Visiting Igboland - Magazine Article

The Igboland is situated in Africa, with the Igbo people forming one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. About 15 million of the Igbo people live in Nigeria, with about another million living outside of Nigeria. Like the British culture, the Igbo culture is rooted in trade, as well as farming. Farming communities in the Igboland are mostly situated between the Niger River in the west and the Cross river in the east, stretching from the delta near the southern coast to the open grasslands of the north. Unlike the United Kingdoms society,  the Igbo world is based on an equalitarian principle, ensuring that no one person or group acquires too much control over the life of others. 

History:

The Igbo culture and language is very diverse, with the Igbo language consisting of many dozens of dialects due to the many self-contained villages and towns which were separated by dense bush. Before the twentieth century, it would have been incorrect to address the Igbo people as one as they were made up of 200 individual groups. Even though their culture was somewhat similar, each group could easily be identified as a separate society. Due to this, the concept of a common Igbo identity can be identified as a product of the Victorian Era. The British conquest of Igboland began in January 1900, resulting in a rapid spread of Christianity and western education throughout the Igboland. This was due to several reasons, such as the Igbo people’s value of accepting change as well as due to the Igbo people’s realisation of the importance of Western education in the new colonial structure. 

Belief Systems:

Like in Christianity, the Igbo People also believe in supreme god which created all things and demands obedience. Religion has been an integral part of Igbo life since a long time. In addition to this, the Igbo people also believe in life after death, where there is a constant interaction between the dead and the living. In the Igbo culture, death is personified as a powerful spirit which gains mastery over the life giving principle Ndo. Furthermore, there is a carryover of social status and other personal qualities from the world of the living to the world of the dead. Like the United Kingdom’s society, the Igbo people believe in a world of moving equilibrium, a world where change is expected and encouraged. This change in equilibrium is also seen as manipulatable for ones own purpose. When visiting the Igboland, one must remember to be social with the Igbo people, as being anti social is considered a sin and people doing so are held in contempt. 

Society’s Structure:

The Igbo people’s society structure contrasts the most to western societies. Whereas there is a clear hierarchy within western societies, the Igbo people believe in equality and equal opportunities for all, resulting in a lack of centralised political structure. The Igbo world is based on an equalitarian principle. No one person should acquire too much power and too much control over the life of others, even the leader of the Igbo people should be approachable by others. However true equality cannot be achieved in any society, which the Igbo people realise, and therefore believe that each citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success. In the Igbo world, a great emphasis is placed on success and achieving titles which are bought with money, thus only men which have greatly succeeded in making money ever achieve such titles. 

Overall the Igboland is a culture that shares some similarities and many differences with the western cultures, which can be seen in both societies by things such as trade which are a foundation to both cultures. However as one might expect, the Igbo culture is also very different, with the most extreme to a western person being that there is no central government to hold everything in order, yet the Igbo people still manage to successfully function without one. The Igbo world is a must see for anyone wanting to see a very unique culture with many traditions and values which only apply to the Igbo people. Through the friendliness, where socialising is encouraged, a visitor is sure to enjoy their stay and learn many new things.