Ohaneze Ndigbo to build school in Johannesburg

By Debo Oshundun and Wole Sogunle

The Ohaneze Ndigbo in South Africa plans to establish a school in South Africa to enable members' children to learn Igbo language and culture.

The President-General of the Association, Chief Smart Okeugiri, who disclosed this in his speech at the celebration of the New Yam festival in Johannesburg on Saturday, said the school would also afford South Africans married to Igbos to understand their spouses' culture.

Okeugiri said that the the foundation of the school’s building would be laid soon, adding that a cultural centre and business centre were also in the pipeline.

"The business centre shall be a focal point where the Igbos will carry out their legitimate business activities," he said.

The President-General urged all Igbos in South Africa to be united to enable them achieve their goals in the face of many challenges.

"We need to inspire a new spirit of communalism," he said, adding that he was optimistic that Ndigbo will succeed in their pursuits.

Okeugiri appealed to members to sustain the united front and promote their cultural values while abroad.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the celebration was marked with cultural dances, breaking of kolanuts and sharing of the new yam among others.