Igbo Archbishops and Bishops, in collaboration with Ohanaeze Ndigbo, have declared the last Saturday of January each year as the Igbo World Day of Adoration and Thanksgiving, with the first observance scheduled for January 31, 2026.
This is contained in a statement issued on December 22, 2025, by representatives of Igbo archbishops and bishops operating under the platform Igbo Archbishops and Bishops in Alaigbo for Peace and Justice.
The church leaders said the decision followed prayers, consultations and spiritual reflection on the historical experiences of the Igbo people, particularly the impact and aftermath of the Nigerian civil war of 1967 to 1970.
According to the statement, the survival of the Igbo during and after the war, despite widespread destruction and post-war marginalisation, remains a critical milestone that has not been sufficiently acknowledged through a collective act of thanksgiving to God.
They explained that the annual observance is aimed at uniting Ndigbo in Nigeria and across the diaspora in gratitude to God for preservation, protection and continuity over the 56 years since the end of the civil war.
Under the arrangement, Christian denominations across Igboland and Igbo communities worldwide were expected to hold special services of adoration and thanksgiving in their places of worship between 9 a.m. and 12 noon, with the services conducted in the Igbo language.
The church leaders expressed confidence that a unified act of thanksgiving would attract renewed divine favour, peace and progress for the Igbo nation.
The proclamation was jointly endorsed by leading clerics, including the Anglican Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Dr. David Onuora; the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji; the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke and the Anglican Archbishop of Enugu, Most Rev. Sosthenes Eze.
Others are the Methodist Archbishop of Umuahia, Most Rev. Dr. Chibuzo Raphael Opoko; the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Enugu Synod, Most Rev. Prof. Eziichi Anya Ituma; and the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South-east Zone, Very Rev. Dr. Abraham Nwali.