Igbo People and Igbo Land

Olaudah Equina - Jaja of Opobo - Nri Obalike - Chinua Achebe
Philip Emeagwali - Pat Utomi - Chris Abani - Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Chimamanda N. Adichie - Chiwetel Ejiofor - Mikel Obi - Genevieve Nnaji

(From The World Igbo Congress) - Igbo people are among the largest single ethnic groups in Africa. They are based mostly in southeastern Nigeria constituting about 25% of the population of the country. Because the Igbo is daring, competitive, hard-working and enterprising, they can be found doing business in all parts of Nigeria, in Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. 

These attributes brought success, wealth and power… as well as distrust, jealousy and outright hatred within the polity. The mass exodus of Igbo people from their homeland has continued unabated and the Igbo can indeed be found in very significant numbers in all parts of the world. Their language is Igbo. 

Administratively, Igbo people make up 100% of the five states of the southeast zone comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. The contiguous states of Delta and Rivers in the south-south zone also have very significant Igbo populations. Igbo is the language throughout Igbo land. Prominent cities/parts in the Igbo country include Aba, Awka, Owerri, Orlu, Nnewi, Mbaise, Nsukka, Enugu, Onitsha , Afikpo, Okigwe, Umuahia, Asaba, amongst others. 

Igbo land is bothered in the east by Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, in the north by Benue and Kogi states, in the west by Edo and Delta states and in the south by Rivers and Bayelsa states. Port Harcourt in Rivers state is essentially an Igbo center being made up mostly of Ikwerre people and is its gateway to the Bight of Biafra. Delta State is contiguous with the Igbo states of Anambra and Imo with the Anioma area in its north being an Igbo area.

Abia State: South-East Nigeria

Abia State is a state in southeastern Nigeria. The capital is Umuahia, although the major commercial city is Aba. The state was created in 1991 from part of Imo State. It is one of the nine constituent states of the Niger Delta region. The name "Abia" is an abbreviation of four of the state's densely populated regions Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato, and Afikpo. Abia people are of the Igbo ethnic group who predominate the Southeastern part of Nigeria. English is widely spoken and serves as the official language in governance and business. Abia's people are mainly Christians. The state has large deposits of crude oil and natural gas. 

Anambra State: South-East Nigeria

Anambra is a state in southeastern Nigeria. Its name is an anglicized version of the original 'Oma Mbala', the native name of the Anambra River. The capital and the seat of government is Awka. Onitsha and Nnewi are the biggest commercial and industrial cities, respectively. Boundaries are formed by Delta State to the west, Imo State and Rivers State to the south, Enugu State to the east and Kogi State to the north. The indigenous ethnic group in Anambra state are the Igbo. Anambra is the eighth most populated state in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the second most densely populated state in Nigeria after Lagos State with an estimated density of 1,500–2,000 persons living within every square kilometer of the area. The state has large deposits of crude oil and natural gas untapped.

Delta State: South-South Nigeria

Delta State comprises mainly Urhobo, Isoko, Delta Igbo (Anioma), Ijaw and Itsekiri. Delta is an oil producing state of Nigeria situated in the region known as the Niger Delta, south-south geo-political zone. The capital city is Asaba located at the northern end of the state. Warri is economic nerve of the state and also the most populated. It is located in the southern end of the state. Delta State is ethnically diverse with peoples and numerous languages spoken in the state. The Delta North made up of the Delta Igbo comprises the Asaba, Aniocha, Ika, Ukwuani and Ndoisimili regions. The Delta Central and Delta South are made up of Urhobo, Ijaw, Isoko, and Itsekiri. These groups are known to inter-marry. Most inhabitants of the state practice Christianity and very few traditional faiths.

Ebonyi State: South-East Nigeria

Ebonyi State is a mainland southeastern state of Nigeria, inhabited and populated primarily by Igbo. Its capital and largest city is Abakaliki. Afikpo is the second largest city. Other major towns are Edda, Mgbo, Onueke, Ezzamgbo, Nkalagu, Uburu, Onicha, Ishiagu, Ukawu, Amasiri and Okposi. It is one of the six new states in Nigeria created in 1996 out of the old Abakaliki division of Enugu State and old Afikpo division of Abia State. The state has large deposits of crude oil and natural gas untapped. Ebonyi is primarily an agricultural producing region. It is a leading producer of rice, yams, potatoes, maize, beans, and cassava. Rice and yams are predominantly cultivated in Edda. Ebonyi also has several solid mineral resources, but little large-scale commercial mining.

Enugu State: South-East Nigeria

Enugu State is a mainland state in southeastern Nigeria. Its capital is Enugu, from which the state—created in 1991 from the old Anambra State—derives its name. The principal cities in the state are Enugu, Agbani, Awgu, Udi, Oji, and Nsukka. The state shares borders with Abia State and Imo State to the south, Ebonyi State to the east, Benue State to the northeast, Kogi State to the northwest and Anambra State to the west.

Imo State: South-East Nigeria

Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new states having been previously part of East-Central State. The state is named after the Imo River. Part of it was split off in 1991 as Abia State, and another part became Ebonyi State. The main cities in Imo State are Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe. The Orashi River has its source in this state. The local language is Igbo and Christianity is the predominant religion. It is bordered by Abia State on the east, by the River Niger and Delta State on the west, by Anambra State to the north and Rivers State to the south. Besides Owerri, Imo State's major towns are Isu, Okigwe, Oguta, Orlu, Mbaise, Mbano, Mbieri, Orodo and Orsu. The state is rich in natural resources including crude oil, natural gas, lead, and zinc.

Rivers State: South-South Nigeria

Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the north by Imo, Abia and Anambra states, to the east by Akwa Ibom State and to the west by Bayelsa and Delta states. The state was formed in 1967 with the split of the Eastern Region of Nigeria. Rivers State is home to diverse ethnic groups some of which include: Ikwerre, Ijaw, and Ogoni. Ikwerre people are generally considered a subgroup of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria, although a small minority for political expediency now dispute this account, claiming their history was rewritten during the colonial period because of the dominance of the larger Igbo group. The Ikwerre are said to be descendants of long-distance traders from Nkwerre, Arochukwu, Awka, Orlu, and Owerri areas. They constitute the majority of Rivers State, Nigeria, although there are other populations in neighboring states. They are traditionally farmers, fishermen and hunters, but in recent times, the environmental degradation and urban sprawl associated with oil exploration and exploitation has caused a sharp decline in the amount of farmland, forests and rivers available for their traditional occupations.

Source: The World Igbo Congress