Prime Business Africa
By Uche Nworah, PhD
Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, has grown noticeably quieter as many Ndigbo return home for the Easter holidays.
Flight fares have surged once more, with one-way tickets now exceeding ₦200,000. Interestingly, Easter is beginning to mirror Christmas in scale and excitement—largely due to the improved security situation in the Southeast. Credit goes to the Southeast Governors and security agencies for this progress. Whatever strategies they have implemented are clearly working, and one can only hope they are sustained.
There have also been visible improvements in infrastructure, particularly road networks. Travel has become easier, and movement within communities across Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Abia states is now more comfortable. While it’s unrealistic to expect all bad roads to be fixed at once, the ongoing construction efforts are evident and encouraging.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelNdigbo are known for their migratory lifestyle, yet they maintain a deep-rooted culture of returning home. Much like the Christmas season, Easter—along with other festive periods such as the annual New Yam Festival in August—serves as a time for significant cultural and social activities in the Southeast. These include burial ceremonies, traditional and church weddings, community development initiatives, age-grade gatherings, and the conferment of chieftaincy and Ozo titles.
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More importantly, these homecoming moments provide an opportunity for spiritual renewal. Families come together to give thanks to Chukwu Okike for His blessings and to pray for continued prosperity, good health, and growth. Umunna and Umuada meetings are held, ‘ewu Umunna’ is shared, and communal bonds are strengthened through various traditional activities.
Wherever you choose to spend your Easter, may it be a joyful one. For those traveling, wishing you safe journeys both to and from your destinations.
Uche Nworah, Ph.D
(Ezeudo Enugwu-Ukwu na Umunri)
