You’ve probably heard about some of the major ethnic groups in Nigeria, like the Hausa or the Yoruba. But there are hundreds of smaller groups too with their own histories and cultures, like the Ijaw people. The Ijaw are the fourth-largest ethnic group in Nigeria, with a population of around 15 million, but they don’t get as much attention as the larger groups. In this article, you’ll learn all about the origins of the Ijaw people, their traditional lifestyle, attire, cuisine, and culture. Get ready to dive into the fascinating world of the Ijaw!
Who are the Ijaw People?
The Ijaw People also known as Ijo people are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Niger Delta region, with significant population clusters in Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers. They also occupy Edo, Ondo, and small parts of Akwa Ibom. They are a collection of clans numbering about 15 million people. Historically, the Ijaw lived in the Niger Delta, engaging mainly in fishing and farming.
Politically, the Ijaw are organized along clan lines, with no centralized government. Each clan comprises several communities, which are made up of villages and families. The family forms the basic social unit of the Ijaw.
Traditionally, the Ijaw people were ruled by chiefs and elders. However, they now have a more democratic system with elected councils and representatives at local, state and national levels.
The Ijaw people have a rich culture, with traditional dances like the Egele and Ekine, and events like the new yam festival. The Ijaw language is part of the Ijo Niger-Congo language family. Most Ijaw people are Christians, while some still practice traditional religions.
The Ijaw people have faced challenges like environmental degradation from oil spills, poverty, and underdevelopment. However, they remain a resilient people, proud of their heritage and determined to improve their lives.
Ijaw Origin
The Ijaws began occupying the Niger Delta region of what is now Nigeria as early as 800 BCE, making them one of the world’s oldest peoples. They have existed as a distinct language and ethnic group for more than 5,000 years. Agadagba-bou, the first ancient Ijaw city-state, flourished for almost 400 years, until 1050 CE. Internal warfare and violent weather patterns led to the abandonment of this city-state. Some of the ancestors of this city-state established another in the 11th century called Isoma-bou, which lasted until the 16th century. This city-state, like the previous one, was formed in the Central Delta Wilberforce Island region. The Wilberforce Island region remains Nigeria’s most Ijaw-populated location.
Some say that the Ijaws are descended from an indigenous people or ancient African tribe known as the Oru; the Ijaws were originally known by this name. These were thought to be West African aboriginals from the Niger/Benue region. The word ‘Oru’ refers to the Egyptian sky god ‘Horus’. According to myth, the Ijaw people’s earliest ancestors dropped from the sky. Traditional Ijo legends refer to ancestors (the Oru-Otu) or ancient people (Tobu Otu) who dropped from the sky (and were divine in origin). They are also known as the Water People (Beni-Otu). Despite the fact that this occurred many years ago, the Ijaws have maintained the ancient language and culture of the Orus.
Language and cultural research indicate that they are related to the founders of the Great Nile Valley civilization complex (and potentially the Lake Chad complex). They moved to West Africa from the Nile Valley in antiquity. The Ijaws’ first habitation dates back to the Nupe region, following a series of migrations from Sudan and Egypt. They migrated and settled in Ile-Ife before moving to the Benin region. The early Ijaw people believed in consanguinity, or being descended from the same ancestor, and hence viewed themselves as one.
Today, the Ijaw live predominantly in the riverine areas of Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Edo, and Ondo States. Though politically fragmented, the Ijaw share a common culture, language, and belief system.
Clans of the Ijaw People: Central Ijaw (Ijo), Eastern Ijaw (Ijo), and Western Ijaw (Ijo)
Central Ijaw (Ijo) Clan
The Central Ijaw clan consists of subgroups and Ijaw languages. Epie-Atisa (Epie) subgroup and language, Ogbia subgroup and language all belong to the Ijo people in Bayelsa state. Ijaw is spoken by people in Ekeremor, Sagbama (Kumbo), Amassoma, Apoi, Arogbo, Boma (Bumo), Kabo (Kabuowei), Olodiama, Ogboin, Tarakiri, Kolokuma-Opokuma, Tuomo, and other areas of Bayelsa. People in Nembe, Brass, and Akassa (Akaha) in Bayelsa speak the Nembe language. Abua is the language spoken by the Abua/Odual people in Rivers State. Other Central subgroups include the Biseni People, Akinima, Mbiama, Engeni, and several Rivers State Ahoda subgroups.
Eastern Ijaw (Ijo) Clan
The Eastern Ijaw clan are found in Rivers State. They include Kalabari (Abonnema, Buguma, Degema, etc.), Okrika, Opobo, Port Harcourt South, Bonny, Finima, Nkoro, Andoni, and the Obolo people (part of Andoni), who can also be traced back to Akwa Ibom State, near the Rivers State border.
Western Ijaw (Ijo) Clan
The Western Ijaw clan are found in Ondo, Delta and Edo State. They are discovered in Ondo state as a result of long-term migrations. The Arogbo Ijaws and the Western Apoi tribe of the Ijaw people live in Ondo State, Nigeria.
The tribe, commonly known as Ijaw Apoi or Apoi, is divided into nine settlements: Igbobini, Ojuala, Ikpoke, Inikorogha, Oboro, Shabomi, Igbotu, Kiribo, and Gbekebo. The Apoi lived on higher terrain than most of the other Ijaw tribes. They speak both Yoruba and Ijaw. They are bounded to the north by the Ikale and west by the Ilaje. The clan also has a boundary with the Arogbo Ijaw to the south of Ondo and the Furupagha Ijaw to the east across the Siloko River. The founding ancestors of the Arogbo were part of the same migration from Ujo-Gbaraun Town.
Ijaw Lifestyle
The Ijaw people live a simple life by engaging in farming, fishing, hunting and trading. Most Ijaw communities live in clusters of huts along river banks and creek sides. They build their houses with palm fronds, bamboo and wood. The men go fishing on their canoes while the women stay home to cook, keep the house, and take care of the children.
The staple food of the Ijaw people is fish, tubers like yam and plantain. They also eat vegetables and fruits. Coconut is an important part of the Ijaw diet. They use it to make coconut oil, coconut milk and coconut water which they drink regularly.
Ijaw Language
There are thirty dialects of Ijaw, including Apoi, Basan, Bumo, Olodiama, Egbema, Ogboin, and Mein. The Ijoid language is made up of seven language family clusters: Brass Ijaw. Eastern Ijaw.
The Ijaw people speak varieties of Ijaw languages belonging to the Ijoid branch of the Niger-Congo language family. Ijaw languages are spoken by over 15 million people in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. There are two major groups of Ijaw languages. The first, known as Western or Central Izon (Ijaw), is made up of Western Ijaw speakers such as the Tuomo Clan, Egbema, Ekeremor, Sagbama (Ogobiri-Mein), Bassan, Apoi, Arogbo, Boma (Bumo), Kabo (Kabuowei), Ogboin, Tarakiri, and Kolokuma. The languages of Southeast Ijo (Izon) are Nembe, Ogbia, Brass, and Akassa (Akaha). The Buseni and Okordia dialects are considered Inland Ijo.
The major Ijaw languages are Izon, Kalabari, Okrika, and Ikwerre. These languages are closely related and to a large extent mutually intelligible, though there are significant dialectal variations.
The Izon language, also known as Ijo-ama, Ijo or Ijo proper, is the most widely spoken Ijaw language. It is spoken by over 5 million people and serves as a lingua franca for other Ijaw groups. Izon is a tonal language and has a basic five-vowel system. It has lexical similarities with other Ijaw languages as well as with languages outside the Ijaw group.
The Kalabari language is spoken by about 1 million people in Rivers State. It has a basic seven-vowel system and three tones: high, mid and low. Kalabari is closely related to Izon but has been influenced more by Igbo. The Okrika language has about 500,000 speakers, also in Rivers State. It has a basic five-vowel system and three tones. Okrika and Kalabari are quite mutually intelligible.
The Ikwerre language, with about 1 million speakers, is spoken mainly in Rivers State. Though closely related to Izon, it has been influenced more by Igbo. Ikwerre has a seven-vowel system and three tones. Ikwerre speakers see themselves as distinct from Ijaw.
Ijaw Cuisine
A typical Ijaw meal consists of fish and other seafood such as periwinkles, clams, and oysters; yams and plantains.
Some of Ijaw cuisine include the following:
- Kekefiyai: This is a pottage made with chopped unripened (green) plantains, fish, other seafood or bush meat and palm oil.
- Polofiyai: This is a soup made with yams and palm oil.
- Fried or roasted fish and plantain: This is a meal of fish fried in palm oil and served with fried plantains.
- Kalabari “sea-harvest” fulo: This is a rich mixed seafood soup or stew that is eaten with foofoo, rice or yams.
- Owafiya (bean pottage): This is a pottage made with Beans, palm oil, fish or bushmeat, Yam or Plantain. It is taken with processed Cassava or Starch.
- Geisha soup: This is a kind of soup cooked from the geisha fish; it is made with pepper, salt, water and boiled for some minutes.
- Opuru-fulou: This is also referred to as prawn soup, prepared mainly with prawn, Ogbono (Irvingia gabonensis seeds), dried fish, table salt, crayfish, onions, fresh pepper, and red palm oil.
- Yellow soup: This soup is made with fresh fish (mostly catfish) and fresh pepper, red palm oil and thickened with garri or biscuits.
- Onunu: This is made with pounded yams and boiled overripe plantains. It is mostly enjoyed by the Okrikans
- Kiri-igina: This is prepared without cooking on fire with Ogbono (Irvingia gabonensis seeds), dried fish, table salt, crayfish.
- Ignabeni: This is a watery soup prepared with either yam or plantain seasoned with teabush leaves, pepper, goat meat, and fish.
- Igbugbai fiyai: This is a soup prepared without oil, only fish, onion, periwinkle, Bush leaves and other seafood. This soup is mostly eaten by Odimodi people.
- Kpanfaranran [fry fiyai]: This soup is prepared by frying the palm oil before adding your fish, meat, crayfish, periwinkle, and other seafood. This food is mostly prepared by the Odimodi people.
Fruits like plantains, bananas and pineapples are also grown locally and used in dishes or eaten on their own. Palm wine, made from the sap of palm trees, is a popular alcoholic drink, while fresh coconut water provides refreshment. Ijaw cuisine reflects the people’s connection to the land and water, with dishes centered around locally-grown staples, seafood, palm oil and fiery chili peppers.
Ijaw Traditional Occupations
The Ijaw people were traditionally fishermen and farmers. As inhabitants of the Niger Delta in southern Nigeria, fishing and farming were well-suited to the aquatic environment.
The main occupations of the Ijaw were:
- Fishing: The Ijaw lived along rivers and creeks, so fishing was a major source of food and trade. They fished using nets, traps, spears and hook and line. Fish like catfish, tilapia and perch were caught and either eaten or sold.
- Farming: In areas not submerged in water, the Ijaw grew crops like yams, plantains, cocoyams, palm produce, cassava and vegetables. They practiced slash and burn farming, clearing forests and then planting crops. Palm oil and kernels were also major cash crops.
- Trade: The Ijaw traded goods like fish, crops, palm oil and crafted items with neighboring groups. Traders used dugout canoes to transport goods via rivers and creeks. Local markets were also held for trading and socializing.
- Hunting: Some Ijaw groups hunted wild game like deer, grasscutters, alligators and monkeys. Hunting was mainly for food, but skins and other animal parts were sometimes used or sold.
- Crafts: The Ijaw were skilled craftsmen, producing pottery, mats, baskets, wood carvings, cloth and metal tools like knives, axes and machetes. These were used locally and traded with other groups.
So in summary, the traditional Ijaw people were largely sustained through fishing, farming, hunting, crafts and trade along the Niger Delta. These occupations were well-suited to their environment and resources.
Ijaw Religion and Cultural practices
Although the Ijaw are now largely Christians (about 65%), with Roman Catholicism, Zion Church, Anglicanism, and Pentecostalism being the most popular Christian denominations among them, they also have extensive traditional religious rituals of their own. The Ijaws traditionally hold multi-day festivities to honor the spirits. Masquerades play a significant role in these celebrations. In Ijaw traditional religion, ancestors are revered, and water spirits known as Owuamapu play an important role in the Ijaw pantheon. In addition, the Ijaw perform Igbadai, a type of divination in which recently deceased individuals are interrogated about the causes of their deaths.
According to Ijaw religious beliefs, the owuamapu are similar to humans in that they have personal strengths and weaknesses, and humans live among these water spirits before birth. The role of prayer in the ancient Ijaw system of belief is to keep the living in the good graces of the owuamapu, with whom they lived before being born into this world, and the Ijaw organize annual ceremonies to celebrate the spirits that last several days. Masquerades play an important role in the festivities, as men dressed in extravagant clothes and carved masks dance to the beat of drums, demonstrating the influence of the water spirits via the quality and intensity of their dancing.
Particularly spectacular masqueraders are believed to be in possession of the spirits for whom they are dancing. Egbesu, whose totems are the leopard, panther, and lion, is a major deity in the Ijaw religion and is known as the god of justice. Many Ijaws are warriors, and they often worship Egbesu as a war god. At the sound of the ‘Asawana’, the Ijaw warrior prepares for battle with Egbesu as a shield. One of Egbesu’s most important principles is that an Ijaw person should not be the source of the problem or the one to initiate the battle, but should only intervene when absolutely necessary.
This is an example of the Ijaw virtue of patience. A small number of people have converted to Islam, the most known of them being Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, the founder of the Delta People Volunteer Force.
Ijaw Attires
Ijaw traditional attires are quite elaborate and colorful. For men, the most popular attire is the loose-fitting shirt called ‘Uku-Shirt’ accompanied by a pair of trousers called ‘Uku-trousers’. The shirts are usually patterned with bright colors and designs. Elderly men also wear hats made of palm fronds called ‘okpoto’. Women wear wrappers called ‘Uku’ which are long pieces of cloth wrapped around the waist and a blouse called ‘Uku blouse’.
For special occasions like festivals and weddings, Ijaw people dress in their best attires. Women wear coral beads and wrappers with George materials. While the men wear shirts and trousers made from the same colourful and patterned George materials as the women. The Ijaw people are also known for their elaborate traditional dances during which women adorn themselves in ‘ikaki’ brightly coloured waist beads, ‘okuku’ head ties, and ‘owu’ hand bands. The men carry knives, machetes or walking sticks and wear hats. These colourful attires and dances are an important aspect of Ijaw cultural heritage. Some other cultural attires of the Ijaw people are the Etibor, Namatibi/Feni, Peletebite, Don, cloth, and Ojubulu.
Notable People From Ijaw Tribe
- Samson Siasia, Nigerian Footballer and Coach
- Dakore Egbuson Akande, Nollywood Actress
- Damini Ogulu (Burna Boy), Nigerian singer and Grammy award winner
- Agbani Darego, professional model and beauty queen.
- Ben Murray-Bruce, Nigerian media mogul and senator
- Henry Seriake Dickson, politician and former governor
- Timini Egbuson, Nollywood Actor
- Timi Dakolo, Nigerian singer-songwriter
Ijaw Traditions and Customs
Masquerade dances
The Ijaw people are known for their elaborate masquerade dances, in which dancers wear colorful costumes and masks to act out folktales and social commentaries. These dances are an important part of Ijaw cultural celebrations and festivals.
Storytelling
Ijaw folktales and legends have been passed down through generations via the oral tradition of storytelling. Storytelling is an integral part of Ijaw culture and history.
Wrestling
The Ijaw people have a long tradition of wrestling, and wrestling matches are common during festivals and celebrations. Ijaw wrestling emphasizes skills and technique over brute strength.
Fishing and canoe racing
As a riverine people, fishing and canoeing have long been important to the Ijaw. Canoe races are common festivities, along with fishing competitions.
Poetry
The Ijaw have a rich poetic tradition, and poetry is often accompanied by music. Praise poetry is common, used to honor important figures.
Music
Music, song, and dance are central to Ijaw cultural life. The Ijaw are known for a vibrant musical tradition, with many types of drums, flutes, and stringed instruments.
Council meetings
The Ijaw traditionally made important community decisions through councils of elder leaders. Council meetings were an important part of governance and maintaining laws.
Shrine worship
The traditional Ijaw religion centered around worshiping shrines dedicated to spirits, ancestors, and deities. Shrines were located in forests and communities.
Conclusion
The Ijaw people have a rich culture with unique traditions, language, and history. While change is inevitable, it’s inspiring to see them working to preserve their heritage. With over 40 clans and diverse subgroups, they show how unity through diversity is possible. We can all learn something from their resilient spirit. Though they’ve faced struggles, their commitment to community and celebration of life offers an uplifting perspective. The rhythms, stories, and values of the Ijaw resonate far beyond the Niger Delta.