Sir Bennett Okoye Chiedu: The Revolutionary Founder of Kawuriz & Manilas and the Brain Behind the Iconic Mbido Igbo Series!

Sir Bennett Okoye Chiedu: The Revolutionary Founder of Kawuriz & Manilas and the Brain Behind the Iconic Mbido Igbo Series!

Sir Bennett Okoye Chiedu: The Revolutionary Founder of Kawuriz & Manilas and the Brain Behind the Iconic Mbido Igbo Series!

Exactly 25 years ago today, Nigeria lost one of its most dedicated cultural preservationists and educational visionaries. Sir Bennett Okoye Chiedu (KSC), affectionately known to millions simply as “B.O.,” passed away, leaving behind an indelible mark on the identity of the Igbo nation.

B.O. hails from Oraukwu town in Anambra State, he was a man deeply rooted in his heritage. He started his academic foundations at the prestigious Oraukwu Grammar School before moving to the University of Ife(now Obafemi Awolowo University), where he earned a degree in Literature-in-English.

It was this rare combination of a deep love for literature and a profound pride in his roots that set him on a life-long mission to publish, and preserve the Igbo language at a time when it faced severe decline.

Following the devastating impacts of the Nigerian Civil War, B.O. noticed that the formal teaching and speaking of the Igbo language were rapidly vanishing from classrooms and households. Rather than sitting back, he took action.

In the 1970s, he established Kawuriz & Manilas Publishers in the commercial hub of Onitsha. Navigating the highly competitive publishing industry was not easy, especially with foreign multinational giants completely dominating the market. Yet, B.O. built a resilient niche by focusing strictly on indigenous language materials, a market the big corporations ignored.

He threw his weight behind monumental academic milestones, funding the publication of “Ụtọasụsụ Igbo” by Mazi B. C. Adamechi in 1979, and assembling a formidable team of fourteen elite language scholars and authors, led by the legendary Prof. Inno Uzoma Nwadike, to birth the iconic “Mbido Igbo” textbook series.

For over three decades, those very textbooks became the golden standard, forming the bedrock of primary school education across Nigeria and teaching millions of children how to read, write, and proudly speak the Igbo Language.

Beyond his revolutionary publishing career, B.O. was a devoted family man, marrying his beloved Lady Nkiruka in 1978 and raising five children, while also serving faithfully as a Knight of Saint Christopher (KSC) in the Anglican Diocese on the Niger.

Though he left this world 25years ago, his vision refused to die with him because his family firmly stepped into the gap. His son, Chikezie Chiedu, took over the reins of leadership as the Managing Director of the publishing firm, ensuring the business survived tough economic shifts. Under Chikezie’s strategic direction, the family has successfully modernized the brand, transforming the traditional printing press into a global digital empire through the @mbidoigbo online platform. Because of this seamless transition of leadership, Igbo children worldwide can still connect to their roots through interactive digital tools.

Sir Bennett Okoye Chiedu was a true hero who ensured the Igbo nation did not lose its voice, proving that though a great man may be gone, a legacy built on truth, culture, and education is completely immortal.

Did you learn with the Mbido Igbo textbook back in primary school? Share your favorite childhood memories of learning the Igbo language below!