After more than a year of production spanning royal palaces, government houses, boardrooms, churches, and communities across Nigeria, filmmaker Michael Chineme Ike of Micstreams Production Ltd has officially unveiled the poster for his upcoming documentary film, Igwe Orizu III: The Centenary Monarch.
The film tells the story of His Royal Majesty Dr Kenneth Onyeneke Nnaji Orizu III, CON, JP, the Igwe of Nnewi Kingdom in Anambra State, who is widely recognised as Africa’s longest-reigning traditional ruler. Born on 30th October 1925 in Otolo, Nnewi, he ascended the throne on 2nd June 1963 at the age of 37, following the death of his father, His Royal Highness Igwe Josiah Nnaji Orizu II. He has now reigned for over 62 years, making him a living monument of continuity, culture, and leadership in Igbo history and Nigerian traditional governance. He turned 100 years old on 30th October 2025, a milestone celebrated across Anambra State, with Governor Professor Charles Soludo describing it as an extraordinary feat that symbolises divine favour, resilience, and the blessing of longevity.
The Nnewi Kingdom is arguably the oldest continuous monarchy in Eastern Nigeria, with historical records tracing its origins to the 15th century, well before the arrival of Europeans. Igwe Orizu III is a member of the Nnofo Royal lineage, the successor to a line that includes his great-grandfather Igwe Iwuchukwu Ezeifekaibeya, his grandfather Igwe Orizu I, and his father Igwe Josiah Orizu II. Before ascending the throne, he worked as a representative for the Eastern Nigerian Outlook Group of newspapers and later as Commercial Manager for the Mid-Western Region in Asaba, a background that shaped a reign defined by progress and pragmatism in equal measure.
During his 62 years on the throne, Igwe Orizu III abolished the Osu caste system in Nnewi, became the first Nnewi monarch to embrace Christianity, modernised the kingdom’s legal system by establishing a Palace Panel of Arbitrators, cleared the feared Agbo Edo forest, and ensured the establishment of a teaching hospital in Nnewi. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Anambra State House of Chiefs. His uncle, Prince Nwafor Orizu, was Nigeria’s first republic Senate President, and his grandfather, Igwe Orizu I, was the first Igbo man to own and drive a car in the entire Eastern Region.
Describing the project, Michael Chineme Ike said the production took the team from royal palaces to government houses, from boardrooms to churches, and from community leaders to renowned scholars, documenting the extraordinary life and legacy of one of Africa’s longest-reigning traditional monarchs across thousands of kilometres. He described the film as more than a documentary, calling it a preservation of history for generations yet unborn, covering themes of leadership, legacy, culture, resilience, and over six decades on the throne. Production has officially wrapped and the film has now moved into post-production.
Igwe Orizu III: The Centenary Monarch is coming soon from Micstreams Production Ltd.
