It is the acronym for Ekwema Cultural Heritage Foundation.

Umu Owere Nshi Ise with high morals, patriotism, and proven integrity.

1. To promote the history, culture and tradition of the indigenes of Owerri;
2. To promote wealth creation, skills acquisition and capacity building among the indigenes of Owerri;
3. To work closely with the Owerri Community Assembly (OCA) for the sustainable development of Ugwu Ekwema Heritage Centre;
4. To partner with relevant organisations/entities in the private and public sectors at local, national and international levels for the achievement of the above objectives.

1. Humility;
2. Empathy;
3. Responsibility
4. Integrity;
5. Accountability;
6. Resourcefulness; and
7. Teamwork;

Regrettably, the Ugwu Ekwema has not been given appropriate recognition and status as the first home of our founding father. It has not been properly preserved and developed as a Heritage Centre and a tourist site. Furthermore, it has an uncompleted project which has been abandoned for many years.

1. New befitting landmark to behold in the capital city;
2. Modern Town Hall/Conference Hall that will serve as venue to several socio-cultural events;
3. Heritage Museum that will elucidate the culture and history of Owere Nshi Ise as well as the socio-economic development of Owerri before and after the colonial era, with wide collection of annotated historical photographs, artefacts, relics and memorabilia;
4. Training and Skill Acquisition Centre that will provide special training and skills to empower our teeming young population for gainful employment, and curb youth restiveness;
5. Tourist Attraction Site and a place to relax and enjoy Owere music by city residents and visitors coming from outside Owerri who would like to know about Owere, its culture and history;
6. Modern Restaurant that will serve both oriental and continental dishes, including our special cuisine, Ofe Owere, and other native grubs and delicacies;
7. Symbol of Strength and Unity that will help to nurture and further cement the bond of love, common purpose and cohesion within and amongst the five villages;
8. Deepening the essence and core values of Oru Owere and strengthening the Age Grade system in our culture, and over time transforming the Age Grade (Ebiri) procession into a special carnival that will draw so many visitors into the city during the festivity;
9. Boosting the Oru Owere Festival and making it one of the milestone events in the state that may become a unique fair that will attract guest participants, visitors and tourists from within and outside the country, thereby contributing positively to the economy of our dear state;
10. Encouraging and uplifting Owere people in diaspora (Owere n’uzo ije) to regularly visit home and further support the development of the city and state;
11. Providing a veritable area for studies and research on Owere history and culture, particularly in the field of anthropology;
12. Helping to spur the younger generation to have a sense of belonging and strong belief in our culture, history and heritage; and
13. Generating revenue that will not only make the Ugwu Ekwema Heritage Centre self-sustaining but can support other community projects.

1. Creation of critical subcommittees of identified professionals of Owere Nshi Ise indigenes whose expertise and experience are relevant to the project;
2. Technical assessment and evaluation of the current state of the abandoned Ugwu Ekwema Heritage Civic Center project, with concrete suggestions and recommendation, where necessary;
3. Development of detailed work plan with technical drawings and realistic costing at various phases and stages the project;
4. Resource mobilization soliciting for funds from within and outside Owere Nshi Ise, our brothers and sisters in diaspora, our in-laws and friends, and from public and private organisations within and outside Nigeria.
5. Project execution, including monitoring and evaluation; and
6. Project commissioning.

The project is estimated to cost Five Hundred Million Naira (N500,000,000.00).

1. Request to Federal Government (NDDC) for resuscitation of the abandoned Constituency Project;
2. Appeal to Imo State Government for assistance;
3. Self-help efforts by Owere Nshi Ise indigenes, and their in-laws, friends, and business associates; and
4. Partnership and collaboration with corporate entities.

Please kindly send your donations/financial support to:

Account Name: Ekwema Cultural Heritage Foundation;

Account Number: 1026007758;

Bank: United Bank for Africa (UBA).

Please include your full name and phone number. All donations will be gratefully acknowledged, and posted on the ECHF fundraising platform. Also at the end of the project, a special marble shall be erected for the names of those who provided financial support to this noble cause.