'Run Away from Anywhere There is No Ibo Man': Mixed Reactions Greet Vice President Kashim Shettima's Statement
By: Olufemi Orunsola
A cacophony of reactions from Nigerian netizens has trailed a statement credited to Nigeria's Vice President Kashim Shettima who recently said people should better run away from anypart of the country where they do not see an igbo man because where there's an igbo man there is abundant opportunities.
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the statement sirfaced in a video shared by Channels Television on its official X handle, which captured Shettima's remarks during the Imo State Economic Summit.
In the video, Shetima described the Igbo (Ndigbo) people as Nigeria’s “greatest stakeholders” due to their entrepreneurial drive and consistent contribution to national growth.
He praised the Igbo community and highlighted their strong presence in centres of opportunity across the country.
In his address, Shettima emphasized that the Igbo have long played a central role in shaping major urban economies, noting their strong representation in cities like Abuja and Lagos.
He argued that their mobility, ambition, and capacity to thrive in competitive environments make them vital to Nigeria’s economic progress.
According to him, the community’s willingness to adapt, invest, and build wherever they settle has helped sustain commercial activities across various regions.
Shettima, therefore, urged leaders across the country to prioritise investment in the southeast, stressing that empowering a people already known for their resilience can boost inclusive growth.
He noted that the Igbo do not just participate in national development but drive it through their determination to succeed and their influence in trade and enterprise.
He added that the absence of Igbo presence in any part of the country should raise questions, suggesting that the community naturally gravitates toward places where the environment supports progress and prosperity. This, he said, speaks to their instinct for identifying and nurturing opportunities.
In his words, 'Ndigbo are the greatest stakeholder in the Nigerian project. Anywhere in this country, if you don’t see an Igbo man, you better run away, because they go where opportunities abound.''
OTN News however, observes that after the video surfaced, many netizens have reacted in different ways to the Vice President's stance on the Idigbo.
While some netizens commend him for appreciating the unique enterprising spirit of the Ndigbos, others simply whisk away his speech as one of those sugar-coated populist statements targeted at currying the favour of Ndigbos ahead of the 2027 elections.
Meanwhile, some netizens querried to know what the Vice President in his own capacity, has done to better the lot of Ndigbos in Nigeria.
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