13 Interesting Facts About the People of Izon (Ijaw) Ethnic Group in Nigeria

It is possible that you might have heard about the Ijaw people of Nigeria. In some cases, you might have come across them but you however do not know anything concerning the people. This post is written with the intent to educate you about the Izon people. Today’s article will give you 13 Interesting Facts About the People of the Izon (Ijaw) Ethnic Group.

13 Interesting Facts About the People of Izon Ethnic Group

The Ijaw-speaking people of Nigeria form one of the country’s minor ethnic groups. However, they have beautiful cultures as well as beliefs that make them a unique group. This article will help you to learn some of their beliefs as well as their cultures.

13 Interesting Facts About the People of Izon (Ijaw) Ethnic Group in Nigeria

If you want to learn interesting facts about the people of the Izon (Ijaw) ethnic group in Nigeria, then read the information given below.

1. State Location

The Ijaw people are one of the most populous ethnic groups in Nigeria. As such, they are found in different states of the country, especially the Niger Delta. The Izon people reside in Bayelsa, Delta as well as Rivers. There are some of them that also occupy Ondo, Edo as well as part of Akwa Ibom state.

2. Language

The Izon people speak nine closely related Niger-Congo languages. All the languages belong to the Ijoid branch of the Niger-Congo tree. The languages have a primary division and it is between Eastern Ijo and Western Ijo.

The Western Izon speakers are also known as Central Izon. They consist of Ekeremor, Sagbama (Mein), Apoi, Bassan, Arogbo, Kabo, Boma and also Tarakiri. The second major Ijaw linguistic group is Kalabari.

3. Population is One of the Interesting Facts About the People of Izon (Ijaw) Ethnic Group

The Ijaws have been argued to be the most populous tribe inhabiting the Niger Delta region. Records show their population to be over fourteen million. They also have been argued to be the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria.

4. Belief

The Ijaw people believe in water spirits. They hold traditional celebrations to honour the spirits for several days. Traditionally, people believe that water spirits are like humans and that they have personal strengths as well as shortcomings. The people also believe that humans dwell among the water spirits before they are born.

The people practice a form of divination which they call Igbadai. The divination is for recently departed individuals and they are interrogated for the cause of their death. The veneration of ancestors plays a central role in the traditional religion of the Ijaws. They believe in water spirits called Owuamapu.

With the advent of modernity, most people have shifted to other religions like Christianity. There are however those who still believe in the traditional religion.

5. Festivals

The Ijaw people hold different festivals and some are for the celebration of their beliefs. During their festivals, masquerades are always in attendance playing roles. In the form of masquerades, men wear elaborate outfits as well as carved-out masks and they dance to the beats of drums. Like this, they manifest the influence of the water spirits through the quality and intensity of their dancing.

6. Occupation is Another Interesting Facts About the People of Izon (Ijaw) Ethnic Group

The major occupation which the Ijaws are famous for is fishing and farming. They are also good at making and amending boats or canoes. Also, they were one of the first Nigerians to come in contact with the Westerners. As such, they were middlemen in the early era of the slave trade.

The Ijaws are a maritime people and so many of them were employed in the merchant shipping sector in the mid-20th century. The Ijaws are currently employed in the civil service of their resident states.

7. Marriage

The Ijaw people conclude the process of marriage with the payment of the bride price. The bridal dowry increases if the bride is from another village. The Ijaw people have two forms of marriage which is unlike other tribes.

In the first, the groom is allowed to pay a small amount of dowry. He pays half at the ceremony and the other when the bride’s father dies. In this way, any children they have is considered to be from both sides of the family.

The other type is a large dowry marriage and is the opposite of the first. In this form, the children solely belong to the father’s side of the family due to the payment of a large dowry.

8. Food

Every ethnic group have their own traditional food. The Izon people are not an exception to it. Many of the Ijaw traditional food contains ingredients of fish, clams, periwinkles as well and oysters. Some of the foods are Geisha soup, Gbe, Opuru-fulou, Yellow soup, Polofiyai and Kekefiyai.

9. Traditional Clothes are Among the Interesting Facts About the People of the Izon (Ijaw) Ethnic Group

The traditional Ijaw attire consists of unique prints of fabric wrapped around the waist. The men also wear hand-made shell beaded caps. Men and women wear necklaces that are made from huge high coral beads during formal occasions. The rich wear beads that are made from Ivory.

The normal dress of the Ijaw man is a shirt and a trouser which is made of wax material. During ceremonies, the male wears a big long-sleeved shirt worn over a long piece of wrapper tied from the waist down to the ankle. Most times, the wrapper is thrown over the shoulder.

Young girls and unmarried women wear blouses and tie wrappers on the waist reaching below the knee. Married women on the other hand wear a wrap from waist to ankle and a blouse worn on top.

10. Art, Music and Games

The Ijaw people have different beautiful arts. A very famous one is the traditional river mask which is made from carved wood. The mask embodies the water spirits also known as Owuamapu. The arts are mostly depictions of human heads and they are built up of geometric shapes. They also are combined with animal and abstracting qualities.

The Ijaws use traditional drums, percussion planks as well as idiophones for their festivals. They also use horns as well as contemporary instruments to amplify the music.

11. Political System

The towns of the people were run by a system of chiefs. The chiefs were either family heads or clan heads. They usually accord high status with elaborate hierarchical systems. Also, titles were bought with money. However, the people from the western or central delta regions did not acknowledge any central government until the British.

12. Housing Settlements are Also Interesting Facts About the People of Izon (Ijaw) Ethnic Group

Homes in the wet regions are built on stilts over the swamps. The houses are mostly made from bamboo, wood as well as palm branches. The Houses which are made from these natural materials enjoy the benefits of good ventilation. The houses are however split by gender in which men and women live separately. The people travel by canoe.

In the dry areas, the people build shanty homes. More people have been recorded to live in dry areas than in wet regions.

13. Development

The Ijaw people have developed in accordance with recent times. They have traders amongst themselves as well as educated individuals. You can find Ijaws in the state as well as in federal civil service. They also have different associations which aim at the progress of the people. Some of the organisations are Ijaw Youth Congress, Sagbama Youth Movement as well as Ijaw Elders Forum.

Conclusion

These are some interesting facts about the Izon-speaking people of Nigeria. With this, you will better understand the ethnic group and their cultural uniqueness.

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