… A Corridor of Immense Economic Promise Awaiting Resurgence
Once a thriving hub of economic activity, the Akwukwu Igbo Oil Plantation now lies desolate, despite its immense potential to create jobs, stimulate local enterprise, and contribute significantly to socioeconomic growth
By Sylvester Asoya
Young boys and girls who grew up in the 1970s and ‘80s in Akwukwu Igbo, the headquarters of Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, as well as those from neighbouring communities, remember the Akwukwu Igbo Oil Palm Plantation with deep fondness and nostalgia. For many, the plantation was more than just an agricultural enterprise. Indeed, it was a thriving economic hub that provided employment, supported countless families and served as a source of livelihood for the surrounding towns and communities. And the plantation’s vast expanse of palm trees and bustling activities formed an integral part of their childhood memories, symbolizing prosperity, opportunity, socialization and communal growth.
One of the many boys who still cherishes the unforgettable experiences of the plantation is Godfrey Osakwe, now a fully grown man. Like countless other boys of his generation who spent their childhood in and around the plantation, Osakwe, who is today, the Chairman, Delta State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, recalls with nostalgia the vibrant atmosphere that once defined the oil estate. To him, the plantation was more than a place of work, it was a thriving community that inspired dreams and shaped the lives of many people, both young and old in different ways. The memories of bustling economic activities, endless stretches of palm trees, the efficiency of the tractors, combined with the organizational skills of the managers, and the sense of opportunity that surrounded the plantation, remain deeply etched in his mind decades after.
According to Osakwe, some of his most enduring childhood memories were formed at the Akwukwu Igbo Oil Palm Plantation. He recalls that long before dawn, he would leave home with his maternal grandmother, Madam Irene Chukwusialokwu Igboh, carrying a lantern to light their way through darkness. Together, they trekked several kilometres to the vast plantation located on the boundary between Akwukwu Igbo and Ugbolu.
As the first rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon, his grandmother, a well-known entrepreneur in the community, would join scores of other women in gathering the shredded palm nuts scattered across the plantation. The work was demanding, no doubt, and required patience and endurance, but it was a dependable source of income for many families in the area. At the end of the day’s work, the nuts collected by each worker were carefully weighed, and payments were made according to the quantity gathered by each person.
For young Osakwe, those unforgettable journeys were more than routine excursions; they were lessons in hard work, perseverance, self-discovery and family responsibility. Day after day, he and his dutiful grandmother made the long trek back home, tired but satisfied, their earnings providing the much-needed support for the household. In his recollections, they usually returned home almost every day a little richer, not only in income but also in experience and cherished memories.
The young man who left the comfort and security of his parents’ home in Lagos to attend Akwukwu Igbo Grammar School in his hometown, remains deeply grateful for the experience. Looking back, he regards those years as a defining period in his life, one that shaped his character, broadened his horizons and laid the foundation for his future.
But there are also others who cherish memories of the plantation. Many indigenes of Akwukwu Igbo and its environs still look back fondly on that remarkable era of hard work, collaborative effort, determination and shared prosperity. For them, the plantation was more than a workplace. It was a thriving economic hub that provided livelihoods, nurtured strong community bonds and instilled values that the society urgently needs at the moment.
Today, those who witnessed that golden period remember it with nostalgia and conviviality. One such person is Ogbuenyi Christian Jibunoh, a native of Akwukwu Igbo, who vividly recalls the origins of the plantation and the pivotal role it played in the economic life of the community. According to him, the plantation was far more than a vast expanse of oil palm trees. It was actually the heartbeat of local commerce and a source of pride for the people. “The plantation is a very familiar…
