Our Reporter, New York
Nigerian filmmaker and practitioner of the Igbo traditional religion, Nze Tobe Osigwe, has asserted that Odinala — the indigenous spirituality of the Igbo people — is superior to Christianity and other organized religions.
Osigwe, a graduate of Theatre Arts, made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Rudolf Okonkwo on 90MinutesAfrica.
According to him, Christianity serves as a preparatory phase compared to Odinala, which he likened to a higher level of spiritual enlightenment.
“Anyone who has gone through Christianity and still wants to further their knowledge will see that the next point of call is traditional religion,” he said.
“Igbo traditional religion is higher than Christianity and other organized religions.”
Osigwe argued that many Igbo people remain within the fold of Christianity out of fear rather than conviction.
“They are afraid of going to hell. But some of us already know that hell does not exist. It is only a myth created to sustain Christianity and prevent people from questioning its foundation,” he added.
While passionately advocating for a cultural and spiritual reawakening among the Igbo, the dibia (traditional priest) emphasized that such a return to tradition must be accompanied by modern education and scientific advancement.
“The ways of our ancestors — Odinala — are more about values and ethics. But science is a different kettle of fish. Tradition cannot take the place of science,” he noted.
“Igbo elites should focus on education that will bring about technological development. The Chinese learned technology from the West but retained their value systems. That’s the balance we need.”
Osigwe explained that his call for a return to Odinala is not a rejection of modernity but an appeal to integrate indigenous ethics with scientific progress.
“I don’t want to go back to tradition to start using analogue systems. I want us to adopt the ethical foundations of our ancestors to safeguard our modern society,” he stated.
On the issue of insecurity in the Southeast, the Nnewi-based writer acknowledged some improvement but insisted that normalcy has yet to return until the Monday sit-at-home ends.
He described those enforcing the order as “terrorists disguising as Biafra agitators,” lamenting the devastating effects of the weekly lockdown on education and the economy.
“I have three children. My first child is seven years old; she started school in 2021. My youngest is four and started two years ago. None of them has ever gone to school on a Monday,” Osigwe said.
“They don’t even know what it means to go to school on that day. That shows the extent of psychological, educational, and economic damage being done to our people.”
