Ijaw people

Ijaw
Ijo-Izon
Flag of the Izon-Ijaw-Ijo People
Ijaw statue depicting "the many faces of your enemies"
Total population
15 million[1][1][1]
Regions with significant populations
Niger Delta
Languages
Ijaw languages
Religion
Christianity 90%
Islam 0.1%
Traditional 5%
Related ethnic groups
Ekpeye, Oron, Igbo, Ogoni, Isoko, Eleme.

The Ijaw people, also spelled Ịjọ,[2] are an ethnic group found in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, with significant population clusters[3] in Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers.[4] They are also in Edo,[5] and small parts of Akwa Ibom[6] occupying six[7] Nigerian states.[8] Many are found as migrant fishermen in camps and settlements in Benue,[9] Ondo and Kogi states and as far west as Sierra Leone, Ghana[10] and as far east as Gabon. As of 2023, Nigeria's Ijaw population is estimated at over 15 million,[11][12] accounting for around 6.9% of the country's 223 million[13][14][15] people,[16] positioning them as the fourth largest[17][12][18] ethnic group in Nigeria.[19][20][21][22][23] The Ijaws are the most populous tribe inhabiting the Niger Delta region, and one of the world's most ancient peoples.[24][25]

They have long lived in locations near many sea trade routes, and they were well connected to other areas by trade as early as the late 14th and early 15th centuries.[26][27] In their languages, they often refer to themselves using the endonym Izon.[28]

  1. ^ a b c "Africa: Nigeria-Ijo". Africa. Africa-101lasttribes. Cite error: The named reference "Africa: Nigeria" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Ijo". encyclopedia.com. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  3. ^ "population | Definition, Trends, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  4. ^ "Being Ijaw in the UK: An oddity among fellow Nigerian youth". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  5. ^ "Our Story". Indigenous People of Biafra USA. Retrieved 2019-06-28.
  6. ^ "Ijaw group rejects remapping of Akwa Ibom, says it's 'ploy to regroup oil communities'". TheCable. 2023-04-27. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  7. ^ Samuel, Ibaba (2012). "Ijaws and the Militianisation of Conflict in the Niger Delta: Exploring the Role of Upland Bias in Resource Allocation". ResearchGate: 3.
  8. ^ Ibaba (2012). "Ijaws communities and location by states". ResearchGate.
  9. ^ "Ijaw – I am Benue". Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  10. ^ Project, Joshua. "Kalabari, Ijo in Ghana". joshuaproject.net. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  11. ^ "AFRICA | 101 Last Tribes - Ijaw people". www.101lasttribes.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  12. ^ a b University of Birmingham (2016). "CIFORB Country Profile – Nigeria -University of Birmingham" (PDF). University of Birmingham. 1 (1): 1.
  13. ^ "Population in Africa, by country 2023". Statista. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  14. ^ Ologunagbe, Olamide (2023-04-19). "Nigeria's population to hit 223.8 million in 2023 - UN -". Businessday NG. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  15. ^ "Nigeria Population (2024) - Worldometer". www.worldometers.info. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  16. ^ "World Bank Open Data". World Bank Open Data. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  17. ^ Contributor, Pulse (2022-11-18). "Ijaw Culture: A brief walk into the lives of one of the world's most ancient people". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-10-05. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  18. ^ WorldAtlas (2022). "Largest Ethnic Groups in Nigeria". World Atlas.
  19. ^ Gabriela, Figueroa-Rojas (2023). "Ijaw History, Culture & Traditions". study.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  20. ^ Appiah, Anthony; Gates, Henry Louis (2010). Encyclopedia of Africa. Oxford University Press. p. 596. ISBN 9780195337709.
  21. ^ Gedicks, Al (2001). Resource Rebels: Native Challenges to Mining and Oil Corporations. South End Press. pp. 50. ISBN 9780896086401. ijaw million.
  22. ^ Bob, Clifford (2005-06-06). The Marketing of Rebellion: Insurgents, Media, and International Activism. Cambridge University Press. p. 55. ISBN 9780521607865.
  23. ^ Shoup III, John A. (2011). Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East: An Encyclopedia: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 130. ISBN 9781598843637.
  24. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  25. ^ Community, Polobubo (2014). "Brief History Of The Izon (Ijaw) Tribe In The Niger Delta". Polobubo Community.
  26. ^ "Showcasing The Ijaw Culture and People of Bayelsa from South-South Nigeria - Courtesy The Scout Association of Nigeria | World Scouting". sdgs.scout.org. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  27. ^ "Ijo People – Ijo Information". Arts & Life in Africa Online. Archived from the original on February 6, 2006. Retrieved April 15, 2006.
  28. ^ "Being Ijaw in the U.K: An oddity among fellow Nigerian youth". aljazeera.com. July 8, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2023.