Abia State Governor Alex Otti has called on the Igbo to prioritise their collective interests over individual differences, saying greater unity is necessary to build a more prosperous future for the people.

Otti made the call on Tuesday in Umuahia during the Igbo Day celebration, held with the theme, “Ohanaeze: History and the Dreams of Tomorrow.”

The governor said the courage, resilience, enterprise and communal values inherited from Igbo ancestors remained important to the advancement of the people.

He acknowledged that Ndigbo could disagree on issues but said such differences should not undermine their shared aspirations.

“Unity does not mean unanimity of opinion on every issue, but a consciousness that our individual desires cannot be superior to the aspirations of the majority,” Otti stated.

He urged the people to draw from their history and communal traditions in shaping a future based on collective progress and shared responsibility.

Speaking at the event, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, John Azuta-Mbata, said Ndigbo must critically examine the future they want for themselves and their place within Nigeria.

He stressed the importance of presenting a united front to enable the Igbo to strengthen their position in Nigeria and globally.

“Our people must bind together. We must deliberately move together so that we can take our rightful place in Nigeria and the world,” the Ohanaeze president said.

Mbata joined Governor Otti in laying a wreath in remembrance of Igbo victims of the Nigerian Civil War.

He expressed regret that the 1967–1970 conflict claimed more than three million Igbo lives from different families.