“Ndokwa-Ukwuani Are Not Igbo” — NPN Faults Ned Nwoko Over Ethnic Claim

The Ndokwa Professional Network (NPN) has faulted Senator Ned Nwoko’s claim that the Ndokwa-Ukwuani people are Igbo and speak the Igbo language, describing his statement as “factually inaccurate, historically misleading, and culturally inconsistent.”

In a statement signed by its President, Mr. Nigel Ojji; General Secretary, Dr. Great Ijomah; and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Edike Kaine, the group said the remark does not reflect the authentic heritage or identity of the Ndokwa-Ukwuani people.

The NPN noted that Senator Nwoko, who hails from Idumuje-Ugboko in Aniocha North Local Government Area, is not an indigene of the Ndokwa-Ukwuani region and may not possess firsthand knowledge of their history and traditions. It added that his view may have been influenced by “secondary sources or broad linguistic groupings that do not accurately reflect the lived realities and oral histories of the Ndokwa-Ukwuani.”

Rejecting the senator’s assertion, the group stated, “Ndokwa-Ukwuani are not Igbo. The Ndokwa-Ukwuani and Igbo peoples are two distinct ethnic groups within Nigeria’s diverse ethnolinguistic landscape.” It explained that while proximity between Delta and the Southeast has led to certain overlaps, these do not amount to shared ethnic origins.

“Ethnic identity transcends mere linguistic similarities—it is rooted in ancestral continuity, cultural expressions, traditional governance systems, and collective self-identification,” the statement added, warning that conflating language with ethnicity risks erasing the unique heritage of an entire people.

The NPN further argued that although some scholars have used terms like “Igboid” for linguistic convenience, such classifications do not determine ethnic belonging. It stressed that the Ndokwa-Ukwuani people have always maintained distinct political structures, leadership systems, and indigenous beliefs that clearly differentiate them from their Igbo neighbors.

The group described Ndokwa-Ukwuani as a distinct ethnic identity occupying Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, and Ukwuani local government areas of Delta State, with ancestral lineages and oral histories independent of Igbo origins.

“Our language possesses unique phonetic and semantic structures recognized as distinct, despite certain similarities to Igbo,” the statement said, likening the resemblance to that between Benin and Yoruba or between German and Austrian languages.

Concluding, the NPN stated that Senator Nwoko’s remarks represent his personal opinion, not the historical truth or lived experience of the Ndokwa-Ukwuani people. It urged Nigerians, scholars, and the media to treat ethnic discussions with cultural sensitivity and factual accuracy, reaffirming its commitment to preserving the Ndokwa-Ukwuani identity and promoting unity through mutual respect.