point. A quick food audit will shows that the Igbos largely consume agricultural produce of other regions. Consequently Agricultural Production Challenge in Igboland cannot be said to be at optimum present. 

1) Presently the Igboland consumption of cows is conservatively in the order of possibly thousands of cows  daily. When this is evaluated using such conservative of 1000 cows daily, annually it translates to hundreds of billions naira cash transfers out of Igboland to other regions of the country. For how long should this be allowed to remain in this way is the challenge asking for immediate answers. 

 2) This order of consumption hold true for sheep, goats, beans, rice etc. This further raise the questions how secured food wise are the Igbos. The answer to this question is part of our existential question that demands immediate answer.

3) These could not have been problems where the Igbo rural dwellers and civil servants have marching individual produce that underwriter this scale of economic transfers off our region. 

Therefore, I suspect that this is part of the source of current unrest in our communities. Certainly the situation cannot be allowed to continue without great damage to economic development and wellbeing of our people. These we must confront and should not be allowed to continue beyond this decade.

The Akuluouno ~ Think Home in four sessions of Agriculture Committee Report review sections, each lasting more than four hours we reviewed these problems and challenges. The implementation action plan is being drawn and plead for commitment of every Igbos. It’s communication and implementation becomes the challenge of every Igbo citizens.

The Akuluouno ~ Think Home is a nonprofit Igbo private spirited Igbo Organization. It comprising of diverse Igbo professionals, businesspeople from different political persuasions. Their approach to Igbo existential challenges includes the use of various economic tools to reset our human development activities in Igboland, particularly in agricultural production,  ethical and values reorientation.

Question ~ How do you intend to reach out to igbo's in Diaspora to be a part of the group

Answer

We have set up 18 Committees to enable us tackle our ambitious and audacious VISION of AKULUOUNO ~THINK HOME, the Igbo Philosophy, the concept of bring back your wealth to Igboland.

One of the Committees is Diaspora Committee. Its Chairman is Dr. Vincent Ikwuagwu, an indigene of Abia State, but resident in United States of America. The Secretary of the Diaspora Committee is Dr. Udochukwu Ogbonna, FCA, FCTI, Ph.D. He is the Immediate Past Executive Chairman, Abia State Internal Revenue Service, Umuahia, Abia State. He is currently a Senior Lecturer, Rhema University, Aba, Abia State.

The Chairman of the Diaspora Committee, Dr. Vincent Ikwuagwu has resided in the United States of America for almost 40 years. He is however in Nigeria at least 30 - 60 days almost every year. His doctorate degree is in Leadership and Innovation. He worked for the State Department for 25 years as Senior Public Utilities Regulator, worked in the CPA firm as Staff Accountant, worked with Gulf Oil as Inventory Control Analyst and Cost Accountant, has been a Professor of Accounting at Delaware State University since 2004. He retired from State Government in 2014 and has been in private enterprise running a School and a Transportation company. He is also a Certified Internal Control Auditor, CICA.

This current dialogue by asking all Igbos to invest massively in Igboland as means of restoring the dignity of NDIGBO and to create Igbo nation with all imaginable infrastructures is being undertaken with the Igbos in the Diaspora. It will force all the other zones come to Igboland to patronize advanced technology and amenities. We are reconnecting the Diaspora to Homeland ~ South East Nigeria (ALA IGBO).

Eminent Igbos in the Diaspora have enthusiastically keyed into this Vision. They include the following major stakeholders:

1. Mazi KANU K. Chiana, our Chairman, Investment Committee. He is an indigene of Uzuakoli, Abia State, but resident in South Africa. He is the Managing Director/CEO, Afriibo Investments (pty) South Africa. He is a Trustee of Akuluouno ~ Think Home Forum.

2. Mazi MADUKWE Obinna, our Chairman, Environment Committee. He is an indigene of Uzuakoli, Abia State, but based in United Kingdom. He is a Trustee of Akuluouno ~ Think Home Forum. A former staff of PricewaterhouseCoopers, the foremost firm of Chartered Accountants in the world.

3. Barrister (Dr.) Jude AKUBUILO is a former Hon. Commissioner in Enugu State between 2011 - 2015. He is a Legal Practitioner and based in United States of America. He is a Trustee of Akuluouno ~ Think Home Forum and a member of its Legal Committee.

4. Barrister Augustine OKEKE, a Legal Practitioner based in South Africa, is an indigene of Enugu State. He is a Trustee of Akuluouno ~ Think Home Forum and a member of the Legal Committee.

5. Mazi Iyke Onyewuchi OKPOLU is a Trustee of Akuluouno ~ Think Home Forum and its Chairman of Ethics & Value Orientation Committee. He is an indigene of Imo State but based in the United States of America.

6. Engr. Sharp UGWUOCHA is the Chairman of Manufacturing / Technology Transfer Committee of Akuluouno ~ Think Home Forum. He doubles as the Mentor of the Engineering Mentorship Platform Training, an Initiative of Akuluouno Forum, to train young engineers in their 20s in modern engineering techniques, online and pro bono (free of charge). It’s a 12-month programme and the first batch commenced in July 2020 with over 70 Engineers. 

Engr. Ugwuocha is an indigene of Ebonyi State but based in United Kingdom.

7. Dr. Nnamdi OKEKE is the Chairman of Healthcare / Healthcare Insurance Committee. He is an indigene of Anambra State but based in the United States of America since 1975 or so. He is very passionate about Akuluouno ~ Think Home Foru

8. Elder Emmanuel EMECHETA is the Chairman of Transportation Committee. He is an indigene of Imo State, but resident in United States of America, where he is enjoying his retirement. He was a staff of Price Waterhouse, now PwC, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the foremost firm of Chartered Accountants in the world. He is retired but certainly not tired. He is very energetic and passionate about Akuluouno Forum.

9. Dr. Innocent UKABAM is the Deputy Chairman of Agriculture Committee of Akuluouno ~ Think Home Forum. He is based in United States of America. He is a Co-Chairman of the World Igbo Congress (WIC) Economic Committee.

10. Engr. Kingsley Igwe was the Chairman of ICT (Information & Computer Technology) Committee of Akuluouno ~ Think Home Forum. He is based in the United States of America

Madukwe Obii 

Implementation Advisory Committee