Igwe Kenneth Onyeneke Orizu III

Igwe Kenneth Onyeneke Orizu III (born 30 October 1925) is the 20th Obi of Otolo and Igwe of Nnewi kingdom. He is the traditional supreme ruler and spiritual leader in Nnewi, an Igbo city in Nigeria. He is a member of the Nnofo Royal lineage and the successor to his father Igwe Josiah Orizu II, his grandfather Igwe Orizu I, and great-grandfather Igwe Iwuchukwu Ezeifekaibeya. In Anambra State, Igwe Kenneth Orizu III is the vice chairman of the Anambra State House of Chiefs and one of the longest-serving kings in the world and the current oldest serving monarch in the world.

Education and career

Igwe Kenneth was educated at Hope Waddell College, Calabar and completed his education at New Bethel College, Onitsha in 1942. He recently celebrated his 100th birthday in October 2025, becoming a centenarian.

Cultural transformation

The King is the first of Nigerian Kings to abolish the Osu caste system, thus making everyone in the province of Nnewi free born. Kenneth also discouraged wastage of resources at traditional marriage and funeral ceremonies.

Social advocacy

The King dealt with a political crisis in Nnewi by allowing the town in a general assembly to choose a title for him to restore peace in the town. Thereafter, the community named him the GENERAL OF PEACE. His other title is, Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON). The Chief is a one-Star Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International.

Education sector

The King was instrumental in the establishment of a Teachers Training College in Nnewi; now Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi. He also advocated the siting of the College of Health Sciences of the University by encouraging Nnewi people to make significant financial contributions. He personally donated most of the land for the establishment of the school.

Business The King facilitated the establishment of New Nnewi market and this market gave Nnewi prominence as one of the largest commercial cities in Nigeria.