10 Interesting Facts About Igbo People & Culture

Nigeria is indeed the giant of Africa with 371 tribes across over 250 ethnic groups and one of the world’s most unique due to the fusion of different tribes into one.

Nigerians are beautiful, and the amazing cultures of the various vibrant tribes keep them colorful and stand out among others.

The Igbo people are an ethnic group in Nigeria. They are primarily found in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States.

There has been a lot of hypothesis about the origins of the Igbo people, as it is unknown how exactly the group came to form.

The Igbo people are one of the most adorable tribe in Nigerians we have and we would explore some of the interesting facts about this wonderful people and their culture.

Facts About Igbo People & Culture

1. Hardworking and Industrious

The Igbo people are probably the most dedicated tribes in Nigeria and they are resilient people who do all kind of work and make a good earning for themself.

The Igbo people are proud for their hustle and love to earn a living wage at any rate they can get it going.

They also have this enterprising soul that persuades them and make them fruitful in their endeavors.

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2. Religious

The Igbo people are an exceptionally religious ethnic gathering as they believe in God and the presence of a heavenly being whom they alluded to as Chineke even before Christianity was introduced to them.

They also have faith in different divine beings as well and major ones includes igwekala, Ala, Ikenga, Anyanwu, Idemmili, anwu, Amadioha, njoku ji, and Ogbanabali. Ala: otherwise called ani, ana, and numerous dialects) is the female (deity) of the earth, of the earth, fertility, creativity and morality in Odinala.

She is the most regarded and importantly in the Igbo culture.

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3. Igbo folks have claimed to have traced their origin to Israel

Igbos have oftentimes claimed that they may have originated from Israel and was more clear as of late when Nnamdi Kanu made the disclosures while battling for an IPOB state.

Eri, the father of all Igbos as claimed, who hailed from Israel was the fifth son of Gad, the seventh son of Jacob (Reference: Numbers 26:16-18).

Over the past decades, some of member of the Igbo have been relocated to Israel and particularly to Tel Aviv, to connect themselves with their religion and family lines completely.

4. Love Of Money 

The Igbos are one the most hardworking tribes in the entire of Africa as their love for money and wealth is close to none. A number good Igbo people bring in their money lawfully and vigorously grimace at unlawful method for making money.

In the Igbo traditional community, people who have make money and have become successful are always regarded for their wealth and prosperity and are usually bestowed with Chieftancy titles.

5. Great Value and regard for extended family

The Igbo people do not play with their family as they usually have large and extended families who all gather together to celebrate during festival period.

The average Igbo person travels back to his hometown usually at the end of the year with their immediate family and join their families for celebration.

In the Igbo culture, the extended family is regarded as Umunna.

6. The Igbo tribe are Travellers

Igbo people are known for migrating to other lands. It is with a spirit of hard work that Igbos move form place to place in search of wealth and greener pastures. There is no place in the world you won’t find any Igbo person as resident there.

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7. Igbo’s Have a Calendar system peculiar to them

The Igbo calendar is the traditional calendar system of the Igbo people from present-day Nigeria.

The calendar has 13 months in a year, 7 weeks in a month, and 4 days of Igbo market days in a week plus an extra day at the end of the year, in the last month.

The name of these months was accounted for by Onwuejeogwu.

This calendar has four market days specifically; Squeeze, Afor, Nkwo and Orie.

8. Igbo People Are Very Intelligent

Igbo people are one of the smartest and brightest tribes in Africa and they continue to maintain their spot as one of the most intelligent people in the world as several successful igbo people show this for many decade.

There are Igbo people cut across nearly all occupations and this shows their versatility as a people.

9. They Invented a way of saving called Isusu.

The Igbos had, and still have a “savings and loans” system called “Isusu” which means “small small”.

This invention was/is also being practiced in the Caribbean Island where it is known as “Susu”.

With their love for money, it was only perfect for them to make a system.

10. Igbos Export Their Culture To Wherever They Travel To

The Igbos as a whole like the spirit of culture and take it wherever they go as they have chiefs and leaders in every community they find themselves.

11. Language

Igbo Languages are spoken by a total of 31 million people and one of the largest languages of West Africa