Obichinyelu

One thing I constantly correct people about is the misuse of the word “Fake” for products reproduced in Aba.

Call it Made in Aba, not Fake!

When products are reproduced in China, Turkey, Vietnam, or other Asian countries, the world does not automatically call them fake simply because the original design came from Europe or America. They are proudly recognized as products made in those countries.

Meanwhile, many Ndi Igbo intentionally devalue products made by their own people.

According to Italian manufacturing standards, an item can legally be recognized as “Made in Italy” if the final stage of production happens in Italy. Imagine sewing a cloth completely in Nigeria, then taking it to Italy just to add a zip or final finishing touch, that item can still enter the market as Italian made.

That is how seriously foreign societies protect, market, and glorify products associated with their homeland.

But here, many people proudly reject Aba made products while worshipping foreign labels, even when those foreign products are mass produced in factories outside Europe or through similar means I explained above.

Our Igbo red caps are currently produced in countries like China and the Czech Republic, yet many Ndi Nze and Ndi Ozo intentionally avoid the ones made in Aba.

If those countries suddenly stop production tomorrow, will ndi Nze/Ozo stop wearing red caps?

Italy became globally respected because they turned their local culture into international prestige.
How can we reject our own hands and still expect cultural respect from outsiders?

Pizza and Pasta became global symbols of Italy while still retaining their original identity and names. Italians did not rename Pizza to “European baked bread” to gain acceptance.

So why are we constantly renaming our dishes to fit foreign narratives?

Abacha is not “African Salad.”
Ofe Akwu is not “Banga Soup.”
Nkwu Enu is not “Palm Wine.”
Okpa is not “Beans Cake.”
Ukwa is not “Bread fruit”.
Onugbu is not “Bitter leaf soup”

A pizza is called same in Italy & Nigeria. Infact, the quest for the meaning of the name would make someone to end up researching about other Italian dishes.

In Nigeria here, we don’t rename yoruba & hausa dishes. We still call Amala, Ewedu, Kunu, kulikuli by their names. But very quick to call Onugbu bitterleaf soup.

Every time we rename our food for validation, we disconnect it from its history, identity, and cultural ownership.

Nobody can export their cultural identity by being ashamed of it.