Ubochi nta ka anyi chuo na owere Nchi. This ilu literally translates to ‘On the day of the hunt, let’s hunt at the track of the grass cutter.

As Nna Anyi Achebe so eloquently described it; Ilu Igbo bụ mmanụ ndị Igbo ji eri okwu. “ilu is the palm oil with which Igbo words are eaten.”

It’s worth noting that, the European narrative that our ancestors were uneducated, is inaccurate. The reality is that ilu was an Igbo education in philosophy.

A graduate of the school of ilu could successfully navigate life in Igboland while an illiterate in ilu would be dismissed as unintelligent or even foolish.

Those who spoke fluently in ilu were considered Oma Ekwu i.e. Well Spoken individuals just as nobody paid attention to those who couldn't articulate their ideas with ilu.

That is why Ndi #Igbo say that if an Igbo child can’t understand ilu, then his/her Mother’s bride price was a waste of money.

Parents and especially grandparents therefore educated their grandchildren about ilu.

Now back to the topic of the day: Ubochi nta ka anyi chuo na owere Nchi.
The ilu above mentions hunting and grass cutters but the meaning has nothing to do with either hunting or grass cutters. It's a way of telling someone to meet you on an appointed date, time and place to settle a matter. If he's foolish, he’ll go to the bush looking for grass cutters.

You can also add an idiom; Nwulu/uru Nwa Obu n’aka which translates to come with an Obu bird in hand (a type of bird that sings early in the morning) but the meaning is ‘come as early as you can’. If he's foolish, he’ll go looking for the bird and end up turning up late for the event. If the event happens to be land sharing, he’ll end up with the smallest portion or none.

Credit: Igbo Monitor on Facebook
Nta - Hunt
Di - Male figure head as in Dim (My Husband) Di Okpala (Eldest son) Di Nta (Hunter), Di-Ike (Warrior) e.t.c.
Uka/Okwu bu ilu!

What is your favourite ilu Igbo? 👇🏾
📸: @OkezynetPhotography.