Nnaemeka Nnamani

Visiting Assistant Professor

NTID Department of Science and Mathematics

Nnaemeka Nnamani is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Science and Mathematics.

What or who has been your biggest cultural influence?
My biggest cultural influence is the meetings of Umunna (male descendants of the founder of a section of the village) and Ndi Iyom (their wives). Going to the meeting to pass some errands to or from either my dad or mom, enabled me to learn and appreciate the republican nature of my people, how everybody has a say on what decisions that should be taken by the clan, as well as strong community. But by far, the greatest thing I learned was the equality of everyone irrespective of their level of affluence.

What is your favorite cultural dish?
My favorite Igbo dishes are egusi soup (thick soup), jollof rice (rice in fried tomato sauce) and pepper soup (fresh meat cooked in spices and pepper).

What would you like people to know about your culture?
What I would like people to know about my culture is our traditional marriage ceremonies, starting from the initial introduction in which a handful of extended family members are present, that culminates to the grand finale called igba nkwu in which everyone is welcomed to attend. It acts as a unifying event as distant relatives and relatives living far and near all take great pleasure in attending the ceremonies. Marriage in traditional Igbo society has lavish ceremonies.

Do you have any resources to share with someone who would like to learn more about your culture?
To find more about the culture of Igbo people, I would recommend some novels: Things Fall Apart and Arrows of God by the internationally renowned Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe, The Potter’s Wheel by Chukwuemeka Ike and the works of the internationally acclaimed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Half of a Yellow Sun, The Thing Around Your Neck, Dangers of a Single Story (a TED talk), etc). Also, a music video that shows the richness of the traditional marriage ceremony is Ada Ada sung by Flavour.

What is a fun fact about yourself?
A fun fact about me is that I have thirteen siblings.