21st Annual Convention Wrap-Up | Dallas, TX | 7-10 August 2025
Founded in 2005 by the Atlanta-based Anadu and Okpukpara families, Umu Igbo Unite (UIU) has grown from a living-room idea into the largest stateside network of first-generation Igbo Americans. Today the 501(c)(3) organization boasts 5,000+ members across 14 chapters—from Toronto to the Bay Area—living its mantra of “community-as-a-service.”
UIU’s work is anchored by four pillars:
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Cultural Preservation – language classes, storytelling nights, and the annual Iri-ji yam festival.
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Connecting the Diaspora – mentorship pipelines that pair college freshmen with seasoned professionals.
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Entrepreneurship – pitch competitions, pop-up markets, and an angel network that has already seeded 37 Igbo-owned startups.
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Civic Engagement – voter drives, census education, and a new scholarship fund for undergrads studying public policy.
Dallas 2025: “Maka Obodo Anyi – For the Growth of Our Community”
The 21st national convention turned the Hilton Anatole into a mini-Abia state for four electric days:
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1,500+ attendees, a record turnout, representing every chapter plus delegates from Lagos and London.
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UIUTalks featured Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (virtual fireside), serial investor Blossom Nnodim, and NBA champion Festus Ezeli on athlete-investor activism.
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Youth Day hosted 300 students in a hackathon that produced “IgboLens,” an AR app that translates street signs to Igbo in real time—winner takes $10 k and summer incubation.
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Women’s Breakfast raised $115 k for breast-cancer outreach in rural Anambra; keynote by CNN anchor Zain Asher.
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Masquerade Ball & Cultural Gala closed the weekend with a kaleidoscope of akwete cloth, ogene highlife, and a surprise performance by Flavour N’abania that kept 800 guests dancing until 2 a.m.
Eyes now turn to Chicago 2026, but the real souvenir from Dallas is momentum: new chapters launching in Minneapolis and Calgary, a partnership sealed with the Smithsonian on Igbo artifact preservation, and—most importantly—relationships forged “maka obodo anyi.”
Obodo bu Igbo; Igbo bu obodo.