Top 20 Igbo Culture Facts

Igbo (Ndi Igbo) are a Nigerian ethnic group that originated in what is now southern and southeast Nigeria. As a result of these attributes, the Igbo people have earned a reputation for being resourceful, creative, and unique (Omenala Igbo).

So, following are Igbo culture facts.

Top 20 Igbo Culture Facts

The Igbo people are hardworking and resourceful by nature.

The Igbo people are known for their tenacity and willingness to take risks, making them one of Nigeria’s most entrepreneurial and hardworking ethnic groups. As a result of their upbringing, these people are born hustlers. Igbo apprentices, also known as “gba boys,” are a fascinating look at how wealth is distributed in Igbo land through traditional social structures.

They have a firm belief in God.

God, known to the Igbo as Chineke, is revered by the people of the region. They already held this view prior to the arrival of Christianity.

It has been claimed by Igbo that they are of Israeli descent.

Another Igbo culture facts is that, Igbos have claimed that they came from Israel. the father of all Igbos as claimed, was Gad’s fifth son and Jacob’s seventh; Eri was Gad’s fifth son (Genesis 46:15-18 and Numbers 26:16:18).

As a group, the Igbo are a nomadic people.

It is said that the Igbos are the most traveled of Nigeria’s ethnic groups; their pursuit of success in business has taken them around the world.

For them, it’s a matter of life or death.

Many people believe that a true igbo man has an undying passion for money. It doesn’t matter if the Igbo people believe in making money legally or illegally, they are likely to respect a man who has made wealthy men in his area.

Value of Having a Bigger Family

Elders in the extended family of Igbo people are often called upon to handle matters relating to the family. This large group of relatives is regarded as a (Umunna).

Christianity is the most common religion.

The majority of Igbos are Christians, with about 98 percent of the tribe practicing the religion. Christian denominations like Catholicism and Anglicanism dominate Igbo land.

A distinctly Igbo calendar system

Igbos developed a calendar known as the “Iguafo Igbo” to keep track of the passing of the days and the passing of the years. Eke, Afor, Nkwo, and Orie are the four market days listed in this calendar. Weeks are made up of these days. The Igbo calendar divides a week into four days, a month into seven weeks, and a year into thirteen months.

In many Igbo communities, there is little or no central authority.

As opposed to other tribes, the Igbo’s do not have a single point of governance, but rather have Igwe, who also has a number of chiefs, as their leader (Elders representing the communities). With no central leadership structure, many Igwe’s are self-governing, and the Igwe oversees a small group of his closest confidants.

They came up with a new way to save money called “Isusu.”

Isusu, the Igbo term for a savings and microloan system used by the Igbo people, is also known as “Susu”

Igbo are known for their entrepreneurial, self-reliant, and daring natures

People of the Igbo ethnic group, native to southern Nigeria, are known for their entrepreneurial, self-reliant, and daring natures. As the Ndi Igbo people are known, the tribe has a wide variety of foods and dances as well as a variety of musical instruments, festivals, and culture.

About 45 million people speak “Igbo” as their primary language, and there are more than 20 dialects. There are many examples of the creative and talented Igbo people in both traditional and contemporary music. Here are some fun facts about the Igbo culture for you to chew on.

Igbo people are known for their many soups

As a group, the Igbo people are known for their many soups, such as Oha and Nsala. They are made with locally sourced ingredients, including vegetables and seeds.

Igbo people often wear the Isiagu

Igbo people often wear the Isiagu, a brightly colored and patterned costume, at important events like the inauguration of a new chieftain.

It was the Igbo people who first introduced the Omugwo tradition to the rest of Nigeria.

New mothers and nursing mothers are given extra attention in this tradition. Most new mothers rely on the help of their older mothers, in-laws, or other relatives for the first 40 days after giving birth.

What else you need to know about Igbos

The Igbo society bestows various titles on its deserving members. Most prestigious are titles like Ozo (for men), Ichie (for women), and Aruma (for children).

In the Igbo community, women are also recognized as title holders. Women of integrity, class and character are awarded the Iyom title by the Iyom Council of the Iyom. Igbo women are some of Nigeria’s most talented musicians, and they’re also some of the country’s most prominent socialites. There’s Phyno, Flavour, Chidinma, Illbliss, Psquare, Tekno, Patoranking, Runtown, Zoro, and a slew of other artists in the mix.

It’s common for Igbo music to be upbeat and spontaneous. Igbo highlife, Igbo bongo, and odumodu are among the most popular Igbo music styles. In order to make their music more rhythmic, Igbo musicians employ instruments like the Ekwe (slit drum) and the Udu (drum).

Musicians from Africa and Europe took to the stage in the 1950s to perform the highlife genre. Oriental Brothers, Oliver De Coque, Chief Osita Osadebe, and Celestine Ukwu, among others, were notable highlife artists.

Yams, cassava, and taro have been the staples of the Igbo diet for centuries. Besides corn (maize), melons, pumpkins, okra, and beans, they also grow corn (maize). In the farming community, men tend to cultivate yams, while women tend to cultivate other crops, such as corn and wheat. Family groups own land collectively and make it available to individuals for agricultural purposes and construction.

They keep a small number of animals for both their own sake and that of the gods. Palm oil and palm kernels are the country’s primary sources of export revenue. In addition to trade, local crafts, and wage labor, the Igbo economy relies on a high literacy rate, which has helped many Igbo become government officials and business owners in the decades following Nigeria’s independence. When it comes to local politics, it is notable that Igbo women play a significant role.

In contrast to other ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbo all live in rainforest regions. Igbo villages tend to be spread out, but there are some areas where the population is concentrated. Typically, the compound is a collection of small huts, each housing a single family. People from the same patrilineage lived in the village in the past (umunna).

The largest political unit prior to colonial administration was the village group, a federation of villages with an average population of 5,000 people. ” To support their common ancestral lineage, the members of the group had common markets and meeting places, as well as an ancestral deity and ancestral cults.

In the village group, power was concentrated in the hands of a council made up of lineage heads and wealthy and influential men. Larger political units such as centralized kingdoms and states were more common in the eastern regions of these peoples.

Conclusion

People from the Igbo ethnic group proudly display the Nigerian flag around the world. They have some of the best writers and artists working for them. For example, there’s Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Cyprian Ekwensi, and the sculptor Ben Enwonwu.

So, that is all about the Igbo culture facts and all you need to know.