Uwa Bu Ahia: Trading ideas for development

By Emeka Mba
There is a proverb the Igbo publicly render with relish and pride: Uwa bu afia — the world is a marketplace. We say it to explain our pursuit of communal and personal value, our enterprise, our presence in every corner of the globe where commerce thrives. From Ariaria, in Abia state to Alaba, in Lagos state; from Onitsha Main Market in Anambra state to the trading grounds of Guangzhou, in China as well as Houston, in Texas, USA, the Igbo proves repeatedly that his life is invested in creating and sustaining the marketplace of wares and ideas.
But here is the uncomfortable question we must now ask ourselves: if the world is truly a marketplace, why have we confined ourselv...