Igbo Clerics Declare January Global Day of Thanksgiving

Igbo Archbishops and Bishops, in collaboration with Ohanaeze Ndigbo, have declared the last Saturday of January each year as the Igbo World Day of Adoration and Thanksgiving, with the maiden observance scheduled for January 31, 2026.

The declaration is contained in a statement issued by representatives of Igbo archbishops and bishops under the platform Igbo Archbishops and Bishops in Alaigbo for Peace and Justice.

According to the church leaders, the decision followed periods of prayer, consultation and deep spiritual reflection on the historical experiences of the Igbo people, particularly the impact and aftermath of the Nigerian civil war between 1967 and 1970.

The statement noted that the survival of the Igbo during and after the war despite widespread destruction and years of post-war marginalisation remains a significant milestone that has not been adequately acknowledged through a collective act of thanksgiving to God.

They explained that the annual observance is intended to unite Ndigbo at home and in the diaspora in gratitude to God for preservation, protection and continuity over the 56 years since the end of the civil war.

Under the arrangement, Christian denominations across Igboland and Igbo communities worldwide are expected to hold special services of adoration and thanksgiving in their places of worship between 9 a.m. and 12 noon. The services will be conducted in the Igbo language.

The clerics expressed confidence that a unified act of thanksgiving would attract renewed divine favour, peace and progress for the Igbo nation.

The proclamation was jointly endorsed by several prominent clerics, including the Archbishop of the Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Dr. David Onuoha; the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji; the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke; and the Anglican Archbishop of Enugu, Most Rev. Sosthenes Eze.

Others are the Methodist Archbishop of Umuahia, Most Rev. Dr. Chibuzo Raphael Opoko; the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Enugu Synod, Most Rev. Prof. Eziichi Anya Ituma; and the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South-East Zone, Very Rev. Dr. Abraham Nwali.