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A University lecturer, Prof. Chukwuma Opata, has decried Africa’s failure to retain its history which cannot be passed onto the present generation and the generation yet unborn.
Opata stated this during the memorial lecture in honor of the Late Prof. Catherine Acholonu at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
The memorial lecture was organized by the Catherine Acholonu Centre for African Cultural Sciences and the Department of Tourism Studies of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
He regretted that the failure of Africa to tell the story had made the Western world not only claim civilization but also regard Africans as people without history.
According to him, human civilization commenced in Africa before moving to Europe and other parts of the world.
While urging the Africans to tell their own story, Opata disclosed that the civilization started in Igboland, adding that there are facts to prove it.
Opata, who was also a guest speaker, described Acholonu as an advocate for Nigerian identity, who ensured that Nigeria’s contributions to civilization were not only remembered but also celebrated.
According to him, the late academic worked diligently to ensure that artifacts like the Ikom Monoliths were included in the World Monuments Fund in its 2008 Watch List of 100 most endangered sites for cultural preservation.
“Her life’s work, which included blended scholarship with activism, was dedicated to the preservation, repatriation, and global recognition of Nigerian artifacts and cultural legacies.
“One of Acholonu’s most notable initiatives was her tireless advocacy for the repatriation of Nigerian artifacts that had been taken to other countries during the colonial period and now reside in private collections and museums worldwide”, Opata noted.
Earlier, the Acting Head, the Department of Tourism Studies, Dr Chidinma Oguamanam, highlighted the significant contributions of Professor Acholonu to the understanding of the Igbo people and their cultural heritage.
Oguamanam pointed out that Acholonu was a visionary scholar whose research challenged traditional narratives and provided new insights into Igbo history.
According to her, Acholonu’s legacy will continue to inspire future generations of scholars and researchers, especially on the complex history of the Igbo people.
Also, the daughter of the late Professor, Barr. Ifunanya Acholonu said the perception of Black Africa by Western scholarship as dark, dormant, and without history or civilization had always rankled her mother, who was fascinated by the Black African identity.
She maintained that though her mother was not a historian but a scholar of literature, African literary studies, and linguistics, she felt the pressure to engage in her research and discover for herself the true story of Africa to find out whether or not Africa played a role in the history of mankind and civilization.
“She discovered that prehistoric Igbos influenced world civilization and gave humanity writings, language, belief systems, knowledge, culture, and wisdom.
“More so, when other Nigerian and foreign scholars had not suspected that the symbols on the monoliths were a form of writing, Prof Acholonu was the first to make that discovery.
“After 11 years of research, she stumbled on what she called a library of ancient stone inscriptions, consisting of Monoliths called Ikom Monoliths, numbering about 350 in Ikom’s neighboring villages.”
Ms Ifunanya said her mother noticed the enigmatic writings on them, consisting of geometric and astrological symbols which were also found on Igbo Ukwu artifacts.
“Her findings were covered in four books tagged the African Renaissance Series, through which she called for a reconstruction of the truth of the pre-history of Black African Indigenous Peoples.
Similarly, Dr. Ajay Prabhakah, author and researcher, stated that Igbo Ukwu and Ikom Monolith Projects reveal Nigeria’s rich scientific heritage, highlighting the Igbo’s early contributions to metallurgy, mathematics, and writing systems.
Professor Catherine Acholonu’s advocacy was vital in preserving these artifacts, emphasizing their significance to global culture and identity.
The Ikom Monoliths, with intricate carvings, underscore Nigeria’s role in early scientific thought.
The project utilized early ArtificiaI Intelligence(AI) techniques to analyze these carvings, revealing connections between Nigerian and Indian civilizations and demonstrating Africa’s profound contributions to global knowledge and culture.
According to Emeritus Professor of Physics, Alexander Anumalu, recent initiatives at UNN’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, in collaboration with the Catherine Acholonu Research Centre (CARC), aim to shift focus from the conflict between African and European worldviews to semiology, promoting cultural understanding for sustainable development through scientific principles.
While commending Late Prof. Catherine Acholonu’s research regarding Igbo origins, he stressed that their collaborative work was published in the African Journal of Physics, Volumes 2,3,4.
Prof. Anumalu’s presentation highlighted geometric representations in Igbo art, illustrating the relationship between language, culture, and worldview transitions within the context of African heritage.
Kaizer Acholonu, who represented the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Press Council, Dr. Dili Ezughah, stated that “Late Professor Catherine Acholonu’s groundbreaking research illuminated the significant contributions of Black Africans to the earliest world civilizations.
“Her work, rooted in deep research, challenged conventional narratives, showcasing Africa’s profound role in shaping human history.”
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