Mbaise

Mbaise people are revered for their intelligence and humane consideration of other people. They are also loved for being one the most beautiful branch of the Igbo. Set in the heart of Igboland, it is gradually developing into towns and cities. It is the home of the best paint Industries in the country. Mbaise currently has a population of about 2.5 million. It is from this area along with the Owerri-Olu-Okigwe-Umuahia heartland that the Igbo evolved and spread to other parts of their present-day land. According to the Mbaise elder Ichie Onuoha Duru, "We did not come from anywhere and anyone who tells you we came from anywhere is a liar. Write it down." [See Elizabeth Isichei's Igbo Worlds.]

These people are craftsmen and idealists full of ingenuity. Within a short interval during the Ahiara Expedition 1905-1906, their blacksmiths manufactured enough guns and firearms and devised a strategy to quench the British force. They have excelled in all fields of life. Notable Mbaise people include the first Nigerian pilot, Mr Chukwu; the renowned physicist, Damian Anyanwu; the founder of ABC Transport, Frank Nneji; Governor of Bank of Biafra, Dr Sylvester Ugoh, among others. It boasts a large number of graduates and academicians who pride themselves in securing Doctorate Degrees.

Since the end of the Biafra-Nigerian civil war, the quest for improved standard of living, academic excellence and the crave for enterprise have helped an unprecedented boost in the fortunes of the Mbaise. Mbaise boasts of legions of Doctors, Lawyers, Public Administrators, Educators, Artists, Engineers, Scientists and Entrepreneurs. The rate at which mansions and companies are skyrocketing in Mbaise have marvelled many. The people are avid travellers and adventurers. Mbaise is home to the Igbo Philosopher of the Twentieth Century, the Right Honorable Dr. Donatus Ibeakwadalam Nwoga.

The name "Mbaise" was derived from the original five communities namely:

1. Agbaaja

2. Oke Uvuru

3. Ezi na Ihite

4. Ahiara

5. Ekwereazu