Ibo, Igbo

The 8,000,000 Igbo people, who live primarily from farming, settle in the northern part of the Niger River Delta in an area of forests and swamps. Village councils composed of the eldest people from each family govern the tribe. Their power is counterbalanced by secret societies. Igbo masks are numerous and are used for initiation ceremonies and entertainment. They all display a typical central crest and elongated face.

It is believed that the Igbo originated in an area about 100 miles north of their current location at the confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers. They share linguistic ties with their neighbors the Bini, Igala, Yoruba, and Idoma, with the split between them probably occurring between five and six thousand years ago. The first Igbo in the region may have moved onto the Awka-Orlu plateau between four and five thousand years ago, before the emergence of sedentary agricultural practices. As this early group expanded, so too did the Igbo kingdom. The earliest surviving Igbo art forms are from the 10th century (Igbo Ukwu), and the fine quality of those copper alloy castings suggest that Igbo society had already achieved a level of technology rivaling contemporary Europeans.