Igbos have not made good of keeping records
We know that like many of other Africans, many Igbos were taken as slaves to the Americas.
But we do not know of Igbos taken as slaves to the Northern or Western parts of Nigeria
Therefore, I should be right to state that the first Igbos in the SW and North of Nigeria were not slaves taken to those places by force

So my question is this? When did Igbo migration to distant Nigerian regions begin? Igbos traded voluntarily with the Ijaws and ogonis. So my grandfather told me. My grandfather told me his father used to ride bikes weekly from Abia state to Ogoni and other riverine areas buying and selling. I understand that, given the proximity between Igboland and towns and villages in the present-day River state. Same also for Cross River and Akwa Ibom. But I do not understand that of Lagos (SW) and the North.

Zik was born in 1904 in Zungeru, present day Niger state. This means his parents likely lived in the North before 1900.
Same for Ojukwu who was also born in the North.

When did the first Igbo man migrate out of Igboland to LAGOS and the North? Who was that Igbo man? Why did he migrate? How did he migrate (no Igbo man or any other Nigerian is known to own a car as of the 1800s). Did he trek from alaigbo to Lagos and/or Kano?. Did he ride a horse? Did he use the train? If so when did trains arrive Nigeria?
What prompted the wave of migration thereafter?

trying to trace your root or reintegrate your lost brothers from Israel.It is possible they staged during there migration from the holy land as some how suggested by some igbos about there link to israel?

Zik was born in 1904 in Zungeru, meaning that his parents likely live in the North before 1900

true that.

Two fictional books could have provided some insight: Peter Nwanna's Omenuko (first Igbo literature written in 1930 and a must read for any Igbo) and Cyprian Ekwensi's (CE) African Nights Entertainment, about migration in Northern Nigeria and the wondering sokugo. But these are fictions.

Indeed CE's own dad was a hunter and CE was also born in the North in 1921. Could hunting be one of the motivations for this early migration?
Omenuko was the fictional story of an Igbo traveller who, if I remember correctly, became rich. He was a conservative man who hardly spent his money.

But hunting alone, if at all, does not provide the answer since Zik was by far older than CE and Zik's parents were civil servants in the North before zik was born. I am getting really confused

Well i know that the igbos historically had traded with the Idomas and possibly moved up north gradually due to trade.I also know the Hausa have moved alot to in terms of trade to the central areas and basically had begin responsible for the movement of bulk goods between places and peoples.So trade of rear commodities may have allowed exchange and language interactions.Allowing the Hausa and Igbo meet and move business together.Explaining the significant number of Igbos in Kano and NW mainly. secondly the colonial masters also moved people employed by them for labour and security goals.

haka_nai:

Well i know that the igbos historically had traded with the Idomas and possibly moved up north gradually due to trade.I also know the Hausa have moved alot to in terms of trade to the central areas and basically had begin responsible for the movement of bulk goods between places and peoples.So trade of rear commodities may have allowed exchange and language interactions.Allowing the Hausa and Igbo meet and move business together.Explaining the significant number of Igbos in Kano and NW mainly. secondly the colonial masters also moved people employed by them for labour and security goals.

Thanks. The bolded seems the most plausible explanation.

Do you know for sure if any Igbos lived in the North before the colonialists came? Poor history of Nigeria.

When the first Igbo and Hausa and Yoruba met themselves, what did they say to each other? Assuming this meeting was before English language came into play

Do you know for sure if any Igbos lived in the North before the colonialists came?

i doubt there's any answer to this question unless you check by the individuals towns, not overall igbo.

Igbo migration is a very broad topic. Prior to colonization, Igbo people conducted business in cities like Benin city, Calabar and Arochukwu and some went as far as Cameroon. However, this type of migration is very different from the modern migration that occurred after colonization. This latter type of migration occurred mainly due to the job opportunities that were brought by the British. I'm guessing that by 1940, this type of migration was well-established. The people just flocked to cities to satisfy the demand for an educated working force in cities like Kano, Ibadan, Aba, Lagos, Kaduna, Enugu, Sapele, and etc.

Nchara:

Igbos have not made good of keeping records
We know that like many of other Africans, many Igbos were taken as slaves to the Americas.
But we do not know of Igbos taken as slaves to the Northern or Western parts of Nigeria
Therefore, I should be right to state that the first Igbos in the SW and North of Nigeria were not slaves taken to those places by force

So my question is this? When did Igbo migration to distant Nigerian regions begin? Igbos traded voluntarily with the Ijaws and ogonis. So my grandfather told me. My grandfather told me his father used to ride bikes weekly from Abia state to Ogoni and other riverine areas buying and selling. I understand that, given the proximity between Igboland and towns and villages in the present-day River state. Same also for Cross River and Akwa Ibom. But I do not understand that of Lagos (SW) and the North.

Zik was born in 1904 in Zungeru, meaning that his parents likely lived in the North before 1900.
Same for Ojukwu who was also born in the North.

When did the first Igbo man migrate out of Igboland to LAGOS and the North? Who was that Igbo man? Why did he migrate? How did he migrate (no Igbo man or any other Nigerian is known to own a car as of the 1800s). Did he trek from alaigbo to Lagos and/or Kano?. Did he ride a horse? Did he use the train? If so when did trains arrive Nigeria?
What prompted the wave of migration thereafter?

[Deleted - double post]

The ethnic nations in Nigeria traded, fought and co-ordinated with each other prior to the coming of the British, Portuguese etc

Ethnic groups traded right across West Africa with words and cultures borrowed etc

For example the word Jollof  in Jollof rice is actually from the Historical Kingdom of Wolof which was near Senegal / Gambia.  Jollof Rice originated from that region and through trade across historical empires was borrowed by ethnic groups now in Nigeria.

It is possible that migration of Igbos and other ethnic groups happened before the British but it is probable that Azikwe's parent's migration was due to the coming of the British.  That is his parents may have been the "middle class" employed by the British or who came as traders to the region.

many of them followed the railroad because of the job opportunities offered.

ie they settled in the north due to railroad jobs. However, it wasnt only igbos but the midwest through south south as well.

Going down memory lane, President Obasanjo recalled that "actual railway construction in Nigeria commenced in 1898 with a 32 km line of 1067mm gauge from Iddo (Lagos State) to Otta (Ogun State), which was further extended to Ibadan covering a total of 193 km in 1901. Railway construction continued incrementally in such manners between 1901-1910, Ibadan-Jebba (295 km); 1907-1911, Kano-Baro (562 km); 1909-1915, Jebba-Minna (252 km); 1914-1916, Port-Harcourt-Enugu (243 km); and 1922-1927, Kafanchan-Jos (179 km).

http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2006/08/nigeria_modern_rail_system_83b.html

many of them followed the railroad because of the job opportunities offered.

ie they settled in the north due to railroad jobs. However, it wasnt only igbos but the midwest through south south as well.


Quote

Going down memory lane, President Obasanjo recalled that "actual railway construction in Nigeria commenced in 1898 with a 32 km line of 1067mm gauge from Iddo (Lagos State) to Otta (Ogun State), which was further extended to Ibadan covering a total of 193 km in 1901. Railway construction continued incrementally in such manners between 1901-1910, Ibadan-Jebba (295 km); 1907-1911, Kano-Baro (562 km); 1909-1915, Jebba-Minna (252 km); 1914-1916, Port-Harcourt-Enugu (243 km); and 1922-1927, Kafanchan-Jos (179 km).


http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2006/08/nigeria_modern_rail_system_83b.html

Tpia:

From your post, railway lines in the East were built not before 1900. So it is still a mystery how the Igbos migrated before the railways came. The wave of migration during and after the railway era toward North is understandable. But again up till today there is no railway connection between the East and West. Canoe migration is ruled out since Igbos are not riverine people and there is no river connection.

Before the slave trade, Igboland obviously had more people. And to add to that, we were still practicing our cultures which polygamy was a norm. Our living conditions were pretty good it seems too. Lets assume that what they say today is true, "Igbo land is small that is why Igbos travel out of there land because of population pressure", then being that before slavery or colonialism there were more Igbos in Igboland they had to have been traveling and settling in far places possibly in the core north or far north(adamawa,plateau) and southwest as well. But the thing is, they were not under the name of IGBO. If this isn't the case then the claim of "Igboland is too small, etc,etc" is a huge lie,which I tend to believe regardless of anything because I've lived there, because after colonialism and slavery, there were less Igbos then before. This may leave one to thing that the real reason Igbos have been traveling out was not really due to population pressure but new avenues opportunities and easier ways for more Igbos to get there.

VoodooDoll:

The ethnic nations in Nigeria traded, fought and co-ordinated with each other prior to the coming of the British, Portuguese etc

Ethnic groups traded right across West Africa with words and cultures borrowed etc

For example the word Jollof  in Jollof rice is actually from the Historical Kingdom of Wolof which was near Senegal / Gambia.  Jollof Rice originated from that region and through trade across historical empires was borrowed by ethnic groups now in Nigeria.

It is possible that migration of Igbos and other ethnic groups happened before the British but it is probable that Azikwe's parent's migration was due to the coming of the British.  That is his parents may have been the "middle class" employed by the British or who came as traders to the region.

I agree that trade must have playe a pivotal role in the migration of the Nigerian peoples But how come there is no documentation of trade between Igbo and the Yoruba and between Igbo and the North before colonialism? It was clear that Igbos were trading with their neighbours due to proximity and some similarities in language, especially the ibibios and annangs. We need to revisit these things and begin to document them before it is too late. That way, we can solve some of the problems besetting us currently. It looks like our parents lived more peaceably/peacefully amongst themselves than we are doing now.

Nchara:

Tpia:

From your post, railway lines in the East were built not before 1900. So it is still a mystery how the Igbos migrated before the railways came. The wave of migration during and after the railway era toward North is understandable. But again up till today there is no railway connection between the East and West. Canoe migration is ruled out since Igbos are not riverine people and there is no ricer connection.

If you're seeking for the logistics of how people migrated, dont under estimate the value of bicycles. At the early part of the 20th century, bicycles were very popular since very few people could afford cars. At that time period, anyone who was anybody owned a bicycle. However, trucks, cars, buses, and trains became available options of transport from the twenties onwards. Most people that went to the North went by way of train. There used to be a railroad that linked Kaduna, Enugu, Aba, and Port Harcourt.

Also don't underestimate the use of canoes. Where I come from, people use canoes to cross streams and rivers inorder to trade and do business with the Ibibios and Efiks on the other side.

Chyz*:

Before the slave trade, Igboland obviously had more people. And to add to that, we were still practicing our cultures which polygamy was a norm. Our living conditions were pretty good it seems too. Lets assume that what they say today is true, "Igbo land is small that is why Igbos travel out of there land because of population pressure", then being that before slavery or colonialism there were more Igbos in Igboland they had to have been traveling and settling in far places possibly in the core north or far north(adamawa,plateau) and southwest as well. But the thing is, they were not under the name of IGBO. If this isn't the case then the claim of "Igboland is too small, etc,etc" is a huge lie,which I tend to believe regardless of anything because I've lived there, because after colonialism and slavery, there were less Igbos then before. This may leave one to thing that the real reason Igbos have been traveling out was not really due to population pressure but new avenues opportunities and easier ways for more Igbos to get there.

Yes, I also do not believe that initial migration out of Igboland is due to land mass problem. Igbos already began migrating when population was not a problem.

Nchara:

When the first Igbo and Hausa and Yoruba met themselves, what did they say to each other? Assuming this meeting was before English language came into play

The Igbo man being thirsty said to the hausa man;  "nyem mmiri" which means give me water and the hausa man thought he said "nyamiri". That's when the Hausas started uding the term  Nyamiri to describe Igbos.

Nchara:

I agree that trade must have playe a pivotal role in the migration of the Nigerian peoples But how come there is no documentation of trade between Igbo and the Yoruba and between Igbo and the North before colonialism? It was clear that Igbos were trading with their neighbours due to proximity and some similarities in language, especially the ibibios and annangs. We need to revisit these things and begin to document them before it is too late. That way, we can solve some of the problems besetting us currently. It looks like our parents lived more peaceably/peacefully amongst themselves than we are doing now.

Sure. But there was a time when there were no bicycles. Igbos, Yoruba and other peoples of present day Nigeria did not have the technology to make bicycles at some point. I believe the colonialists brought bicycles with them before they brought in cars, etc. So do you mean migration of Igbos to the distant parts (N and SW) came only after the bicycles?

And yes, again, Igbos traded with Ibiobios and Annangs and Cross River peoples using canoes. There are clear water way connections (Kwa Ibo, rive Imo river, Cross river, etc) between these peoples

nwabobo:

The Igbo man being thirsty said to the hausa man;  "nyem mmiri" which means give me water and the hausa man thought he said "nyamiri". That's when the Hausas started uding the term  Nyamiri to describe Igbos.

Hillarious. But seriously,

I read on this site where an hausa man described his early sojourn to Onitsha. The man claimed to have lived in Onitsha for 80 years. Can anyone get that thread.

^^you too dey find something sha.

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-776050.0.html

but 80 years would mean he went there in 1932.

not too long ago, given the context.

tpia@:

^^you too dey find something sha.

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-776050.0.html

but 80 years would mean he went there in 1932.

not too long ago, given the context.

Thanks. the bolded is true.

According to my late grandfather, my great-grandfather though originally from the Aro Confederacy, was born in the 1870s in present day Plateau state but migrated to Kano and was instrumental in the process leading to the founding and camping of southerners (mostly Igbos) in Sabon Gari in sometime in 1910 -1912.

There were many Igbos in Kano by the 1885s - early 1900s.

As a little child, Mallam who was coming with his parents to transact business in Onitsha and later travelled back to Kano had after six years of the journey settled down in Onitsha and had since continued to live in the town.

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-776050.0.html


Although he did not state the time his parents began coming to Igboland for trading, I guess it is within the railway era. How was it before the railways?

dem_people:

According to my late grandfather, my great-grandfather though originally from the Aro Confederacy, was born in the 1870s in present day Plateau state but migrated to Kano and was instrumental in the process leading to the founding and camping of southerners (mostly Igbos) in Sabon Gari in sometime in 1910 -1912.

There were many Igbos in Kano by the 1885s - early 1900s.

How did your great grand father's parents move to Plateau before 1870? Do you know?

Nchara:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-776050.0.html


Although he did not state the time his parents began coming to Igboland for trading, I guess it is within the railway era. How was it before the railways?

before the railways- not sure but i'd assume either by water or foot. There might have been lorries but its hard to tell unless further info is found.

dem_people:

There were many Igbos in Kano by the 1885s - early 1900s.

that's probably true.

Don't under estimate the importance of River Niger back in the days. Royal Niger company were already sailing up and down the Niger via pontoons. The Niger connects many rivers one way or the other.

Sailing on the Niger would be the easiest route for Zik's parents. Fulani herdsmen still walk from far north to the south so I am sure other people also walked great distances to ply their trades, with some of them eventually settling in far away lands.

^^that would also explain the presence of igbos in niger state from long ago.

we already know there was cultural exchange between enugu and ilorin in the 19th century.

in addition, large scale migration to the north of igboland, could have also gained momentum in that same century.

not saying it wasnt there before though. There are few records to go by.