President Bola Tinubu has extended warm felicitations to the Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, popularly known as Agbogidi, as the revered monarch marks a remarkable milestone of 85 years, praising his enduring contributions to national unity, traditional leadership, and the development of Nigeria.

Born on May 14, 1941, in Onitsha, Igwe Achebe is the 21st Obi of Onitsha and ascended his ancestral throne on May 14, 2002 a date that also happened to be his birthday continuing a royal tradition spanning over five centuries. He is a direct descendant of Ezechima, the founding monarch of Onitsha Ado N’Idu. His milestone this year has drawn an outpouring of tributes from the highest levels of Nigerian public life, with Tinubu’s congratulatory message joining a chorus of voices honouring one of the country’s most widely respected traditional rulers.

The Obi’s life has been as distinguished in the corporate world as it has been in the royal institution. After completing his primary and secondary education in Nigeria, he studied Chemistry at Stanford University in California in 1963 and later earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Columbia University in New York. He returned to Nigeria in 1972 to begin a career at Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, rising to become General Manager for the Eastern Division before retiring in 1996 and subsequently serving as an ambassador-at-large for Shell International in London. During that role, he addressed parliamentary committees in the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and several other countries.

His 85th birthday was marked with an extended season of celebrations involving dignitaries from across the national spectrum. A state reception hosted by Abia State Governor Alex Otti at the Michael Okpara Auditorium in Umuahia in May drew tributes from political leaders, traditional rulers, clergy, and business figures who gathered to honour a man they described as a selfless statesman, a gentleman and a symbol of wisdom.

A second major celebration held on June 19 in Lagos at The Delborough Hotel, Victoria Island a hotel whose board Igwe Achebe chairs brought together former President Olusegun Obasanjo, NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi, and Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, among others. Obasanjo described the monarch as a man of peace whose name is spoken with reverence by traditional rulers across every region of the country. Peter Obi, who noted he had to leave another engagement to attend, recalled working closely with the Obi during his tenure as Anambra governor, saying their honest counsel had strengthened his administration.

Beyond traditional leadership, the Obi of Onitsha serves as Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and was decorated with the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic by the Federal Government in 2004. He also established a manpower development trust fund for Onitsha and launched the Oreze Art Exhibition Series in 2013 to promote African art. As Tinubu’s message underscored, at 85, Igwe Achebe remains an institution unto himself a bridge-builder, an elder statesman, and a guardian of culture whose influence continues to transcend the boundaries of his ancient kingdom.