Ohanaeze decries harmful eating habits, calls for return to traditional Igbo food

The apex socio-cultural Igbo organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has decried what it described as harmful eating habits among the people.

The association said the development was responsible for most modern day illnesses suffered by residents of the South-East.

The Dunukofia Local Government Area chapter of the organisation made the assertion on Friday when the chairman of the chapter, Chief Uchenna Nwoye, led other members on an empowerment exercise for women selling local food condiments associated with Igbo culture.

Nwoye said besides being cheater, food made out of local condiments are tastier, healthier and promote healthy living, unlike the junk food and other fast food people eat today.

The group which empowered 60 women – 10 each from the six communities in the local government with N20,000 each – said it is not about the size of the empowerment but the intent, which is to ensure that local food condiment sellers continue to remain in business to ensure that Igbo traditional food does not go extinct.

Chairmen of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dunukofia Chapter, Chief Uchenna Nwoye, who spoke during the empowerment, said, “This is a Women Support Programme, to provide financial assistance of N20,000 each to 10 women in each of the six towns of Dunukofia, making a total of 60 beneficiaries.

“The initiative is designed to support, encourage, and empower women who are involved in the production and sale of traditional Igbo food condiments and native delicacies. It is part of the chapter’s broader commitment to promoting and preserving Igbo culture, values, traditions, and indigenous food heritage.

“We therefore encourage our people to embrace, patronise, and preserve the quality traditional foods and condiments handed down to us by our forefathers. By supporting those who produce and sell these indigenous foods, we are not only empowering our people economically but also helping to preserve our rich cultural heritage for future generations.

“Our local foods are healthier, tastier and even cheaper. Most of the illnesses people experience today come from eating unhealthy junks, which they sometimes think is modern, without knowing that it destroys organs and make immunity weaker.

“Together, let us promote our Igbo language, culture, traditions, and indigenous food heritage. It is part of our identity and will help us a lot.”

The beneficiaries who are mostly rural women in various markets in the communities, thanked Ohanaeze Neighbor for their support, while also expressing joy at the call for people to embrace local Igbo condiments, which they said will scale up patronage for their businesses.

Most of the women who were empowered are traders and producers of local condiments like okpeyi, ogiri, ukpaka, local dried pepper and others.