The 2025 Agbaja Summit continued in Enugu on Thursday with a strong call for a new model of education that equips youths with skills to take charge of their future and contribute meaningfully to society.
The two-day summit brought together prominent Agbaja leaders, including, former Governor Sullivan Chime, former Minister of Power Prof. Chinedu Nebo, Senator Osita Ngwu, Rep. Sunday Umeha, and Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uche Ugwu, Chief Lorita Aniagolu, Surveyor Ugochukwu Chime, among others.
Agbaja comprises culturally linked communities in Udi, Ezeagu, and parts of Enugu North, Enugu South and Igboetiti LGAs.
With the theme “Empowerment for the Future,” the summit emphasised shared identity, cultural revival and youth-driven advancement across the region.
Declaring the summit open, Governor Peter Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Environment, Prof. Sam Ugwu, highlighted the tourism potential of Agbaja communities and commended their sustained efforts to strengthen their collective heritage. He described the summit as “a movement in pursuit of excellence, identity and collective progress.”
Mbah reiterated his administration’s commitment to building a knowledge-driven state economy anchored on human capital, technology and innovation.
He said the government’s investments in 260 smart schools, curriculum reform and skill acceleration centres were designed to position Enugu as Nigeria’s “skills capital.”
“Knowledge has become the new currency of power. Skills have become the new economic passport,” he said, urging Agbaja youths to seize modern opportunities and build on the foundation laid by their elders.
Former Governor Sullivan Chime, who is the patron of the Agbaja Leaders of Thought, said the summit’s focus on education and empowerment aligns with the core values that have historically defined the Agbaja people.
He noted that investing in human capacity, not rivalry or sectionalism, remains the group’s contribution to the wider development of Enugu State.
“It is in our DNA to create, produce, reform and advance society,” Chime said, adding that renewed attention to education and skills development is essential for Agbaja’s long-term progress.
National Assembly members from the area, Senator Osita Ngwu (Enugu West) and Rep. Sunday Umeha (Udi/Ezeagu), both of whom addressed the gathering, praised Agbaja communities for reviving their culture and building stronger pathways for youth development.
Ngwu said the collective effort reflects the right direction for the people.
“This is what we are supposed to be doing. Reviving our culture means we are on the right path,” he said, pledging continuous support for the initiative.
He recalled that over 3,000 youths benefitted from his six-month free training programme last year and assured that his scholarship scheme for Agbaja students remains active.
Ngwu, who chairs the Senate Committee on Air Force, also urged the people to take advantage of what he described as a major milestone, the appointment of an Agbaja son as Chief of Air Staff, by encouraging more youths to enlist in the military.
Hon. Umeha lauded the summit organisers and reaffirmed his commitment to the developmental aspirations of the Agbaja bloc, which he represents in the National Assembly.
“What we are doing here today is completely within my jurisdiction as the voice of the Agbaja people,” he said.
He urged the people to harness their political and economic strengths to foster unity and progress. “If every youth in Udi and Ezeagu is given the opportunity through education and skills acquisition, he will excel,” he said, calling for an end to using academic attainment as a tool for division.
Chairman of the summit’s planning committee, Prof. Chike Anibeze, said the summit rekindled the vibrancy of the Coal City as Agbaja people celebrated their identity and reaffirmed their collective aspirations.
He recalled that the maiden summit in 2022, conceived by the Agbaja Leaders of Thought under Prof. Chinedu Nebo, delivered the 12-point Agbaja Development Blueprint covering education, healthcare, agriculture, youth empowerment and entrepreneurship.
Anibeze said the 2023 Agbaja Declaration, which ensured that no Agbaja child attends school without sandals and a bag, was among the initiatives inspired by the blueprint.
These efforts, he noted, reflect growing communal responsibility and a renewed culture of giving back.
The colloquium concluded with donations toward the proposed Agbaja Centre of Excellence, a skills acquisition hub aimed at accelerating youth talent development across the region.
Awards were also presented to distinguished sons and daughters who have contributed to Agbaja’s growth.
