Think home movement and philosophy began in earnest in 1991. After the Nigeria-Biafra civil war, many things began to change in Igbo land. Survival was harsh for a people that just came out of a debilitating three-year war.
They were faced with strangulating state policies of indigenisation of corporations, handing them 20 pounds irrespective of what one had in the bank prior to the war and confiscating their property, otherwise known as abandoned property.
The Igbo were trying to find their feet. That made them begin to leave in more numbers to other cities in search of livelihood and with that, they began to invest more outside of Igboland. This continued when in 1991, the Anambra State government of Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife launched a campaign he named: “Think Home – Akụ Ruo Ụnọ”.
Akụ ruo ụnọ, called think home philosophy, over the years, gained traction and attention by the people. People have argued how possible it may be that every Igbo person relocates their wealth and investment to Igbo land. Some think that “wealth is made outside of Igbo land” and majorly, people in Igbo land do not make as much wealth as they make outside – this is far from being a reality.
The Nollywood filmmakers were also guilty of the mindset of exodus witnessed in Igbo land when in many of the movies; they were programmed to make people despise Igbo land as land of poverty or hooliganism which until they left Igbo land, they would return with wealth which complemented the ideology of wealth being only created outside of Igbo land. The manipulative programming through the movies, over the years, caused more problems.
In recent times, the call for Akụ ruo ụnọ was nearly destroyed by the rampaging insecurity in Igbo land which thankfully has abated. Many people are now responding to that call albeit not totally in the design of wish. The wishes of many Igbo people are to have industries, and businesses to be domiciled in the region which could replace the rampant hotels – which are also needed, for lots of jobs. The industries, tech and big businesses could feed the many hotels and ensure the Akụ Ruo Ụnọ philosophy is greatly achieved.
Think environment
In addition to the hotels, housing estates are becoming more. It is good to have development, likely not in the speed of the many estates springing up rapidly, it is pertinent to think about environmental issues.
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Igbo land is threatened by erosion. From Anambra to Abia, to Enugu , Imo, Ebonyi and Igbo communities in Delta states, erosion is threatening to wipe out several communities and displace many people as it strips many families of their ancestral homes where generational memories are embedded. It strips the region of their land mass and cuts off many access roads.
“In Anambra alone, there are over 1000 active erosion sites, in Imo there are about 300, Abia 500, Enugu 500 and Ebonyi 500.” Odili Ojukwu, Chairman of World Igbo Environmental Foundation was quoted in Premium Times. “More than 1.6% of the entire land area of Eastern Nigeria is occupied by gullies, ” as stated in a study.
“Gully erosion contributes to environmental problems and damage estimated at over $100 million annually (mostly in SouthEastern Nigeria).” World Bank reported.
The effect of erosion is devastating but one may look back as to when this erosion menace started to affect Igbo land. Is it associated with development or individual choices of not paying close attention to the hazards of human activities on the environment or simply natural occurrence? As much as it is caused by nature, human activities contributed more through deforestation, bush burning and biodiversity depletion, indiscriminate building without proper environmental impact assessment, road construction, poorly designed drainage systems and sand and coal mining among others.
According to the research by B. Egboka and E. Okpoko, “The gullying started around 1850.” They continued, “The British Colonial Office and the local inhabitants attempted to control the gullying by constructing small dams and planting trees, but the measures failed.” Even though these measures failed at the time, poor human activities on the environment over time exacerbated the erosion menace.
“Prior to the 1980’s, the usual gully sites in the region were those in Agulu, Nanka, Ozuitem and Oko in Aguata area, Isuikwuato and Orlu researchers say. Conversion of arable land to urban development, the expansions of urban areas into sensitive natural areas are jeopardizing the carrying capacity of the environment as over 90% of the land area suffer from sheet, rill and gully erosion.” It means that choices of nonchalance made by the government and the people increased the devastation of the soil from 1980 till present.
That poor human activities has increased that Igbo land is fast losing their rain-forest vegetation which had been protecting the soil.
Creating awareness on environment
As a matter of urgency, awareness should begin and to imbibe in the people a culture to save the environment through changing the people’s attitude towards eliminating the impact of their activities on the environment.
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There is no doubt that soil texture in certain areas of high impact are loose and sandy, environmental awareness should curb human activities that would affect it.
The Minister of State for Environment, Mrs Sharon Ikeazor had said during her on the spot-assessment of some erosion sites in Anambra in 2019, “We are coming in with renewed vigour, and every sense of urgency to make sure that remediation is carried out on erosion sites in Nigeria. From what I have seen, there is need for a state of emergency to be declared on gully erosion in the country.” It is very urgent for the state and local governments to declare, if not, the damage to the environment is much more than playing politics with it.
Impact of environment on think home
A lot of the people affected by the landslides have lost their homes and land inheritance. Those affected may not want to think home.
As Igbo land continues to shrink and erosion continues to claim more lands, with a population increase, the available land may not sustain the increasing population and the ensuing development.
While erosion is not the only environmental impact on the region, flooding is also of a high impact, causing the erosion.
Planting of trees and restoring the region to a rain forest zone despite the development may reduce the impact of flooding and erosion.
It is pertinent and urgent that people begin to plant trees to save themselves and save the environment, as the movement or philosophy changes to think home, think environment.
Photos credit: Climate Home News