The Importance Of Igbo In West Africa

720 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Social structure of igbo people

The Word “Igbo,” in the Compendium of the World’s Languages, represents both a race and their Language which remains an inseparable part of Africa, especially West Africa, and should be understood as such in this project. Igbo as language is usually assigned to the Kwa group of Languages of Niger-congo, though certain affinities with the Bantu language and Efik have been pointed out. Central Igbo is of a compromise standard based from Onitsha and Owerri to Calabar. Its codification was recognized (officially) in 1932 when Peter Nwanna‘s story- Omenuko, won a price in a competition run by the International African Institute. Unfortunately, the early Missionaries, due to the difficulty of pronouncing the diphthong “gb” pronounced, wrote and …show more content…

In any case, Augustine Echema pointed this error out stressing the reality to be: “Igbo” for the language and “Ndigbo” for the people , and Ngozi C. Adichie corrected it in her recent …show more content…

On the other hand, “Igbo” as a People could be categorized into five zones: 1.Northern Igbo (Igbo Ukwu, Onitsha, Udi, Enugu, Nsukka, Arondizuogu, Ihiala, Akokwa and Nri Awka); 2.Western Igbo (Ogwasi Ukwu, Asaba, Agbo, Kwali, Ulah and Aboh); 3. Southern Igbo (Umuahia; Ibeku,Ahudah, Okigwe, Orlu, Aba Ngwa, Owerri, Owerinta, Mbaise and Mbano); 4.Eastern Igbo(Ifikpo, Arochukwu, Abam, Abiriba, Ohafia, Ihechiowa, Ututu and Bende); 5.North-Eastern Igbo(Agukwu, Abakaliki, Ezza, Uburu and Okpesi). The archeological benchmark of Ndigbo was discovered in Igbo Ukwu with the bronze pot, king’s spoon among others, excavated by the University of Archeology Ibadan led by Thurstan Shaw, began in 1938 and ended in 1959 with the age-leading-machine dating its longevity to 9th Century BC . It is in relation to this historical tradition that Nwabueze said that there was a time when every Igbo community including the Riverline, irrespective of the fact that they today call Umuokoro as Rumokoro, were united and were proud of the union. Be that as it may, Igbo share their boundaries with the following: Idoma Tribe to the North; Ijaw and Ogoni tribes to the South; Ibibio to the East with Bini and Warri Tribes to the

Show More
Related

  • Response To The Portrayal Of The Igbo

    552 Words  | 2 Pages

    I, Obeirika, am writing to you, the District Commissioner, in order to combat your respond to the portrayal of the Ibo. I plan to help you understand the Ibo internal logic so that you can comprehend and value it. We Ibo believe that killing twins is necessary because the earth had decreed that they were an offense on the land and must be destroyed. If we did not exact punishment for an offense against the earth goddess. Her wrath was unleashed on all of the land. If welcoming twins makes the earth goddess angry, then the Christian practice of saving twins is going against our earth goddess. That could and will throw us into chaos. The view maybe barbaric but it’s also our way of living.

    Read More

  • The Brass Plaques of the Benin Palace

    2152 Words  | 5 Pages

    The first step to understanding the response of the Benin people to this arrival is to look to their conception of their own identity. The Benin call themselves, their capital, and their language Edo, and some Edo can rightfully claim to have lived in the region for a thousand years. When speaking of Benin, the idea of a "traditional" culture is not wholly erroneous - their ancestry is older and on a more direct line than most Europeans can imagine. But the ancient kingdom of Benin did not encompass all Edo-speaking people and it was also not restricted to them, as it included ethnic groups such as the Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, and Itsekiri (Duchateau 9). The amount of racial cohesion in this "traditional culture" should no...

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In Post Colonial Igbo Culture

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    While reading the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, there were big differences within the roles of men and women in the Igbo culture, but now there are even bigger differences between them and how they used to be. Both women and men are important in the Igbo culture, mainly because each gender has a specific value. Women in their culture have always been seen as caregivers and nurturing to children. They are expected to cook and clean, and they are expected to plan parties and feasts because their husband asks them to. Men, however, primarily have to farm, hunt, fight as warriors, and run the household with a strong hand; the Igbo culture even allows men to beat their wives if they

    Read More

  • Uncivilized In The Igbo Society

    575 Words  | 2 Pages

    ”Two little groups of people stood at a respectable distance beyond the stools. they faced the elder’s” (Achebe,1994,p.87). The court system only consist of the elders of the village but, all of the elders are males. And because they are males so they are biased to the other males so it can become an unfair court trial for the women of the village because the elder’s side with the men. Therefore there is still the debate that it is only their way of life so the Igbo people are still somewhat

    Read More

  • Okonkwo Character Analysis

    665 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ionaries that Okonkwo had left and that he would take the missionaries to where Okonkwo was. Obierika led them to Okonkwo’s final resting place in the forest. “We are thrust from what is figured as an intimate, insider’s view of the Igbo life to a jarringly alien one.”(Carey Snyder Things Fall Apart Blooms literature).Okonkwo felt that the Igbo people were doomed because they would not fight against the Christians so Okonkwo Hung himself from a tree. The commissioner was writing a book called “The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger(Achebe 209)” and that “One could almost write a whole chapter on him(Achebe 208)” meaning with what Okonkwo had done to the missionaries and against Christianity. Okonkwo and the missionaries both deserve part of the blame for the fall of the Igbo people and Obierika is very justified in placing blame on both of them.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In The Igbo Tribe

    1324 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gender roles are based on several different things throughout the Igbo tribe. As inculcated throughout society and formed by the tribe, sex implies the distinction between

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In Igbo Culture

    1015 Words  | 3 Pages

    In many countries there are distinctive gender roles. For almost every culture there are male and female “traits and roles”. Men are usually seen as masculine and completes all the hard work. On the other hand, women are seen as fragile and meant to stay home and tend to the children. An example of this is in Indian culture. Although women are working alongside men in today’s society they are still looked down upon. Women who are well educated suffer from a social stigma. Women are not appreciated for the things they do. Gender roles in Igbo culture share some differences and similarities with cultures around the world. The Igbo people hail from Nigeria, they have a very rich culture and history. Things Fall Apart is a wonderful novel created

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart

    1974 Words  | 4 Pages

    Chinua Achebe?s Things Fall Apart is a narrative story that follows the life of an African man called Okonkwo. The setting of the book is in eastern Nigeria, on the eve of British colonialism in Africa. The novel illustrates Okonkwo?s struggles, triumphs, and his eventual downfall, all of which basically coincide with the Igbo?s society?s struggle with the Christian religion and British government. In this essay I will give a biographical account of Okonwo, which will serve to help understand that social, political, and economic institutions of the Igbos.

    Read More

  • Definition Of Igbo Culture In Nigeria

    782 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to the online Webster dictionary to be civilized means marked by well- organized laws and rules about how people behave with each other. It also states that to be civilized means to be polite, responsible, and respectful. Based on a reading of the novel and related non-fiction articles, it is clear that in the 1880’s, the Ibo culture of Nigeria is civilized. The Ibo culture fits the definition of one who is civilized perfectly. They have rules for their government, they are respectful and grateful during festivals, and the women are responsible when taking care of their family.

    Read More

  • Essay On Igbo People

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Igbo are a profoundly religious people who believe in a benevolent creator, usually known as Chukwu, who created the visible universe (uwa). Opposing this force for good is agbara, meaning spirit or supernatural being. In some situations people are referred to as agbara in describing an almost impossible feat performed by them. In a common phrase the igbo people will say Bekee wu agbara. This means the white man is spirit. This is usually in amazement at the scientific inventions of the white man.

    Read More

  • The Destruction of the Igbo Indigenous Culture in Things Fall Apart

    1683 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Things fall apart, Chinua Achebe showed us the richness of the Igbo traditional culture as well as the destruction of it through the activities of British missionaries. The appearance of Christianity on the Nigerian tribal land led to the disintegration of belief in the Igbo society, and made way for British colonization. Were the British the only cause of the destruction of the Igbo culture? The appearance of a new religion was not the sole reason for the loss of a tradition. The Igbo people also lost their culture because of many unreasonable conceptions in their spirituality.

    Read More

  • Umuofia Government In Chinua Achebe's Thing Fall Apart

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    As with most primitive societies, the Igbo was ruled by a few elite, all of which were male. Those able to obtain power in the village are male,

    Read More

  • Imperialism in Things Fall Apart, Thesis by Chinua Achebe

    1035 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Feast for New Yam in Igbo-Ukwu." Www.ic.galegroup.com. N.p., 20 Oct. 2008. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.

    Read More

  • Essay On Nigeria Legal System

    1899 Words  | 4 Pages

    The culture of Nigeria is multi-ethnic and consists of three large ethnic groups. These groups are the Yoruba, Hausa-Fulani, and the Igbo. The people of Nigeria still hold their traditional languages, music, and dance closely and may differ from ethnic group to ethnic group. Although English is considered to be Nigeria’s official language, only fifty percent of the population can speak it. This is contributed to the fact of the different amount of tribes, and generally, every tribe has its own language (Boomie).

    Read More

  • The Role of Music in Society

    1731 Words  | 4 Pages

    Oti, Adepeju; Ayeni, Oyebola. (2013) Yoruba Culture of Nigeria: Creating Space for an Endangered Species Cross - Cultural Communication9.4 : 23-29

    Read More

More about The Importance Of Igbo In West Africa

Open Document