Our story

This is a journey that started with the birth of a young man, James Okwudili, born in 1936, of an artisan/farmer father Nze Okonkwo Ezugha and a petty trader mother in Onitsha, who left onitsha for Lagos in his early years in pursuit of a further education, attending Lagos City College, where he obtained his first school leaving certificate, and worked briefly as a sanitary inspector before leaving in 1962 for the UK in pursuit of higher education.

While studying in the UK, he was introduced by his younger brother, a businessman, in Onitsha, to a young, academically gifted lady, born in 1944, Victoria Nkechiyelu, second daughter of Chief S.N. Muoghalu (successful businessman and politician) and wife, Lolo Agnes Muoghalu (a petty trader).

The couple’s budding relationship which was developed via letter writing, culminated in their traditional marriage in 1964, and her joining him later that year in Manchester, where they got married in 1965, and their life as a married couple began.

Shortly after, they gave birth to their first son, Udennaka, followed by the birth of their second son, Oguchi, and third child, their first daughter, Uzoamaka.

During their time in the UK, James Okwudili qualified as a chartered accountant in 1973 and Victoria, sacrificing her ambition to pursue university education, to support her husband and young family, qualified as a certified Pittman shorthand typist secretary.

James Okwudili, in 1973, set up a chartered accounting firm with partners in the UK, JAL Accounting.

The JAL accounting partnership was shortlived, as following the end of the Biafra/Nigeria civil war, James decided to return to practise in Lagos, Nigeria in 1974, where he first worked for NIWIL and later for GBO, a subsidiary of UAC.

His lovely wife returned to join her husband in 1974 with their 3 young children and took up employment as a PA to the MD of John Holt Ltd.

Over the period of 6 years in Lagos, they gave birth to their 4th child, a daughter, Uchenna, their 5th child, Okwudili junior, a son, who they lost in 1977, and their 6th child, a daughter, Adaeze.

During this period, Victoria left her employment and set up shop and successfully ran a fashion design importation business between the UK and Nigeria.
James, during this same period, rejuvenated and successfully ran as chairman, the Mbosi Development Union, Lagos branch, and provided several Mbosi youths with gainful employment with the UAC.

In 1980, James still working for UAC was transferred to AT&P in Sapele, in the former Mid Western region where they gave birth to their 7th child, a daughter, Ifeyinwa. In 1983, James was transferred to GCM, in Onitsha. In Onitsha, they gave birth to their 8th child, a daughter, Obianuju, their last born child. While in Onitsha, Victoria set up and ran a successful baking company – Vicky’s Baking Centre (VBC) Ltd. While James took on the mantle of MDU Onitsha branch Chairman, later becoming the President General of Mbosi Town, during which time, landmark town developments were achieved…..the community self funded tarring of the main arterial road into Mbosi town, electrification of Mbosi town, etc. They, as a couple, trained all their children to graduate level. In 1989, Victoria left Nigeria for the UK, where she laid the foundation for the return of all her children to the UK and the US, where all her children currently reside with their familys. I guess the rest is history, this being a brief synopsis of a couple that grew from 2, in 1964, into a family of 7 surviving children, 5 son-in-laws (one late), 2 daughter-in-lawsand 17 grand children, all unified by love, mutual respect and understanding. We are all gathered here today, family and dear friends, to celebrate the 60th wedding anniversary, and life and achievements of this wonderful couple, Ichie James Okwudili Okonkwo (Oyibonyelugo) and Lolo Victoria Nkechi Okonkwo (Ego Dinma) blessed by the Almighty Lord.