Kenneth Onyeneke Orizu III

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Kenneth Onyeneke Orizu III (born 30 October 1925) is the 20th Obi of Otolo and Igwe of the Nnewi kingdom in Anambra State, Nigeria. He is the traditional ruler and spiritual leader of Nnewi, an Igbo city, and a member of the Nnofo royal lineage. He became king after his father, Igwe Josiah Orizu II, and he is the grandson of Igwe Orizu I.

Education and early work
Kenneth Orizu III was educated at Hope Waddell College in Calabar and finished at New Bethel College, Onitsha, in 1942. Before his enthronement, he worked as a representative for the Eastern Nigerian Outlook Group of newspapers and later served as the Commercial Manager for the Mid-Western Region in Asaba. He also worked as a businessman in Kano.

As Obi and his impact
Igwe Orizu III played a key role in clearing the Agbo Edo forest. His family has a notable political and social history: his uncle, Prince Nwafor Orizu, was Nigeria’s first Senate President, and his grandfather, Igwe Orizu I, was the first Igbo man in the Eastern Region to own and drive a car.

He is known for promoting peace and unity in Nnewi. After a political crisis, he allowed the town to choose a title to restore peace, earning him the nickname General of Peace. He holds the title Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and is a one-star Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International.

Contributions to education and development
Igwe Kenneth Orizu III helped establish a Teachers Training College in Nnewi, which is now part of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi. He also encouraged the siting of the College of Health Sciences and personally donated much of the land for the school. He facilitated the creation of the New Nnewi market, which helped make Nnewi one of the largest commercial cities in Nigeria.

Traditions and modernization
As a royal leader, he is credited with abolishing the Osu caste system in Nnewi, promoting equality among the people. He remains a central figure in the community’s leadership and development. As of 2015, he was regarded as one of the longest-serving kings in the world. His coronation took place on 2 June 1963, and his reign began on 6 February 1963.