Did you know that Igbo land has the highest amount of natural gas deposits in West Africa?

Well, yes. Imo state boasts 200 trillion cubic feet of natural Gas. The five core Eastern states, including other Igbo areas in the South-South all boast of having crude oil in various quantities – some large, others small.

And it is indeed something to be proud of, in a country where we are called a small hole in a dot, and made to believe that we have no natural resources that we bring to the table or bargaining power.

In this article, we will be looking at the availability of natural gas in Igbo land, in tremendous quantity. Also, we will bring to light other natural resources we have as Ndi Igbo, especially crude oil, as a means of enlightening our people on how blessed our land is.

A History Of Oil And Gas Exploration In Igbo Land

The majority of our people don’t know this, but Oil was first discovered in 1928 at Ngusu (Nguzu), in Edda, present-day Ebonyi State – Igbo land.

Around this period crude oil was also discovered in Agwu, In present-day Enugwu State, and Anam in present-day Anambra State, according to colonial records.

Crude oil was then discovered in 1937 in Iho Dimeze, in Ikeduru Local Government area of the present-day Imo state, by Shell Petroleum, then known as Shell D'Arcy. Oil was also found around that time in Egbema, Oguta, and Ohaji in present-day Imo state.

For this, the oil company established its operational base in Owerri, known as Shell Camp Owerri. But Shell later abandoned the oil well in Iho Dimeze and left for Oloibiri in Rivers state where it claimed to have found oil in large commercial quantities in 1957. This gave rise to the false narrative of Oloibiri being the first oil discovery in Nigeria. Today, Nigerians are pitted against each other in an argument over this distorted history.

However, before Oloibiri in Rivers State, another crude oil deposit was discovered in 1956 in Ezi Edda, in Edda, present-day Ebonyi State by Shell BPC.

Between 1952 and 1986 three companies namely; Shell BP (now SPDC), ELF (now Total Fina Elf), and AGIP Energy, drilled 25 exploration wells, 2 appraisal wells, and eight-core drill wells under the entire Anambra Basin which is between Odeke and Aguleri communities of Kogi and Anambra.

While exploration for crude was going on in Igbo land, a lot of oil wells that were drilled, especially in the current Imo state axis, had high contents of gas deposit and of course, the emphasis at that time was not on gas but on crude, so such oil wells were capped and abandoned.

Crude Oil Presence In Igbo Land Today

Today, Abia state has over 100 crude oil wells in the state. Abia which is also the fourth largest oil-producing state in Nigeria also has 3 installed flow stations and a gas plant associated with NNPC. It was gathered that the state produces about 36,000 barrels per day with 23,000 coming from Imoturu and the rest from other crude oil wells.

Imo state has about 163 crude oil wells. They are in Oguta, Egbema, Orlu East, Orlu West, Iho, Obowo, and Ngorkpoala.

Anambra State has oil wells in Nzam, Alo, Ogbu, Ameshi, and Enyie.

Enugwu despite not having any oil well is known for her large deposit of coal. The coal in Enugwu state can generate constant electricity for about 5 countries in Africa. The state also has a large deposit of natural gas.

Ebonyi state has deposits of mineral resources like Lead, crude oil, and natural gas.

The Gas Deposit In Igbo Land

According to recent reports from the global oil and gas industry, Imo state holds over 200 trillion cubic feet of gas deposits and is currently the highest producer of Gas in Nigeria and also in West Africa.

Continue reading all about the Gas Deposits in Igbo land on our website: Gas Deposits In Igbo Land

Since the Biafran War of survival, Ndi ÌGBÒ has been hit with a barrage of lies concerning the access of ÌGBÒ land to the ocean. In a condescending but rather popular phrase, our detractor says: “The South East Is Landlock.” 

But is ÌGBÒland landlocked like this generation has been made to believe and sometimes profess? The answer is NO. And in this article, we will sufficiently restate all the lies and propaganda.

What Is A Landlocked Country/Region?

To start with, we must first define what a landlocked country is. 

A country is considered landlocked when one or more countries surround it and therefore has no immediate coastline providing access to the oceans. This simply put, means that a landlocked country is a country without access to sea/ocean; a country that is inside another country or countries.

That been established, I will go ahead to mention and discuss the major ancient ÌGBÒ regions and peoples, showcasing the reach of the ÌGBÒ race, irrespective of the new tyrannical geographic displacement of ÌGBÒ lands, by the Nigerian government. This will help us grasp the vastness of the ÌGBÒ landscape, without viewing ani ÌGBÒ in the light of the recently created 5 South-Eastern states.

The ÌGBÒ People And The Areas They Dominate:

Ndi ÌGBÒ can be divided into five geographically based subcultures. We have the northern ÌGBÒ, southern ÌGBÒ, western ÌGBÒ, eastern ÌGBÒ, and northeastern ÌGBÒ. Each of these five can be further divided into subgroups based on specific locations and names. The northern or Onitsha ÌGBÒ are divided into the Nri-Awka of Onitsha and Awka; the Enugu of Nsukka, Udì, Awgu, and Okigwe; and those of the Onitsha town.

The southern or Owerri Igbo are divided into the Isu-Ama of Okigwe, Orlu, and Owerri; the Oratta-Ikwerri of Owerri and Ahoada; the Ohuhu-Ngwa of Aba and Bende; and the Isu-Item of Bende and Okigwe. The western Igbo (Ndi Anioma, as they like to call themselves) are divided into the northern Ika of Ogwashi Ukwu and Agbor; the southern Ika or Kwale of Kwale; and the Riverain of Ogwashi Uku, Onitsha, Owerri, and Ahoada. The eastern or Cross River ÌGBÒ are divided into the Ada (or Edda) of Afikpo, the Abam-Ohaffia of Bende and Okigwe, and the Aro of Aro. The northeastern ÌGBÒ includes the Ogu Uku of Abakaliki and Afikpo.

It’s important to note that Ndi ÌGBÒ are located on both sides of the River Niger and occupies most of Old-Eastern Nigeria. Ani ÌGBÒ measures over 41,000 square kilometers and includes the old provinces of Onicha, Owerri, East Rivers, Southeast Benin, Western Ogoja, and Northeast Warri.

Now that we have enunciated the far reaches of ani ÌGBÒ, let us get into geography to further provide proof that ani ÌGBÒ is not landlocked.

Continue reading the article on our website HERE, to see all the pieces of evidence that prove that Igbo land is not landlocked.

The term DIBỊA is one that is often met with so much mistrust, negativity, and evil connotations. This is the case for the majority of Ndi Ìgbò (especially Christians) who have been miseducated by the foreign religion and curriculums, to see everything about the Ìgbò DIBỊA to be evil, demonic, and dark.

When one says he/she needs to consult a DIBỊA, automatically that person is a diabolic person and should be avoided. But in reality, that is not the case. This generalization by our people has also been amplified by Nollywood through the negative ways in which they represent/portray the Ìgbò DIBỊA and Ìgbò spirituality.

In this article, we are going to educate you on who truly the Ìgbò DIBỊA is, and what his/her function is in the overall spirituality and health of Ndi Igbo.

Who Is A DIBỊA?

A DIBỊA in Igbo culture is a man or a woman with vast knowledge of nature and spirituality. In some cases, they are called the wise ones, great ones, the eyes of the gods, or doctors which is the literal meaning of the word DIBỊA in the Igbo language, (native doctors). In this knowledge, they are mostly, people who are divinely chosen to be DIBỊA, and sometimes it can be learned by being around or serving as apprentices to a well rich in knowledge DIBỊA.

There are several branches of being a DIBỊA, hence being a DIBỊA is a vast knowledge, and I mean as vast as when you say in English that someone is a doctor. For example, in the western world a doctor is defined as follows:

• A teacher or a learned man.
• A person who holds a doctorate.
• A physician or surgeon.
• A person licensed to practice any of the healing arts, as an osteopath, dentist, veterinarian, etc.

And the word doctor originated from an old Latin word "doctore" which means a teacher, and in English as a doctor, teacher, or learned man. In the Igbo setting, DIBỊA is a vast field of knowledge that includes:

(1) DIBỊA MGBỌRỌGWỤ NA MKPAFIFIA/AKWỤKWỌ

A Dibia which we call herbalist in the English language. These are people that specialize in discovering and treating sicknesses using roots, herbs, and natural materials. Their goal is to save lives.

(2) EZEMMỤỌ, (CHIEF PRIEST OF AN ORACLE)

They are also referred to as the mouthpiece or eyes of the gods. These are a set of people which we also refer to as DIBỊA. They serve as mediators between the people and the oracles. They offer sacrifices to the gods and the Oracle, and alert the leadership of the people when things are going bad in the society, eg: when an abominable act is perpetrated either in the secret or openly.

(3) DIBỊA OWUMMIRI

They are the mediator between the water goddesses and man. These are special sections of DIBỊAs whose works comprise reaching out to the river goddesses and gods, and helping people with issues relating to water spirits like ọgbanje and in ụwa problems. They can offer sacrifices and mediate between the person involved and the spirits in other to bring solutions.

(4) DIBỊA MGBA AFA

Which in English language can be referred to as diviners, soothsayers, fortune tellers, shamans, all kinds of seers, etc. They are specialists in every spiritual inquiry. When you approach them with your problems, what they do is consult the spirit of the ancestors which will reveal to them, the cause of the problem and what can be done for a permanent solution. Sometimes, they have limited powers in solving a particular problem, so they might direct you to a higher power or can also go in your name, and in the end, the goal is to get the solution.

(5) DIBỊA NHA MMIRI

They are rainmakers in English term. Rain doctors are the people that possess the power to control rain and wind. They can cause the wind to blow, make it rain, and can also stop the rain. They possess the natural/spiritual /scientific knowledge of doing this. They have the power to cause the wind to blow, shift rainfall from one direction to another or stop it from falling at a particular location at a particular time, (ịchụ mmiri) and some can only make rain fall, but cannot control or stop rain from falling (Ịha mmiri). There are ones that have the power to carry out both (NDỊ NA ACHỤ MA NA AHAKWA MMIRI).

I mentioned earlier that there are people who are divinely chosen by the spirit to serve them in each field, and one can also acquire this knowledge by staying close to a DIBỊA or serving as an apprentice to a DIBỊA.

Though one person, sometimes can be divinely blessed with all this knowledge in totality, I want us to have this understanding that there are differences between them. There are some DIBỊA that can only give medicines and heal sicknesses but cannot predict anything, and such people are called for that purpose only. There are some that specialize in predictions, fortune-telling, or any kind of igba afa, but they cannot heal sickness.

In rainmaking/doctoring, I know some rain doctors that can only bring rain down but cannot stop or control the rain. And there are some that have the power to control both. In the Igbo setting, all these people are recognized in their various fields.

This teaching becomes very important not for ordinary people, but for those who are serving humanity as DIBỊAS today, in our society. Few bad eggs have destroyed the legacies of our ancestors in this field. People must understand that being a DIBỊA is never a license to kill or to perpetrate all kinds of atrocities, thereby causing pain and sorrow to people. Rather, being a DIBỊA is a call to serve and save a life, to heal, teach, and uplift the people among others with every positivity.

Yes, I understand anyone that possesses the knowledge of what saves, must have the idea of what kills and how to defend one's self from evil adversaries. This is about having the knowledge of negative and positive. About balance. But the right thing is that you must be positive, hence life is involved. I urge Dibịas to guard their natural gifts securely and very well while observing their nsọ agwụ as people come close to them to tap, exploit, and harness their power and spiritual abilities.

They told you all the negative sides of the African healing process and the DIBỊA, but you never asked them about the positive sides? Do you believe that DIBỊAs or native doctors are bad due to some bad eggs among them, that are often negative in their practice, the ones who have had their AGWỤ corrupted? But you have not asked yourself who is responsible for the creation of some deadly diseases like Ebola, SARS, Lassa fever, HIV and Aids, Covid-19, etc?

African spirituality is never an evil practice the way western religion, western education, Western media, and some bad eggs amongst us have made it look. It is all about being positive and always maintaining positive vibrations.
Before western psychiatric treatment came to Africa, Africans have been treating psychiatric-related cases including the madness of all sorts.

Before western ways of health care service and delivery came to Africa, Africans have been enjoying good health, good medications through natural products, and spirituality.

Every poison has its antidote, every sickness has its cure in African ways of healing, and every problem has a remedy.

Credit: To all genuine Dibịas.