₦airaland Forum

The Igbo people are arguably the most misunderstood ethnic group in Nigeria. This misunderstanding often stems from the tendency of others to view the Igbo through the lens of their own cultural paradigms, rather than appreciating the unique dynamics of Igbo society.

During a recent conversation, a colleague argued that the Igbo exhibit exclusivity by refusing to sell land to non-Igbo, citing Abati's controversial claim as evidence. He pointed to the allocation of land to the Igbo in Kano's Sabon Gari as an example of northern hospitality and wondered why the southeastern Igbo don’t reciprocate.

This assertion misses a critical cultural nuance. Historically, Kano, like many other northern regions, created distinct spaces such as Sabon Gari not only for non-Hausa settlers but even for fellow Muslim northerners who were culturally distinct. This practice aligns with the north's conservative ethos, which emphasizes cultural and religious homogeneity in living arrangements.

The Igbo worldview, however, differs. In Igbo culture, visitors are encouraged to integrate rather than remain separate. Igbo communities are inherently communal and value the fusion of new residents into the social fabric of the host community. No Igbo town or village would willingly support the establishment of a parallel society in its midst. Integration is key.

For instance, a non-Igbo individual who decides to settle in a rural Igbo community, embraces their customs, and builds relationships with the locals will likely find a warm reception. Such a person could be given land to farm, often at no cost, and, in some cases, even land to build a home. This generosity, however, hinges on the willingness of the individual to assimilate into the community. Conversely, if a group—whether Igbo or non-Igbo—seeks to establish a separate enclave within an Igbo community, resistance is almost certain. Such arrangements are perceived as divisive and incompatible with the Igbo ideal of communal unity.

This difference in approach—northern segregation versus southeastern integration—reflects the distinct values of these regions. To label the Igbo as exclusive without understanding these cultural dynamics is to mischaracterize their intentions and practices.

The solution lies in deeper cultural appreciation. Only by understanding the values that underpin Igbo society can we begin to bridge the divide of misunderstanding and foster a more united Nigeria.

No one is misunderstanding the Igbos. Everyone is simply reacting to the Igbos.

Ok so if I get you right .... The igbos, who almost 60% don't live or do business in that land and will rather go to other lands and other countries to live and work, and are accepted and integrated despite the fact that they don't abandon their customs and traditions for the customs of their host land but yet are allowed to thrive to the point that they develop a grandiose delusional ego. Like that groundnut head eze in lagos who is cooling off in jail as I type this....Are the same people you say are misunderstood?

Let me ask you this is there an oba Yoruba palace in any eastern land? But there eze ndibo palace in every place that they settle and nobody ever disturbs you guys... That tells you something.

I am Yoruba but my kids are half Igbo so don't think I am speaking from hate ... I just like to say the obvious truth ... Igbos are not misunderstood. Infact the opposite is the case.

Franzinni:
Ok so if I get you right .... The igbos, who almost 60% don't live or do business in that land and will rather go to other lands and other countries to live and work, and are accepted and integrated despite the fact that they don't abandon their customs and traditions for the customs of their host land but yet are allowed to thrive to the point that they develop a grandiose delusional ego. Like that groundnut head eze in lagos who is cooling off in jail as I type this....Are the same people you say are misunderstood?

Let me ask you this is there an oba Yoruba palace in any eastern land? But there eze ndibo palace in every place that they settle and nobody ever disturbs you guys... That tells you something.

I am Yoruba but my kids are half Igbo so don't think I am speaking from hate ... I just like to say the obvious truth ... Igbos are not misunderstood. Infact the opposite is the case.

You can be married to an Igbo woman and still be full of Hate for Igbo.
White slave owners did sleep with black women and sired children with them.
So it's better you own up to your Igbo hate and stop trying to hide behind marrying an Igbo woman, as it counts for nothing.

Franzinni:
Ok so if I get you right .... The igbos, who almost 60% don't live or do business in that land and will rather go to other lands and other countries to live and work, and are accepted and integrated despite the fact that they don't abandon their customs and traditions for the customs of their host land but yet are allowed to thrive to the point that they develop a grandiose delusional ego. Like that groundnut head eze in lagos who is cooling off in jail as I type this....Are the same people you say are misunderstood?

Let me ask you this is there an oba Yoruba palace in any eastern land? But there eze ndibo palace in every place that they settle and nobody ever disturbs you guys... That tells you something.

I am Yoruba but my kids are half Igbo so don't think I am speaking from hate ... I just like to say the obvious truth ... Igbos are not misunderstood. Infact the opposite is the case.

You must be a bad inlaw to your wife people.
If you live in Igbo cities nobody send you where you come from but in the village where everybody knows everybody you want to create separate community there na so una dey do for Yoruba land?

Franzinni:
Ok so if I get you right .... The igbos, who almost 60% don't live or do business in that land and will rather go to other lands and other countries to live and work, and are accepted and integrated despite the fact that they don't abandon their customs and traditions for the customs of their host land but yet are allowed to thrive to the point that they develop a grandiose delusional ego. Like that groundnut head eze in lagos who is cooling off in jail as I type this....Are the same people you say are misunderstood?

Let me ask you this is there an oba Yoruba palace in any eastern land? But there eze ndibo palace in every place that they settle and nobody ever disturbs you guys... That tells you something.

I am Yoruba but my kids are half Igbo so don't think I am speaking from hate ... I just like to say the obvious truth ... Igbos are not misunderstood. Infact the opposite is the case.

Let me ask you this

How many times have you heard that Yorubas asked Igbos not to vote in Yoruba land?

How many times have you heard that Igbos were attacked in Yoruba land?

Now feel free to reverse these questions between Yorubas

As I have always said, Yorubas and Igbos have no business being in the same country together, they are too big to be in the same country.

Both tribes might one day become best of friends, as long as they are not together in a political union called "Nigeria"

The alternative is that both tribes will always be political enemies forever inside Nigeria, to the benefit of the North

I dont see any misunderstanding.

I dont want to live in a community where the members are like 80% Igbo. You people are too much.

I dont know much but one thing i know for sure is when it involves money never trust an igbo man

gidgiddy:
Let me ask you this

How many times have you heard that Yorubas asked Igbos not to vote in Yoruba land?

How many times have you heard that Igbos were attacked in Yoruba land?

Now feel free to reverse these questions between Yorubas

As I have always said, Yorubas and Igbos have no business being in the same country together, they are too big to be in the same country.

Both tribes might one day become best of friends, as long as they are not together in a political union called "Nigeria"

The alternative is that both tribes will always be political enemies forever inside Nigeria, to the benefit of the North

Ok cool but think of this ... How many yorubas are in Igbo land ? Compared to igbos in Yoruba land.... Bro let me tell you something, yorubas are very united but not all yorubas are the same. Same with igbos ... See even during the war, there were plenty igbos who remained in lagos and they never faced discrimination. My point is Yoruba people have always loved to coexist with other people despite the fact that this character, cost them kwara state. The kind of things we tolerate on our land , NO Igbo blooded person dead or alive will tolerate it on Igbo soil ... See baba I have taken my time to study the igbos well... They are good people with good heart but the trauma of the past has yet to be resolved and so it manifests in thier daily life as mistrust and victim mentality. Let me not talk too much but I'll just say the igbos are not misunderstood at all.

The OP is really funny and thinks himself smart.

So other people should be allowing you guys to have your own ghettos or settlements in their midst but you don't tolerate foriegn settlements in yours.

You don't allow others to have unique settlements in your regions but you demand to have large swath of land carved out to you as no man's land in other people's backyard from where you install your Ezes as parallel authorities.

This reminds me of Jewish Shetls or ghettos in eastern Europe and how the Synagogue through the rabbinical authorities had complete and supreme powers over Jews living in these Shetls.

No one misunderstands you. We know you very well and your plans of using migration to conquer.

Is this not how Arochukwu in Abia that was once under the Qua Iboe people of modern day Effiks and Ibibios ended up being swarmed and taken over by Ibo settlers?

Is this not how Ibos saw Port Harcourt and all of old Rivers as theirs to take over before and during the war ?

Continue.

Your foolishness in trying to mask your land grabbing annexation of the ancestral lands of others through abuse of one Nigeria franchise is well known and understood.

paramakina202:
You must be a bad inlaw to your wife people.
If you live in Igbo cities nobody send you where you come from but in the village where everybody knows everybody you want to create separate community there na so una dey do for Yoruba land?

dont shift the goal post ... And you are right I am a bad inlaw I won't deny it. Now back to the point 👉 we are not talking about community in village we are talking about tolerance for other people on your land ... Let a Yoruba man go to anambra and say he needs to buy 100 acres of land ... Hmmm 🤔.

But igbos are planing different properties in the north and south infact there is not place on earth that Igbo man has not reached ( I am proud of that tho) but treat people how you want to be treated is all I am saying. I keep saying this ... Any people with unresolved trauma, behave in that way down to the t...
South Africans
Black americans
Jews
Igbos
Irish and polish
Native indians
And the list goes on.

Nice write up. Thank you for sharing OP.

The writer is just trying to be economical with the truth.

pazienza:
You can be married to an Igbo woman and still be full of Hate for Igbo.
White slave owners did sleep with black women and sired children with them.
So it's better you own up to your Igbo hate and stop trying to hide behind marrying an Igbo woman, as it counts for nothing.

The truth hurts. The ibos are a devious people simple

gidgiddy:
Let me ask you this

How many times have you heard that Yorubas asked Igbos not to vote in Yoruba land?

How many times have you heard that Igbos were attacked in Yoruba land?

Now feel free to reverse these questions between Yorubas

As I have always said, Yorubas and Igbos have no business being in the same country together, they are too big to be in the same country.

Both tribes might one day become best of friends, as long as they are not together in a political union called "Nigeria"

The alternative is that both tribes will always be political enemies forever inside Nigeria, to the benefit of the North

This one na pure slow brain

AntiZikist:
The OP is really funny and thinks himself smart.

So other people should be allowing you guys to have your own ghettos or settlements in their midst but you don't tolerate foriegn settlements in yours.

You don't allow others to have unique settlements in your regions but you demand to have large swath of land carved out to you as no man's land in other people's backyard from where you install your Ezes as parallel authorities.

This reminds me of Jewish Shetls or ghettos in eastern Europe and how the Synagogue through the rabbinical authorities had complete and supreme powers over Jews living in these Shetls.

No one misunderstands you. We know you very well and your plans of using migration to conquer.

Is this not how Arochukwu in Abia that was once under the Qua Iboe people of modern day Effiks and Ibibios ended up being swarmed and taken over by Ibo settlers?

Is this not how Ibos saw Port Harcourt and all of old Rivers as theirs to take over before and during the war ?

Continue.

Your foolishness in trying to mask your land grabbing annexation of the ancestral lands of others through abuse of one Nigeria franchise is well known and understood.

The werey said ibos are misunderstood 😂

Franzinni:
Ok cool but think of this ... How many yorubas are in Igbo land ? Compared to igbos in Yoruba land.... Bro let me tell you something, yorubas are very united but not all yorubas are the same. Same with igbos ... See even during the war, there were plenty igbos who remained in lagos and they never faced discrimination. My point is Yoruba people have always loved to coexist with other people despite the fact that this character, cost them kwara state. The kind of things we tolerate on our land , NO Igbo blooded person dead or alive will tolerate it on Igbo soil ... See baba I have taken my time to study the igbos well... They are good people with good heart but the trauma of the past has yet to be resolved and so it manifests in thier daily life as mistrust and victim mentality. Let me not talk too much but I'll just say the igbos are not misunderstood at all.

Good people with good heart? You’re being economical with the truth..

People who killed northern & western premier leader while they protected their own premier leader are good people?

To me, there’s nothing good about them.

How many times have you heard that Yorubas asked Igbos not to vote in Yoruba land?

Baseless question. Yoruba asked Igbos not to vote yet the Agulu fraud won Lagos? There’s a difference between don’t interfere with our local politics / do not vote in Yoruba land..

If Adeyemi has no say about Agulu local politics, then emeka cant have any say here in Yoruba land local politics. It’s simple as that. Emeka didn’t come to Yoruba land because of our local politics. So Emeka should face whatever brought him over here! It’s called wisdom!

How many times have you heard that Igbos were attacked in Yoruba land?

I’m yet to see when Yoruba woke up to focus on attacking Igbos o. Stop telling lies.

Igbo kwenu!

One thread and lots of gagaring since yesterday

Toh

Kdon2:
The truth hurts. The ibos are a devious people simple

why don't you chase them out of Nigeria ...

This is a very thoughtful and insightful piece.

Franzinni:
dont shift the goal post ... And you are right I am a bad inlaw I won't deny it. Now back to the point 👉 we are not talking about community in village we are talking about tolerance for other people on your land ... Let a Yoruba man go to anambra and say he needs to buy 100 acres of land ... Hmmm 🤔.

But igbos are planing different properties in the north and south infact there is not place on earth that Igbo man has not reached ( I am proud of that tho) but treat people how you want to be treated is all I am saying. I keep saying this ... Any people with unresolved trauma, behave in that way down to the t...
South Africans
Black americans
Jews
Igbos
Irish and polish
Native indians
And the list goes on.

Guy if you get money you can buy the choicest properties in Igboland.Igbos are capitalist to the core forget story.
Yorubas who are selling land to Igbos are not doing so out of love it is just business.

ariesbull:
why don't you chase them out of Nigeria ...

Ok

Who is Chikwemdu Anugba?

paramakina202:
Guy if you get money you can buy the choicest properties in Igboland.Igbos are capitalist to the core forget story.
Yorubas who are selling land to Igbos are not doing so out of love it is just business.

see all this one wey Yoruba and igbos dey do ... Nah just play I swear ... If you want to know if we really hate each other like it looks on social media, wait till another country people begin wahala online ... Then you will now see unity ... Haha 😂😂😂 abeg leave the matter jare.

Franzinni:
see all this one wey Yoruba and igbos dey do ... Nah just play I swear ... If you want to know if we really hate each other like it looks on social media, wait till another country people begin wahala online ... Then you will now see unity ... Haha 😂😂😂 abeg leave the matter jare.

.

tundegan:
Who is Chikwemdu Anugba?

ask your mama...she might know him personally

Misunderstood?

The only misunderstood thing about the Igbos is their intentions whenever they come to other people's regions to settle.

They always have ulterior motives