…As he celebrates 60th birthday
BY SAM OTUONYE
The United Igbo Elders Council (UNIEC) Worldwide has announced that it will, on Sunday, 22nd February 2026, induct and invest Chief Dr. Barr. Engr. Obioma Success Akagburuonye (JP) in a landmark ceremony scheduled to coincide with his 60th Diamond Birthday Celebrations.
According to a statement signed by Director-General, UNIEC Worldwide, Justice Alpha Ikpeaama, the historic event, to be held in Nigeria with national and international attendance, represents a triple-recognition honour in acknowledgment of Chief Akagburuonye’s enduring contributions to Igboland, Nigeria, and humanity at large.
The diaspora organization would induct Chief Akagburuonye as Member, Board of Trustees (BoT) / National Life Patron of the United Igbo Elders Council (UNIEC) Worldwide and Chairman, Board of Directors of Igbo Think-Home Investment and Development Limited, the institutional custodian of the Igbo Think-Home Investment and Development Philosophy.
The programme will feature formal decoration rites and the presentation of the UNIEC Worldwide Certificate of Honour, alongside goodwill messages from elder-statesmen, traditional rulers, captains of industry, religious leaders, and members of the Igbo Diaspora.
According to UNIEC Worldwide, the induction and investiture recognise Chief Akagburuonye’s exceptional record of enterprise, philanthropy, leadership, and advocacy for home-grown development, particularly his consistent promotion of the Igbo Think-Home Investment and Development Philosophy through large-scale, impact-driven investments located within Igboland.
The United Igbo Elders Council (UNIEC) Worldwide, operating in strategic affiliation with the United Igbo Patrons and Elders Congress (UNIPEC) Worldwide, is a socio-cultural umbrella body comprising elder-statesmen, major stakeholders, opinion leaders, and thought leaders of Igbo extraction across Nigeria and the Diaspora.
The organization is dedicated to the restoration of Igbo identity, language, values, traditions, and cultural heritage, as well as the regeneration and institutionalisation of the Igbo Think-Home Investment and Development Philosophy as a pathway to sustainable regional prosperity.
The Council’s growing national and international profile reflects the visionary leadership of its Pioneer President-General, His Lordship, Hon. Justice Anthony I. Iguh, CON, Emeritus Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The Honouree, according to UNIEC was born on 22nd February 1966 in Umuoshike, Ogbor Uvuru, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, Chief Akagburuonye rose from humble beginnings to national prominence through resilience, faith, and disciplined self-improvement.
A legal practitioner and entrepreneur, he holds LLB and LLM degrees from Kogi State University, was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2012, and is the founder of O.S. Akagburuonye & Co. (Akara Ugo Chambers), Abuja.
His diversified business interests span civil engineering, real estate, hospitality, security, manufacturing, finance, and water production, with flagship enterprises including Praco International Company, Peace Be Still Hotels, AKARAUGO Microfinance Bank, and AQUA Refresh Table Water, many of which are strategically located in his home community of Ogbor Uvuru.
Chief Akagburuonye has served in numerous leadership roles across civic, professional, religious, and political platforms. He is also widely recognised for his philanthropic interventions in youth empowerment, healthcare, infrastructure development, and security enhancement through initiatives such as Hope Rising for Imolites.
Among his most notable legacies is the construction and donation of Africa’s first Noah’s Ark Church, valued at over ₦2 billion, to the Assemblies of God Nigeria, alongside multiple church, educational, and community development projects.
His landmark legal victory in Obioma v. Nigeria (2005) at the Court of Appeal contributed significantly to prison decongestion and justice reform in Nigeria.
Despite active engagement in politics, including his withdrawal from the 2019 ADP governorship race, Chief Akagburuonye remains widely respected for integrity, having been cleared by the EFCC, ICPC, and SSS after comprehensive investigations.
UNIEC Worldwide describes Chief Dr. Barr. Engr. Obioma Success Akagburuonye (JP) as “a quintessential model of faith-driven leadership, enterprise, and community-rooted development”, whose life exemplifies the values the Council seeks to promote among present and future generations.