Nigerian community to honor missionary Mary Slessor with library project

The traditional ruler of Arochukwu kingdom in Abia State, Nigeria, His Eminence Eberechukwu Oji, Eze Aro IX, has announced plans to establish a library project to honor the legacy of Mary Slessor, a Scottish missionary renowned for her work in Nigeria.

The library project is a key component of the activities planned to celebrate the king's second anniversary on the throne. Slessor, who lived in Nigeria during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is historically recognized for her significant contributions to Christian missionary work, her advocacy for women's rights, and her influential role in ending the practice of killing twins, which was prevalent in some parts of southeastern Nigeria at the time.

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On July 23, the Mary Slessor Library Project will be formally launched to honour her contributions to evangelism, education and social transformation in the kingdom.

The announcement, made by the chairman of the anniversary publicity team, Azubike Okoro, detailed that the Mary Slessor Library Project will be formally launched on July 23. This initiative aims to commemorate her contributions to evangelism, education, and social transformation within the Arochukwu kingdom. The anniversary celebration will also feature an open-air crusade and a medical outreach.

Following the library launch, a coronation anniversary lecture and dinner will be held. A lecture titled, ‘Reclaiming African Civilisational Voices: The Arochukwu Renaissance and the Future of Indigenous Knowledge in a Global Information Age,’ originally delivered by Eze Aro IX at the University of California, Berkeley, in May 2026, will be reviewed by scholars. Neighboring communities have also expressed their readiness to participate in the anniversary events, underscoring the significance of the occasion for the wider region.

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Reclaiming African Civilisational Voices: The Arochukwu Renaissance and the Future of Indigenous Knowledge in a Global Information Age