Igbo studies

In recent years a very rare phenomenon was observed in Igboland, Southeastern Nigeria—the conversion of the Igbo to Islam. There exists a significant scholarly work on the stages of conversion or conversion process among different people group; however, to the best of our knowledge, little exists on the Igbo conversion to Islam. This could be as a result of the phenomenon being a relatively recent development in Igboland, commencing in the second half of the twentieth century (Uchendu in Soc Sci J 47(1):172–188, 2010). This article seeks to discover the stages of Igbo conversion to Islam; that is, the systematic phases involved in their conversion process to Islam To accomplish this, ethnographic interviews were conducted with thirty (30) former Igbo Christians, all now converts to Islam. Gerlach and Hine’s (People, power, change: movements of social transformation, Bobbs-Merrill, Indianapolis, 1970) stages of conversion theory were applied to this study, and the findings showed tha...

Previous studies on written Igbo poetry (WIP) which examines the belief of the Igbo were all based on
the content of the poem. There is yet to be research that examines the beliefs of the Igbo, based on the
form of the poem. A lot of people do not know that poets also mirror the belief of the people through the
lexical matching employed in their works. To this end, this study examines various Igbo beliefs that are
mirrored in the lexical cohesion employed by modern Igbo poets. Data for the study were elicited from
eight written Igbo poems and subjected to descriptive analysis. The study reveals that modern Igbo poets
achieve lexical cohesion through the superordinate arrangement of antonymous lexical items in
consecutive lines. This is done with a view to describing some structural reality of the Igbo cosmic
hierarchy. It was also observed that parallelism promotes lexical cohesion in WIP.
Keywords: Cohesion, Lexical Cohesion, Written Igbo Poetry

This article addresses crime and punishment in relation to community and human rights in southeastern Nigeria based on thirty years of observations complemented by additional research. A 1987 crime and its punishment in a rural community are providing a contrast to four violent incidents, their punishment, the absence of a trial, and other human rights violations prevalent in the area. Igbo culture and its socioeconomic and political institutions as well as its religious beliefs and ethics once provided the basis for a person’s identity, economic security, and communal safety; the culture enabled prevention and punishment of crime within the community. This situation has changed drastically; the community has lost its clout; the people are disempowered by transnational corporations in collaboration with the nation-state and within the political economy of oil; the indigenous culture is dismantled, indigenous beliefs and ethics are depreciated, and violent crime is now prevalent and committed without impunity and on all levels of society. Human Rights Watch and other international organizations are pointing to potential solutions on the governmental and administrative levels. However, the socioeconomic situation, political economy, cultural-spiritual and individual issues must also be taken into account and addressed, calling for further research towards finding a way out of the current dilemma.résumé:Cet article aborde la question du crime et de son châtiment en relation avec les droits communautaires et humains dans le sud-est du Nigeria, en se fondant sur trente ans d’observation complétée par des recherches. Le point de départ est l’observation d’un contraste entre le châtiment encouru pour un crime commis en 1987 dans une communauté rurale et les peines infligées ailleurs pour quatre incidents violents, en l’absence de procès et en violation des droits humains prévalant dans la région. Les institutions socio-économiques et politiques de la culture Igbo ainsi que ses croyances et son éthique religieuses ont longtemps constitué pour l’individu le socle de son identité et de sa sécurité économique et communautaire; cette culture permettait la prévention et la punition du crime au sein de la communauté. La situation a radicalement changé. La communauté a perdu de son influence, les populations sont affaiblies par le pouvoir des multinationales soutenues par l’État et par la politique économique pétrolière. Démantelée, la culture indigène voit ses croyances et son éthique dépréciées. À tous les niveaux de la société, la criminalité violente se généralise et demeure impunie. Human Rights Watch et d’autres organisations internationales suggèrent diverses solutions applicables au niveau gouvernemental et administratif. Cependant, il faut aussi prendre en considération la situation socio-économique et l’économie politique, ainsi qu’une série de problèmes culturels, spirituels et individuels qui doivent être résolus. Il en ressort que d’autres recherches sont nécessaires afin de sortir de l’impasse actuelle.

Autrefois, les femmes se rendant au marché laissaient leur bébé à la garde d’un des plus jeunes membres de la maisonnée ; « quand c’était possible, on choisissait un garçonnet pour un bébé garçon et une fillette pour un bébé fille » (Basden 1921 p.64). Aujourd’hui, avec l’exode rural, le déclin des valeurs traditionnelles et la levée des tabous, la régression de la polygamie, l’engouement des Igbo pour l’éducation scolaire et le respect moins strict de l’espacement des naissances, les jeunes couples se trouvent souvent démunis à la naissance de leur premier enfant. Ils vont donc chercher dans la grande famille celui/celle qui va le garder, le porter sur le dos – de préférence une fillette – en igbo onye kulu nwa, baby nurse en pidgin. Séparée de sa famille, souvent mal reçue, mal intégrée dans sa famille d’accueil, cette moderne Cendrillon est présentée dans la littérature comme cette « petite bonne isolée, maltraitée, croulant sous les corvées, humiliée, et qui se venge sur les jeunes enfants confiés à sa charge » (Ugochukwu 1992 p. 12). L’étude qui suit se penche plus spécialement sur six contes recueillis en 1986-1987 au Nigeria en pays igbo  et qui évoquent ces petites filles mal aimées en même temps qu’ils témoignent de l’évolution des traditions.

在区分拼写相同的单词时，声调非常重要。伊博语和汉语都是声调语言，语言中有许多单词有完全相同的写法，但由于声调而发音不同。根据Flege(1995)的言语学习模型里提出，L1与L2语音范畴之间的知觉关系非常重要。因此，本文采用描述性的方法对汉语和伊博语的音标进行分析。目的是了解语调、音调、声调的意思与区别，了解汉语与尼日利亚伊博语的基本知识与字母系统，了解汉语与尼日利亚伊博语的声调性质，了解汉语与尼日利亚伊博语的声调规则和主要功能，了解汉语与尼日利亚伊博语的调值、调类、调型与调号的特点。调查结果发现汉语里的声调分四种：第1声（平声）、第2声（阳平）、第3声（上声）、第4声（去声），伊博有三个声调：高、低和平调。伊博语当中虽然有声调但是根本没有汉语中的第三声，所以经常把汉语第三声说成伊博语的高调。具体地说是受母语负迁移的影响。研究结果可以给尼日利亚学习者汉语声调教学提供可靠性的依据。
关键词：伊博语，汉语，声调，困难。

Throughout the history of mankind, preference and preservation of one's kin or kind has been evident, an up-close observation of this behaviour birthed such theories as kin selection, social identity theory, realistic group conflict theory and reciprocal altruism. The sense of ''weness'' and ''theyness'' has largely precipitated most devastating wars and conflicts that have besieged the world, though incompatible goals or scarce resources are usually fronted as responsible. Such wars and conflicts have been called by different names like racism, xenophobia, nationalism or ethnocentrism. The term xenophobia has particularly gained wide recognition most especially in the wake of South-Africa’s crisis in the past. Nigeria has equally experienced such conflicts in the past and still does, however the magnitude of the violence in Nigeria has been played down due to the term used to describe such violence; sometimes it is called prejudice or discrimination or sometimes ethnocentrism or hegemony. This paper makes the argument that the phenomenon of xenophobia exists in Nigeria, may be more common than we realise and also may be an adaptive mechanism employed by people for personal and group survival. Examples of xenophobic acts in Nigeria are discussed and theoretical explanations for their existence and perpetuation are addressed, together with recommendations of managing their occurrences.

קיימת טענה שהאיגבו מניגריה הם צאצאי בני ישראל. ישנם מיליוני תושבים באיבלנד ומחוצה לה המשתייכים למסורת האיגבו. הרבה נכתב על מסורות האיגבו, שמעיד על הטענה, לרבות יצירות היסטוריות ואנתרופולוגיות, המפרטות תיאוריות, מנהגים, סוציולוגיה, פילוסופיה והיסטוריה. למרות הוכחות חזקות לקשר שלהם לבני ישראל, עקב התנצרות כפויה, יש היום מעט רשויות רבניות שמחליטות שהאיגבו חייבים להתגייר או לעבור הליכים קפדניים, כדי להסיר כל ספק ולשלבם לחיק עם ישראל. מהי ההלכה לגבי הזהות הדתית של האיגבו והאם הם כשרים לבא בקהל ולהנשא עם כל ישראל?

Situé en Afrique de l'Ouest, au sud-est de la fédération du Nigeria, le pays igbo est le pays de l'igname, tubercule ancestral dont la culture est traditionnellement réservée aux hommes et qui a longtemps été, pilée ou en ragoût, à la base de la nourriture. L'igname est aujourd'hui en grande partie remplacée, dans les repas quotidiens, par le manioc, importé au tout début du vingtième siècle. Considéré à son arrivée dans le pays comme une nourriture de qualité inférieure, et après avoir suscité, au début, bien des réticences du fait de sa toxicité potentielle, le manioc est maintenant cultivé partout. s en farine qui, une fois longuement grillée au feu de bois, devient immédiatement utilisable [gari]. Le gari ne se mange pas sans un plat de sauce aux légumes, riche en éléments nutritifs. C'est à la sauce que l'on reconnaît la localité ou la région : ainsi, Nnewi, dans l'État d'Anambra, est célèbre pour sa sauce aux herbes amères (onugbu) patiemment lavées puis bouillies avec de l'huile de palme et un peu de poisson séché. Les États d'Imo et d'Abia sont, eux, renommés pour la grande variété de leurs sauces aux légumes. Certaines sauces sont liées à des moments particuliers. On trouve sur les marchés huiles de palme et d'arachide préparées localement et ayant gardé toute leur saveur. Mais l'huile de palme est la plus utilisée, le palmier poussant partout et chaque famille en possédant plusieurs. Elle sert de base à toutes les sauces, à tous les plats, et on mesure la richesse d'un plat à la quantité d'huile qui surnage. Ce court article présente un panorama de la cuisine igbo.

The paper represents a chapter from a more extensive document, a reconstruction of proto-Igboid based on a comparison of some twenty lects of Igbo, a Volta-Niger language of south-central Nigeria. Igboid represents something of a puzzle, since some of its lects have extremely rich phonological inventories, including exotic sounds such as implosive /ƭ/ and the bilabial trill /B/. However, the Ọnịca dialect, which is the source of standard Igbo, has quite a reduced consonant system. The paper presents tables of evidence to support the proposed proto-phonemes, covering consonants, vowels and tones.

The contrasts and similarities on how Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Carol Ann Duffy explore masculinity and patriarchal power, its effects and resistance to it.

The texts in which these themes were explored in are:

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. (2009) The Thing Around Your Neck, London: Fourth Estate Publishers

Duffy, Carol Ann. (1999) The World’s Wife, London: Pan Macmillan Publishers, 2017 Edition

This lengthy textbook with nearly 1000 images includes explorations of both "traditional" and "contemporary" African art through general discussion and case studies. The first chapter introduces Africa and its art, discussing materials and gender, and training and patronage. Chapter Two covers the elements and principles of design, and how to approach stylistic and contextual analysis. Chapter Three takes a thematic approach to African art, including numerous case studies, while Chapter Four explores how religions--traditional, Christian, and Muslim--have impacted art and looks at how different types of societies--nomadic, small-scale, and kingdom-based--favor various types of art. Appendices on note-taking and research are included. Significant original research is included. Maps; index. 668 pages.,

Igbo folk ballads are traditional didactic songs, which have a single plot and thus focus on a single episode of a tale. However not much has been done by Igbo literary scholars to examine the qualities of this sub-genre of Igbo oral poetry, particularly its form and literary devices. Therefore, this study thus, from a formalistic view, examines the forms of Igbo folk ballads as exemplified in Mike Ejeagha's (M.E.) arts. This is with a view to harnessing their literary qualities. Six songs of M.E. that share the same structural features were purposively selected, transcribed from compact discs, and used in this study. The study observes that, structurally, M.E.'s works begin with prelude, followed by interlude and end with postlude. This reinforces Uzochukwu's (1982) views that Igbo poetic rhythm is not achieved by meter, rather it .arises from the periodic recurrence of rhythmic features at regular intervals, producing an expectation that the regularity of succession will continue. Again the study observes that M.E. employs various figures of rhetoric like wellerism, assonance, alliteration to mention just but a few and created imagery, such as simile, onomatopoeic and phonaesthetic idiophones to promote the aesthetic quality of his art.

Key Words: Igbo, Poetry, Mike Ejeagha, Formalism, Folk ballad, Rhythm.

Before their contact with Christianity in the mid-1800s, several Igbo communities practiced iko mbara, an institution where a married person openly had a paramour with the consent of their spouse. This practice was condemned by the Christian missionaries as further reflected in their use of the term during Bible translation. Therefore, this study poses the following questions: What did iko mean prior to its use in the Igbo Bible? In what ways is its use in the Bible different from its use prior to the Bible translations? How has its use in the Bible changed the perception of the term among Igbo speakers? What are the implications of these practices in contexts of translation in Nigeria? To provide answers to these questions, I compared the traditional Igbo practices that are designated with the term iko with the different contexts where the term is used in Igbo Bible translation. Findings show how iko was re-semanticized during Bible translation to now mean any form of sex outside a monogamous marriage framework, which includes concubine, adultery, fornication and prostitute. This ideological strategy was apparently aimed at giving iko a pejorative meaning, thereby discouraging Igbo Christians from the practice. I also conducted a survey (questionnaire) findings from which show how iko is perceived among Igbo speakers. This study contributes to research on the linguistic impact of missionary translations on African languages. Methodologically, it demonstrates how questionnaire survey could complement descriptive analysis in exploring the impact of translations in the receiving language and culture.

This study posits that the translation of the Bible into the Igbo language engendered the elaboration of the language to enable it express the ideas and concepts borne in the Christian religion. Language elaboration, as used in this work, refers to the expansion of the functions of a language, i.e. use of the language in new domains, introduction of new lexical and semantic elements to the repertoire of the language. Four research questions guided the analysis carried out in the work: What lexical processes were adopted in creating new terms in Bible translation into Igbo? What strategies were employed in representing Christian concepts in the Bible translations? How have these lexical and conceptual innovations evolved across the different translations? How have the lexical and conceptual innovations spread among Igbo speakers? To answer these questions, two types of analysis are carried out: a textual analysis of a corpus of terms created and introduced into Igbo through eight Igbo Bible translations, and an analysis of a questionnaire survey on the spread of some of these new terms and concepts in contemporary Igbo usage. Findings show that the Bible translations enriched the Igbo lexicon mainly through the processes of compounding, descriptive phrases and lexical borrowing. Secondly, the translations introduced Christian concepts into Igbo mainly by appropriating existing terms for Igbo concepts and giving them new significations in the Igbo Bible. Thirdly, later translations lexically and semantically differentiated Christian concepts from traditional Igbo concepts. They also differentiated two Christian concepts by representing them with distinct terms where the earlier translations represented the concepts with the same term, thereby facilitating the emergence of an Igbo Christian register. Fourthly, some of the Biblical innovations are restricted to use within Christian religious contexts, thereby suggesting the emergence of an Igbo Christian register. However, many others have spread into Igbo beyond their use in the Bible and some have acquired new meanings in the language and also got entries in Igbo dictionaries

This issue of African Renaissance offers a reflection on aspects of African Diasporas, giving a voice to researchers based in the UK, Switzerland and France, with six articles covering various aspects of this vast subject. Chege Githiora (SOAS) uncovers the history of the first modern African Diaspora and its contribution to the shaping of Mexican identity. He evokes the successive waves of immigrants, from the first Africans brought to the Mexican shores by slave ships in the late sixteenth century and early seventeenth century, to the current transnational experience of those shuttling between the United States and Mexico. He searches for clues to these immigrants’ identities in toponyms, traces those back to various linguistic groups and recalls the violence of slavery and religious persecutions which forced Africans to abandon their traditional religions. Daniel Lis (University of Basel) reflects on the religious identity of recent Igbo immigrants to Switzerland and gives an insight into ancient Jewish traditions among the Igbo as first documented by British missionaries in the first years of the twentieth century and later enhanced by the experience of the Nigerian Civil War. He further compares the Igbo to the Jews, with whom they share the same carefully handed down traditions, and reveals their relative isolation among the Swiss Jewry. Rebecca Jones (University of Birmingham) examines the presentation of ‘home’ by two young Nigerian writers, Atta and Oyeyemi with a marked interest in the concepts of diaspora, transnational space and identity. This literary study explores the emergence of the unfamiliar in the familiar and proposes a redefining of home, as well as Yoruba, Nigerian and diasporic identities. Francoise Ugochukwu (Open University & CNRS-LLACAN) highlights the centrality of Nollywood-viewing among Nigerians in the UK and its role in the re-connecting of British Nigerians with their ancestral land through pictures and sounds. Her recent survey among Nigerian Londoners confirms the films as a focal point bringing individuals together, encouraging the use of Nigerian languages and other cultural exchanges, and helping abroad Nigerians to reclaim their culture and reflect on their identity. Obiageli Ofomata (Cultural Education Centre, London) shares her experience as a teacher and Project Coordinator, “Journey of the Igbo in Greater London”, and her mission to encourage the use of Igbo language among families of Igbo extraction, and highlights the value of mother tongue practice in the family setting for the child’s well-being and upbringing. Marie-Rose Abomo-Maurin (CNRS-LLACAN & University of Yaoundé I) gives an overview of the Association of Cameroonians in France and highlights the ways in which the two countries benefit from the immigrants’ dual citizenship. She illustrates the group’s commitment to both their host country and their ‘country of heart’ and introduces readers to a dynamic Diaspora of bridge-builders in constant touch with their two communities.
These researched articles are followed by four book reviews which add their own reflection on some of the aspects of Diaspora treated in the articles: the role of slavery in the building of Diasporas (Botte & Deveau), the north-south dialogue, migration, border-crossing and displacement (Wawrzinek & Makokha), opening the reflection further into the exploration of cultures in the school environment in Belgium (Collès).
This issue, in its diversity, with a focus on Nigerians but going beyond, crossing into their French-speaking neighbourhood and migrating with Africans into various European countries and Mexico, confirms the common history of migrations and the similarities between today’s African Diasporas, shown here as dynamic, creative laboratories birthing new and complex identities

The phrase "As above, so below" is attributed to the Egyptian god of wisdom named Thoth. This echoes the biblical expression “on earth as it is in heaven.” Many diverse ancient cultures have erected sacred cities, pyramids, standing stones, or temples in order to mirror the stars. In particular the constellation Orion has been repeatedly projected as a talismanic pattern on numerous landscapes around the world. This book describes the sky-ground templates of Egypt, the American Southwest, Mexico, Nazca, the UK, Europe, Syria, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and other regions. It also discusses the celestial rituals of the Mithras cult, the Age of Taurus, the Sirius cosmology of the Dogon, and South African rock art. This essential archaeo-astronomy primer expands the star correlation theory to encompass the entire globe. Packed with nearly 225 photos, drawings, diagrams, maps, and star charts. “As above, so below. The parallels Gary David has found between the ancient Egyptian sky-ground system involving the pyramids of Giza and the constellation of Orion, and a similar project to build heaven on earth by the Hopi of Arizona, are eerie, compelling and deeply thought-provoking.” –Graham Hancock, author of Fingerprints of the Gods “Gary David’s work is a treasure of enormous importance.” –William Henry, author of Lost Secrets of the Watchers “The correlation Mr. David makes between the Hopi and Egyptian ‘sky-view’ is most interesting.” –Robert Bauval, author of The Orion Mystery “…a must-read for pre-Columbian aficionados and aspiring anthropologists alike.” –Ross Hamilton, author of Star Mounds From the INTRODUCTION: This book is a survey of the archaeo-astronomy of various cultures around the globe. How did ancient people conceptualize the heavens? What was their notion of the cosmos? How did their sacred ceremonies or ritual enactments bring them closer to the omnipotent or at least very powerful celestial beings? What structures, temples, or standing stones did they erect to create models of the sky realm? By its very nature this book is extensive rather than intensive, allowing the reader to pursue further areas of special cultural interest. In essence, it is a primer for the concept of sky-ground mirrors—the terra firmament, so to speak. Well-known constellation correlations, such as the Orion-Giza schema, join newly discovered sidereal correspondences, such as those in Syria and Nigeria. Ancient people comprehended the language of the stars much better than we do today, despite our Hubble Space Telescope and Very Large Array. If we can translate the encoded messages from the celestial dimension to understand what these time-traveling pinpoints of light are endeavoring to tell us, then we will realize the complexity and depths of our past knowledge of a truly living cosmos. We will ultimately find that spirit and matter are a single continuum extending far into our future—mirror reflecting mirror down the sacred portal that leads to Orion. From "Mirrors of Orion: Star Knowledge of the Ancient World"

This paper traces the links between the cultures of the Dogon, Igbo and Beta Israel, mythologically tied to the Sirius star system and all emerging from Nubia and ancient pre-dynastic Egypt. Their spiritual purposes are reflected in the Egyptian teachings, to bring Heaven and Earth together. We may think of it today as balancing the divine and human elements of our being in a cooperative, harmonious expression of love and light-both within us and with those around us .

The priestly origins of these groups ultimately trace back to the oldest astronomically aligned structure yet discovered anywhere on Earth, the astro-ceremonial site of Nabta Playa. Established in the Stone Age in what is now the western Egyptian Sahara desert, it is likely situated in what the Igbo of Nigeria consider their first cradleland.

Africa's astronomical heritage is not locked in silent stones; it exists in still-living and exceedingly rich, pre-scientific myths of the constellations, tools for expressing hidden knowledge and power. By using ancient stellar symbolism, claims of heavenly authority can be substantiated. The actions of the direct heirs appear in line with the ancient Egyptian tenet of linked dualities.
The Dogon of Mali and the Igbo of Nigeria present their knowledge overtly but coded in the form of dramatic masked dance rituals. The Beta Israel of Ethiopia covertly and at odds with Old Testament biblical narrative, screen their Sirius ritual with Torah liturgy.

Note: The author focuses on tracing the Sirius star system for continuity in writing this paper, but is aware that the placement of Nabta Playa menhirs were set to track other star systems movements and helical risings as well. Details can be found in Thomas Brophy's, The Origin Map.

his paper investigates the ancient origins of global stepped pyramids with connected underground tunnels, utilizing an advanced energy photography scanning system that captures photons from other dimensions. Incredibly, the scanning system goes so far as to pick up energy patterns of pyramids that no longer exist except as photos, such as the Nsude Pyramids1.

Following West African creation myths, we are able to trace the links between step pyramids that originated in West Africa with later step pyramids in Egypt and the Americas. The same holds true for the tunnels or underground halls consistently associated with these pyramids.

In this essay I will examine the characteristics of narrative strategy used by Nigerian writer and activist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in her novel " Americanah " with special reference to Igbo language. The paper provides examples of several expressions in Igbo taken from the novel such as phrases, sentences, proverbs and other lexical items. Using the concept of the migrant identity for my analysis I argue that her narrative strategy including certain Igbo context as base for recognition could be interpreted as the method of manifestation of different self-identifications, global identities and a dynamic sense of belonging from a perspective of Nigerian writer living in the United States.

A single feather as symbol of all-encompassing divine balance was manifested in ancient Egypt to meet its complex needs as a state that embraced diverse peoples with conflictng interests. Balance, and consciously following developed inner promptings towards 'right' action instead of rigid external injunctons to do 'good' against 'evil', could very well be the key to restoring sacred order to the world. The intent of this paper is to trace the impact of The Feather of Ma'at and its accompanying teachings, within and far beyond the parameters of Africa. The paper explores the rippling influence of a cooperative relationship between humankind and the cosmos, its concept brought through a succession of sea journeys on circular ocean currents.

For centuries African women were exploited, neglected and treated as outsiders. A study of gender politics highlights and discloses the gender discrimination in Igbo community in Nigeria. Igbo community as a whole represents all the cultural communities in the world which follows patriarchy as a dominant form of gender differentiation. Achebe’s description of feminist prospect of Igbo community represents Nigeria and all the African nations as a whole. The focus on muscularity, socio cultural states of male and female, deprivation of rights of women based on various roles and gender discrimination is quite visible throughout the novel. Achebe’s things fall apart gives a textual view of the issues that were faced on the name of gender. Things fall apart as a novel alert the readers to actually question, who is actually responsible for abuse of women? Is it clearly the people of Igbo Tribe which are actual source of abuse or is it the writer Achebe, who is knowingly or unknowing encouraging the abuse?  Moreover, the question that directed to gender politics is bound within the community or tribe or is it Achebe himself who is playing gender politics in his book? An attempt is made to focus on the consequences due to the absence of female principles that followed in Achebe’s friction.  This paper attempts to unmask the issues that women had to face based on their gender, although the community believes in giving importance to women but fails to follow it .

SYNOPSIS:

Flurries of literature have established direct line of consanguinity between the Iwhnuruọhna nation, and the Bini-dynasty. Recent literatures yet suggest otherwise- claiming an equally high ancestry to the Igbo clan. An historical study of the Igbo group involved in the re-invention and desecration of the Iwhnuruọhna ancestry suggests however that such notions- as defeasible or repealable mecha-nisms- were born out of a desire to deliberately control the physical conglomeration of the Ikwerre nation, and strain the meritorious socio-economic and political hygiene of the masses. As proponents of the Iwhnuruọhna nationality seek to firmly establish and assert their rights of territorial sovereignty within Nigeria and beyond, conflicting priorities continue to abound. In expounding on the con-ception of the Iwhnuruọhna nationality as a “sub-group” of the Igbo clan, two questions were established: What might be the motive behind the strong allegiance in the claim of lineal kinship of the Iwhnuruọhna people to the Igbo ancestry? And how might the Ikwerre ancestry be reinterpreted in order to be a useful starting point for asserting their distinctiveness and territorial sovereignty, specifically in relation to its ancestral ties? Drawing heavily upon empirical, anecdotal and practitioner-based knowledge, this paper explores a provocative but as of yet relatively studied facet of the Iwhnuruọhna genealogy, to unveil the concrete records of the cul-tural ingredients latent in the girth of history. The empirical and anecdotal evidence proposed is elicited from an historical analysis and cross-disciplinary interviews used to gather together the range of research data. It argues that the continued conception of the Iwhnuruọhna nationality as a “sub-group” of the Igbo clan is far-fetched, and that such claim only perpetuates the need for assump-tions and generalisations about the true ancestry of the Iwhnuruọhna people. It posits that the history of a political agenda begins with the assumption that kinship in blood is the sole possible ground of a people’s right to political functions, and rightly so citizens who consider themselves to be part of a group claim membership to be founded on common lineage solely for political reasons. It propos-es that perhaps Iwhnuruọhna’s pledge of allegiance to the Bini ancestry on the grounds of consanguinity rather than their Igbo com-peer places the Igbo people in a disadvantaged position, hence threatens their quest for material, human and natural resource control within the Niger-Delta. It thus concludes that the claim of ties with the Igbo group is more or less a puff piece couched to exclude the qualitative aspects of the Ikwerre history, hence a ploy to subject the people of Iwhnuruọhna to a point of unquestioning obedience to their authorities, in order to advance their political agenda.

Keywords: Ancestry, Biafra, Bini-Dynasty, Culture, Neo-Colonialism, Ikwerre Dynasty, Igbo, Law, Politics

THE UMUNRI-ENUGWU UKWU ANCESTRAL CONNECTION: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE By WILLIAMS OBIOZOR, EdD.
(from the Obiozor-Nwigbo Dynasty, Enu Avomimi, Enugwu Ukwu).....Salutaions!
HRM Eze Enugwu-Ukwu and Igwe Umunri, Sir Ralph Obumneme Ekpeh - the Okpalanakana Ukabia Nri IV, members of the Royal cabinet, Ndi Ichie, Nze na Ozo, ECDU PG, My Lord Justice Nkemdilim Izuako of the UN International Court, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen present.
I greet you.
I am standing here to present this paper not because I know it all but because the onus fell on me by sheer luck. Yes, I said ‘luck’ because I know that Enugwu-Ukwu has men and women with great intellect in ethnography, archaeology, anthropology and history who may even do better than me but here I am. My late father Offorkansi Okoye Obiozor-Igbo will be smiling down on me now as I speak, remembering how I used to quiz him about my hometown – Enugwu-Ukwu.
Please do not consider me a historian but an adult educator which I have always been. I methodically researched and documented the data I got on UmuNri and Enugwu Ukwu, used the opportunity to interview many people although some chickened out because they do not want to be quoted in any form of controversy. I do not consider this presentation as controversial piece but just sharing with everyone what I gathered in the field as an academic and researcher. So, it is left for you to decide and choose what you want to believe.

Ancient Pygmy myths and codes contain important truths, but we cannot experience those truths if to us they are 'just' stories or mores of the endangered 'first people' who still exist. They need to be felt as real. This calls for a view of the Pygmy descendants as stewards of healing wisdom. African Pygmy ancestors prefigured environmental activism in their codes and their direct descendants as identified by DNA, are actually the surviving roots of humanity's racial, religious and linguistic origins, to be acknowledged and treated with respect for their great contributions. This paper examines the influence of millenniums-old Pygmy cosmology and moral directives, foundations of cosmic serpent myths and rituals found among indigenous cultures spanning the world. These myths and rituals also emphasize the significence of a parallel underground world from which animals and humans emerged affer a deluge. The Pygmy cultural inheritance is also the basis for multiple Egyptian myths, which in turn, has influenced many biblical stories that are accepted in the West.

SYNOPSIS:

Flurries of literature have established direct line of consanguinity between the Iwhnuruọhna nation, and the Bini-dynasty. Recent literatures yet suggest otherwise- claiming an equally high ancestry to the Igbo clan. An historical study of the Igbo group involved in the re-invention and desecration of the Iwhnuruọhna ancestry suggests however that such notions- as defeasible or repealable mecha-nisms- were born out of a desire to deliberately control the physical conglomeration of the Ikwerre nation, and strain the meritorious socio-economic and political hygiene of the masses. As proponents of the Iwhnuruọhna nationality seek to firmly establish and assert their rights of territorial sovereignty within Nigeria and beyond, conflicting priorities continue to abound. In expounding on the con-ception of the Iwhnuruọhna nationality as a “sub-group” of the Igbo clan, two questions were established: What might be the motive behind the strong allegiance in the claim of lineal kinship of the Iwhnuruọhna people to the Igbo ancestry? And how might the Ikwerre ancestry be reinterpreted in order to be a useful starting point for asserting their distinctiveness and territorial sovereignty, specifically in relation to its ancestral ties? Drawing heavily upon empirical, anecdotal and practitioner-based knowledge, this paper explores a provocative but as of yet relatively studied facet of the Iwhnuruọhna genealogy, to unveil the concrete records of the cul-tural ingredients latent in the girth of history. The empirical and anecdotal evidence proposed is elicited from an historical analysis and cross-disciplinary interviews used to gather together the range of research data. It argues that the continued conception of the Iwhnuruọhna nationality as a “sub-group” of the Igbo clan is far-fetched, and that such claim only perpetuates the need for assump-tions and generalisations about the true ancestry of the Iwhnuruọhna people. It posits that the history of a political agenda begins with the assumption that kinship in blood is the sole possible ground of a people’s right to political functions, and rightly so citizens who consider themselves to be part of a group claim membership to be founded on common lineage solely for political reasons. It propos-es that perhaps Iwhnuruọhna’s pledge of allegiance to the Bini ancestry on the grounds of consanguinity rather than their Igbo com-peer places the Igbo people in a disadvantaged position, hence threatens their quest for material, human and natural resource control within the Niger-Delta. It thus concludes that the claim of ties with the Igbo group is more or less a puff piece couched to exclude the qualitative aspects of the Ikwerre history, hence a ploy to subject the people of Iwhnuruọhna to a point of unquestioning obedience to their authorities, in order to advance their political agenda.

Keywords: Ancestry, Biafra, Bini-Dynasty, Culture, Neo-Colonialism, Ikwerre Dynasty, Igbo, Law, Politics

A bilingual Africanist with a special interest in Nigerian (Igbo) and Intercultural Studies, Françoise is a Research Fellow at the Open University (UK) after 24 years at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where she rose to Professorship, and seventeen years of lecturing in various English Universities. A Ph.D. examiner in France, Spain, Ireland, and the UK, she has been a long-standing member of the prestigious Africanist Society, Paris, served on its Council 2008-2012 and is an ex-officio President of the Association for the study of African literatures (APELA). A Senior Research Fellow, IFRA (Nigeria), the founding editor of the Journal of African Films & Diasporas Studies (JAFDIS, 2017-2020),  and a regular reviewer for several European, American & Asian journals, she has published extensively in both French and English in France, Belgium, Britain, Italy, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and several African Countries.
Recent publications include Films et realisateurs nigérians (Paris, L'Harmattan 2024), Nollywood - Le cinéma nigérian 1991-2021 (Paris, L'Harmattan 2022), Nollywood on the Move, Nigeria on Display (Trier, Wissenschaftlicher Verlag, 2013), Le pays igbo du Nigeria (Paris, L'Harmattan 2010), Biafra la déchirure (Paris, L'Harmattan 2009), Torn Apart: the Nigerian Civil War and its Impact (London, Adonis & Abbey 2010), and the first French translation of the first Igbo novel (Paris, Karthala 2010).
Nigerian Film Studies: Françoise’s area of expertise focuses on the reception, cultural, and linguistic impact of Nollywood in Europe. Her latest co-authored book publications include: Tsaaior James Tar & Ugochukwu Françoise (Eds), Nigerian Film Culture and the Idea of the Nation: Nollywood and National Narration (2017) & Omoera Osakue S. & Ugochukwu Francoise (Eds), Perspectives on Indigenous Language Films in the Global South, London, Adonis & Abbey (2024).
Ethnolinguistics: Apart from numerous book chapters and articles on Igbo Studies, Françoise was called upon to head the 1996 Igbo-French dictionary project that led to the publication of the Dictionnaire Igbo-francais suivi d'un index francais-igbo, Paris, Karthala 2004. This bilingual dictionary, commissioned by the French Government in support of its cultural relations with the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and sponsored by the Ibadan-based French Institute for Africa, is the very first Igbo-French dictionary based on standard Igbo. Its 3985 Igbo entries cover all areas of speech including the specialized vocabulary of metalanguage, health, and science.

In this theological reflection, I address the current situation in Ahiara diocese in Eastern Nigeria where the priests and laity of the diocese have rejected a bishop appointed for the diocese. Their refusal to accept the bishop has lingered for five years. The Pope in June, 2017 issued an order to all the priests of the diocese to write him a personal letter apologizing for their refusal to accept the bishop and pledging their obedience to him. Why did this problem emerge? How can this problem be resolved in the light of Pope Francis' order? What lessons can we learn as a church about the  state of the church in Nigeria and the spirituality of her clergy?

The primary concern of Chinua Achebe, the recipient of the Man Booker International Prize, 2007, was his society, more precisely, the destiny of his people. As the fundamental feature of his novels was social realism, they served as an authentic record of the changing African world. Achebe, perhaps the most authentic literary voice from Africa, wrote not only to record the African, especially Nigerian, life but to analyse the reality experienced by the native people in different times and situations. In his view, the writer must be accountable to his society. To him it was absurd to think of art as a pure and autonomous entity coming into existence by itself in an aesthetic void. Accordingly, his aim was to make his fiction an instrument of awareness seeking to elevate the social reality to a higher level. In this regard, the paper is an attempt to show Achebe’s endeavour to expose the rampant corruption and evil in Nigeria to exert a decisive and positive influence on his people. His faith in female power as an agent of traditional morality is also highlighted in the paper.

This paper examines the educational importance of the Igbo masquerade, focusing on Owu, of the SouthEastern Igbo. Our perspective combines social science and art appreciation, leaving the religious dimension largely aside. In view of the masquerade's educational importance, we examine the aesthetics, socio-cultural and environmental-economic implications of the masquerade. We underscore lessons taught by the masquerade's myth of origin and its performances, their multi-dimensional, kinesthetic and gendered presentations, costumes, materials, objects, paraphernalia, tangible and ephemeral components. The Owu-Okoroshi masquerade is based in a secret society, its history, hierarchy, titles, social functions, and initiation rites; masquerades are complex and involve timed festivals, multiple events and components. Contemporary performances are significant artistic expressions concerning the culture, its history, individual members and communities, social transformation and global issues. The masquerade entertains and simultaneously educates participants on various levels; it provides participants and audiences with an awareness and deep knowledge of Igbo culture and its history, and has an important impact on personal and collective identity, social coherence, peace and security.

One of the perennial concerns of human beings is the need for peace, prosperity, and harmony in society, where people can truly live out their potential and fulfill their goals in life. In the process to attain this we sometimes offend others or are offended as well. But for this goal to be attained there's need for forgiveness and reconciliation otherwise man will become beast to his fellow man, returning to a brutish 'state of nature' described by Thomas Hobbes in his Leviathan. The concept of forgiveness is a phenomenon inherent in human societies, possessing different forms and interpretation. While some societies place greater emphasis on the need for humans to find some sort of divine forgiveness for their own shortcomings, others place greater emphasis on the need for humans to practice forgiveness of one another, yet others make little or no distinction between human and divine forgiveness. As a consequence of these hermeneutics and understanding, this paper aims at a comparative analysis of the concept of forgiveness among the Igbo and Yoruba ethnic groups of Nigeria, Africa.

The full text of a paper delivered at The Igbo Conference, held on April 21, 2018 at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London.  review of Igbo Historiogrphy through the prism of the various evolutionary phases of Nigerian historiography

Ụmịedemede
Asụsụ bụ ụzọ mmadụ na ibe ya si ezikọrịta ozi. Obodo ọbụla nwere asụsụ nke ha; asụsụ ọbụla nwekwara olu ndị nke e siri na ha wube asụsụ izugbe ha. Ọtụtụ asụsụ na-alazi ala n’ihi mmasị ndị mmadụ nwere n’ebe asụsụ ndị ka enye ohere inweta akụ, mmekọrịta mmadụ na ibe ya na nke obodo na ibe ya nọ. Ọ bụ ụdị ọnọdụ a mere asụsụ Igbo ji adala azụ agbanyeghi na ọ bụ otu n’asụsụ mpaghara (regional languages) atọ gọvmentị Naịjịrịa kwadoro iji na-eme mkparịta ụka na ide edemede dị iche iche. Nchọcha a hụtara nsụgharị dịka ihe ga-aba uru pụrụ iche ịkwalite asụsụ Igbo site n’ime ka ederede na ihe omume dị iche iche na-akpalite mmekọrịta mmadụ na ibe ya bụrụ nke a ga na-enyefe site n’asụsụ Igbo. Nchọcha a bụ nke ndịzịma (qualitative research), njatụle e ji mee nchọcha a bụ ndị e nwetara site na nlegharị adịm (survey) e merela iji chọpụta ụzọ dị iche iche nsụgharị si akwalite asụsụ. Nchọcha a kpughere na, agụụ ịdị ka nwa Bekee, ọrụ Bekee, iji asụsụ Bekee dịka asụsụ ala nke ọchịchị n’ala Naịjịrịa nakwa n’obodo ndị ọzọ n’ala Afriika so n’ihe ndị bụtere ọnọdụ a. A chọpụtakwara na nsụgharị bụ otu n’ime ụzọ ndị e ji akwalite asụsụ mana nsụgharị ndị na-amaghị asụsụ Igbo na asụsụ mba Afriika ndị ọzọ nke ọma, mere n’oge mbụ so n’ihe ndị megidere ọtụtụ asụsụ mba Afriika. Mana ọ bụrụ na gọvmentị, ndị nne na nna, ndị mara ihe ekwe kụrụ banyere asụsụ Igbo na ndị ọzọ tinye oke nke ha n’ide na ịsụgharị edereede na mmegharị emereme dị iche iche e mere n’asụsụ ndị ọzọ n’Igbo, ọ ga-enye aka kwalite asụsụ Igbo.