The traditional ruler of Nnewi in Anambra State, Igwe Kenneth Onyeneke Orizu III, has inaugurated a new 67-member Nnewi Royal Cabinet, as part of events marking his 101st birthday and 63 years on the throne of his forefathers.
The inauguration took place on Saturday, October 31, 2026, according to a statement issued on November 1 by the cabinet’s new Publicity Secretary, Chief Anayo Nwosu (Ọjịakọnobi Nnewi).
A new cabinet after February dissolution
The new body replaces the Igwe Nnewi Royal Cabinet led by Chief Dan Ulasi, which the monarch dissolved on February 22, 2026, to make way for what the statement describes as a more diverse and representative cabinet.
Members were drawn from the four quarters of Nnewi and include prominent indigenes from different professions and trades. The cabinet is expected to support the Igwe and the Obis of Uruagu, Umudim and Nnewichi in steering the town towards greater peace, inclusiveness and development.
Igwe’s charge to members
Before swearing in the members, the centenarian monarch spent more than 40 minutes explaining their duties. He stressed love for the town, integrity, contentment, respect for constituted authority, a progressive outlook and commitment to the public good.
The Igwe said every member was carefully chosen based on their achievements in life and their proven love for Nnewi, and he charged them to make the already renowned town even greater.
Chijioke Okoli SAN to lead
The cabinet is chaired by Chief Chijioke Okoli, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Lagos-based lawyer whose chieftaincy title is Mgborogwu Oji Nnewi.
Accepting the appointment, Okoli promised to do everything possible to exceed the Igwe’s expectations and to work in harmony with fellow cabinet members, the people of Nnewi and the town’s traditional institutions.
Executive committee
Other members of the executive committee sworn in after the inauguration are:
- 1st Vice Chairman: Chief Emeka Etiaba SAN (Nwakaibeya Nnewi)
- 2nd Vice Chairman: Chief Professor Bertrand Obi Nwosu (Mkpadiligbo Nnewi)
- Secretary: Chief Professor Joel Igbokwe (Ikemmutasinachukwu)
- Assistant Secretary: Chief Dr Christian Uzoegwu (Ojinnaka Nnewi)
- Publicity Secretary: Chief Anayo Nwosu (Ọjịakọnobi Nnewi)
- Financial Secretary: Arc. Ifeanyi Okoye
- Treasurer: Chief Ifeanyi Ekwulugo (Ọkaonyegbunaya)
- Protocol Officer: Chief Uzochukwu Anyadiegwu (Ochiagha)
- Welfare Officer: Chief Sorge Egbuna (Nsobundu Nnewi)
Cabinet members who spoke after the ceremony said they understood the challenges ahead and pledged to justify the confidence placed in them by the Igwe and Nnewi’s traditional institutions.
A long reign
Igwe Orizu ascended the throne in 1963 and is one of the longest-reigning traditional rulers in Nigeria. Nnewi, one of Anambra State’s leading commercial and industrial centres, is home to many of the country’s best-known entrepreneurs and is often described as the hub of indigenous manufacturing in the South-East.
Source: Statement by Chief Anayo Nwosu (Ọjịakọnobi Nnewi), Publicity Secretary, Nnewi Royal Cabinet, November 1, 2026.
