The Igbo people are an ethnic group in Nigeria. They are primarily found in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. A sizable Igbo population is also found in Delta and Rivers States. Large ethnic Igbo populations are found in Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea, as well as outside Africa. There has been much speculation about the origins of the Igbo people, which are largely unknown. Geographically, the Igbo homeland is divided into two unequal sections by the Niger River—an eastern and a western section. The Igbo people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa.
Anambra State is a Nigerian state, located in the southeastern region of the country. The state was created on August 27, 1991. Anambra state is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo State to the south, Enugu State to the east and Kogi State to the north.
Awka is the capital city of Anambra State, Nigeria. The city was declared capital on 21 August 1991, after the creation of Anambra and Enugu state, which moved the capital from Enugu to Awka. The city has an estimated population of 301,657 as of the 2006 Nigerian census, and over 2.5 million as of a 2018 estimate. The city is located at199.1 kilometres (123.7 mi), by road, directly north of Port Harcourt in the centre of the densely-populated Igbo heartland in South East Nigeria.
Arondizuogu (Aro-ndizuogu) is a town inhabited by the Igbo subgroup, the Aro people in the Imo State of Nigeria. The Arondizuogu community is believed to have migrated from Arochukwu in the present Abia State, to their current settlements in across three local governments of Imo state, which include the Okigwe, Ideato North and Onuimo Local Governments, although there are others of Aro descent in other local governments, in Imo State.
Mmanwu is a traditional masquerade of the Igbo people of Southeastern Nigeria. They are performed only by males in exclusive secret societies and involve the use of elaborate, colorful costumes that are meant to invoke ancestral spirits. Masquerade traditions have a varied range of purposes that span from performing elements of epic drama derived from community cosmology and lore, ushering in new months and seasons, honoring totems and ancestral spirits, enactments of parables or myths, with entertainment and community building serving as a consistent commonality. In the past masquerades also bore judicial, social regulatory, and even policing powers, however though these functions have decreased in modern times.
Ngwo is a town located in the south-eastern state of Enugu, Nigeria, with a population of about 100,000 people. The towns native population are of Igbo ethnicity.
The Kingdom of Nri was a medieval polity located in what is now Nigeria. The kingdom existed as a sphere of religious and political influence over a third of Igboland, and was administered by a priest-king called an Eze Nri. The Eze Nri managed trade and diplomacy on behalf of the Nri people, a subgroup of the Igbo-speaking people, and possessed divine authority in religious matters.
Aguleri meaning Agulu nwa Eri (Agulu-Eri). This is because according to their traditional lores, Agulu is the son of Eri, son of Jacob. Lawrence Ozeh is an internet entrepreneur, in his essay, he opined that Aguleri is the cradle of Igbo people. Aguleri is a medium-sized town, located within the Anambra valley in the southeastern quadrant of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which is a country on the west coast of Africa. Aguleri is the largest town in Anambra North local government area of Anambra State in Nigeria, bordered by Umueri, Anam, Nteje and Nando in the West, Anaku, Omor, Ifite Ogwari, Igbakwu and Umueje in the East, Iggah, Ojjor, Asaba and Ogwurugwu communities of Uzo Uwani lga in Enugu state in the south, while in North it borders Obele, Odeke, Eshonwa communities of ibaji lga in Kogi state. Census figures put the population of Aguleri at close to 900,000 people. Aguleri has a landmass of about 380 square kilometers.
Igbo Culture are the customs, practices and traditions of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. It consists of ancient practices as well as new concepts added into the Igbo culture either by cultural evolution or by outside influence. These customs and traditions include the Igbo people's visual art, music and dance forms, as well as their attire, cuisine and language dialects. Because of their various subgroups, the variety of their culture is heightened further.
The New Yam Festival of the Igbo people is an annual cultural festival by the Igbo people that is held at the end of the rainy season in early August.
Nembe is a Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Nembe in the east of the area at 4°32′22″N6°24′01″E The people of Brass, Nembe and Southern Ijaw Councils of Bayelsa State have bemoaned their neglect by oil companies operating in their areas.
Otuocha is a town and Headquarters of Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria. It was previously a divisional headquarters of Anambra Divisional council during the first (1st) Republic and also the old Local Government Headquarters of Old Anambra local government area that was broken to create the following four prevalent local governments: Anambra East, Anambra West, Oyi and Ayamelum LGAs.
Umueri, also known and pronounced as Umuleri, is an ancient town in the Anambra State of Southeastern Nigeria. The people of Umueri belong to the Igbo ethnic group, and the town has an estimated population of 1,500,000. It is located within the Anambra Valley, bordered by the Anambra River and Anam communities in the north, Nteje to the south, Aguleri and Nando in the east and Nsugbe in the western flank. The forebears are widely acknowledged as the first settler in Omambala valley. Umueri has three main quarters: Ezi Umueri, Ifite Umueri, and Ikenga Umueri.
The Waawa clan of Northern Igboland, also referred to as Ndi Waawa, Wawa People, are a unique sub-group of the Igbo people in Enugu and Ebonyi State, Nigeria, consisting of several communities, who all speak a unique dialect of Igbo called Waawa. The most notable among these are the Agbaja and Ngwo which consist of peoples between the wooded lands of Awka to the rocky valleys of Enugu. The Agbaja are made up of communities in present-day Ngwo clan, Udi, Ezeagu, Umulokpa, Igbo-Etiti, Oji River, greater Awgu, Odume, Ndiagbor, Nenwe, Mpu, Okpanku and Enugu East Local Government Areas. Other notable parts of the Waawa clan include Nkanu, Nsukka, Abia, Nike, Agbani, Owo, and other communities in Enugu State. The Waawa are most notably associated with Chief Onyeama's people from Eke, who was the paramount ruler of Agbaja in the early 20th century.
The Ofala Festival is an annual ceremony practiced by Igbo people, particularly the indigenes of Onitsha, Umueri, Umuoji and other neighboring communities such as Aguleri, Nnewi and Ukpo in Dunukofia Local Government Area. It serves as a rites of renewal of the king or Igwe or Obi and it is similar to the Igue festival in Benin and the Ine, Osi or Ogbanigbe Festival in many mid-West Igbo communities of Nigeria. The term ofala, is derived from two Igbo words - ọfọ and ala. The festival is celebrated within two days mostly in October by the Obi and is a customary obligation that must be performed every couple of years without fail.
Afiaolu is a traditional festival held annually in Nnewi around August. The Afiaolu festival commences on “Eke” day with what is traditionally described as “Iwaji” and Ikpa Nku, this heralds the availability of new yam as well as thanksgiving to God. The festival includes a variety of entertainments including performance of ceremonial rites by the Igwe (king), cultural dance by girls and masquerade dance.
Neni, is an Igbo speaking town in Southeastern Nigeria.
Yam is a staple food in West Africa and other regions classified as a Tuber crop and it is an annual or perennial crop. The New Yam festival is celebrated by almost every ethnic group in Nigeria and is observed annually at the end of June.
In Igboland, there are different festivities that are celebrated, but the most influential of all include the masquerade festival and the New Yam Festival.
