Ozi Ikoro
@oziikoro.bsky.social
Delve into the fascinating world of Igbo culture and history | Follow us for stories, insights, and factual information.
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Ozikoro.com
Robert D. Jackson's The Twenty Years War (1975) noted how Igbo people accepted European innovations & education on their terms. Rather than seeing it as proof of superiority, they viewed them as practical tools that could be acquired & mastered.
This reveals an Igbo worldview.
This reveals an Igbo worldview.
June 24, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Robert D. Jackson's The Twenty Years War (1975) noted how Igbo people accepted European innovations & education on their terms. Rather than seeing it as proof of superiority, they viewed them as practical tools that could be acquired & mastered.
This reveals an Igbo worldview.
This reveals an Igbo worldview.
This 1793 runaway slave notice from Jamaica describes an “Eboe” (Igbo) man with “Bruchee cut”—likely the sacred Ichi mark of titled Nri men.
Europeans called such people “Brechés,” mistaking their noble status for mere titles like “gentleman.” These were not ordinary captives.
Europeans called such people “Brechés,” mistaking their noble status for mere titles like “gentleman.” These were not ordinary captives.
June 24, 2025 at 3:40 PM
This 1793 runaway slave notice from Jamaica describes an “Eboe” (Igbo) man with “Bruchee cut”—likely the sacred Ichi mark of titled Nri men.
Europeans called such people “Brechés,” mistaking their noble status for mere titles like “gentleman.” These were not ordinary captives.
Europeans called such people “Brechés,” mistaking their noble status for mere titles like “gentleman.” These were not ordinary captives.
According to A. E. Afigbo in Southeastern Nigeria in the Nineteenth Century, well-to-do Igbo people did not eat akpụ (cassava) before the 20th century, largely due to its unpleasant smell. Its consumption is a relatively recent development.
June 24, 2025 at 3:38 PM
According to A. E. Afigbo in Southeastern Nigeria in the Nineteenth Century, well-to-do Igbo people did not eat akpụ (cassava) before the 20th century, largely due to its unpleasant smell. Its consumption is a relatively recent development.
“Chief Okeke,” photographed by Northcote Thomas in Agukwu Nri around 1911.
This image appears to be part of the same series as those taken of Eze Nri Obalike in March 1911.
This image appears to be part of the same series as those taken of Eze Nri Obalike in March 1911.
June 24, 2025 at 3:37 PM
“Chief Okeke,” photographed by Northcote Thomas in Agukwu Nri around 1911.
This image appears to be part of the same series as those taken of Eze Nri Obalike in March 1911.
This image appears to be part of the same series as those taken of Eze Nri Obalike in March 1911.
WEST COAST OF AFRICA
By late March, mail from various West African ports had arrived in England. Trade along the rivers was sluggish, especially at Bonny, due to conflict with the Eboe (Igbo), who had defeated the Bonny people.
— April 24, 1862
By late March, mail from various West African ports had arrived in England. Trade along the rivers was sluggish, especially at Bonny, due to conflict with the Eboe (Igbo), who had defeated the Bonny people.
— April 24, 1862
June 24, 2025 at 3:36 PM
WEST COAST OF AFRICA
By late March, mail from various West African ports had arrived in England. Trade along the rivers was sluggish, especially at Bonny, due to conflict with the Eboe (Igbo), who had defeated the Bonny people.
— April 24, 1862
By late March, mail from various West African ports had arrived in England. Trade along the rivers was sluggish, especially at Bonny, due to conflict with the Eboe (Igbo), who had defeated the Bonny people.
— April 24, 1862
Igbo ‘runaways’ listed in an 1826 page of The Royal Gazette, a 19th-century Jamaican newspaper. Born in Igbo land, they were taken to the West Indies and escaped slavery before being recaptured.
Source: University of Southampton.
Source: University of Southampton.
June 24, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Igbo ‘runaways’ listed in an 1826 page of The Royal Gazette, a 19th-century Jamaican newspaper. Born in Igbo land, they were taken to the West Indies and escaped slavery before being recaptured.
Source: University of Southampton.
Source: University of Southampton.
Linguists such as John McWhorter have highlighted the significant influence of the Igbo language on Caribbean Creole English, so much so that the Igbo pronoun unu has remained largely unchanged.
Image credit: Ukpuru.
Image credit: Ukpuru.
June 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Linguists such as John McWhorter have highlighted the significant influence of the Igbo language on Caribbean Creole English, so much so that the Igbo pronoun unu has remained largely unchanged.
Image credit: Ukpuru.
Image credit: Ukpuru.
An 1850s European Christian account from The Monthly Christian Spectator refers to the “Eboes”—a term used for the Igbo people—as part of its description of the “dark races” of the West Indies (1851–1859, p. 371).
June 22, 2025 at 3:49 PM
An 1850s European Christian account from The Monthly Christian Spectator refers to the “Eboes”—a term used for the Igbo people—as part of its description of the “dark races” of the West Indies (1851–1859, p. 371).
The dancers in this video are wearing Isi Ojongo, a traditional wig style. The footage is from the 2016 Igu Aro Festival in Enugwu Ukwu, covered by Goge Africa.
This shows that Isi Ojongo is still in use today, although in this video, the women are wearing it over another wig.
This shows that Isi Ojongo is still in use today, although in this video, the women are wearing it over another wig.
June 22, 2025 at 3:48 PM
The dancers in this video are wearing Isi Ojongo, a traditional wig style. The footage is from the 2016 Igu Aro Festival in Enugwu Ukwu, covered by Goge Africa.
This shows that Isi Ojongo is still in use today, although in this video, the women are wearing it over another wig.
This shows that Isi Ojongo is still in use today, although in this video, the women are wearing it over another wig.
Another styles of Ojongo wig adorned with ornaments. This hairstyle was popular among Igbo women in the 18th-19th century.
Credit: Thomas Basden
Credit: Thomas Basden
June 22, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Another styles of Ojongo wig adorned with ornaments. This hairstyle was popular among Igbo women in the 18th-19th century.
Credit: Thomas Basden
Credit: Thomas Basden
Runaway slave notice from 18th-century Jamaica offering rewards for the capture of escaped enslaved people.
This is part of a compilation of 18th-century advertisements seeking the return of enslaved people that fled captivity. Over 100 Igbo (Eboe) individuals are listed.
This is part of a compilation of 18th-century advertisements seeking the return of enslaved people that fled captivity. Over 100 Igbo (Eboe) individuals are listed.
June 21, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Runaway slave notice from 18th-century Jamaica offering rewards for the capture of escaped enslaved people.
This is part of a compilation of 18th-century advertisements seeking the return of enslaved people that fled captivity. Over 100 Igbo (Eboe) individuals are listed.
This is part of a compilation of 18th-century advertisements seeking the return of enslaved people that fled captivity. Over 100 Igbo (Eboe) individuals are listed.
The ojongo crested hairstyle (Isi Ojongo), popular among Igbo women until the mid-20th century.
June 21, 2025 at 7:36 AM
The ojongo crested hairstyle (Isi Ojongo), popular among Igbo women until the mid-20th century.
An airport worker tends to a young refugee upon arrival at Santa Isabel Airport on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, as part of the Airlift operation assisting Biafrans escaping the Nigeria-Biafra War (1967–1970).
Photo: Max Vaterlaus / ICRC.
Photo: Max Vaterlaus / ICRC.
June 21, 2025 at 7:35 AM
An airport worker tends to a young refugee upon arrival at Santa Isabel Airport on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, as part of the Airlift operation assisting Biafrans escaping the Nigeria-Biafra War (1967–1970).
Photo: Max Vaterlaus / ICRC.
Photo: Max Vaterlaus / ICRC.
Biafran students take part in a protest rally at Speaker’s Corner, Hyde Park, London, in 1968, condemning Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s covert support for the Nigerian military’s assault and blockade against Biafra.
Photo: Evening Standard / Stringer.
Photo: Evening Standard / Stringer.
June 21, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Biafran students take part in a protest rally at Speaker’s Corner, Hyde Park, London, in 1968, condemning Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s covert support for the Nigerian military’s assault and blockade against Biafra.
Photo: Evening Standard / Stringer.
Photo: Evening Standard / Stringer.
Biafran students take part in a protest rally at Speaker’s Corner, Hyde Park, London, in 1968, condemning Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s covert support for the Nigerian military’s assault and blockade against Biafra.
Photo: Evening Standard / Stringer.
Photo: Evening Standard / Stringer.
June 21, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Biafran students take part in a protest rally at Speaker’s Corner, Hyde Park, London, in 1968, condemning Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s covert support for the Nigerian military’s assault and blockade against Biafra.
Photo: Evening Standard / Stringer.
Photo: Evening Standard / Stringer.
Traces of Igbo Names from the Slave Ships
The Atlantic slave trade, despite its vast erasure of African identities, left behind fragments like names that offer glimpses into the lives of the people stolen from their homelands. Some of these names preserved in historical records belonged to Igbo-
The Atlantic slave trade, despite its vast erasure of African identities, left behind fragments like names that offer glimpses into the lives of the people stolen from their homelands. Some of these names preserved in historical records belonged to Igbo-
June 20, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Traces of Igbo Names from the Slave Ships
The Atlantic slave trade, despite its vast erasure of African identities, left behind fragments like names that offer glimpses into the lives of the people stolen from their homelands. Some of these names preserved in historical records belonged to Igbo-
The Atlantic slave trade, despite its vast erasure of African identities, left behind fragments like names that offer glimpses into the lives of the people stolen from their homelands. Some of these names preserved in historical records belonged to Igbo-
Biafran protesters march across Westminster Bridge in London, August 1967, demonstrating against the British Government and oil companies for their support of the Nigerian Federal Government's war against Biafra's secession.
Photo credit: Rolls Press/Popperfoto.
Photo credit: Rolls Press/Popperfoto.
June 20, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Biafran protesters march across Westminster Bridge in London, August 1967, demonstrating against the British Government and oil companies for their support of the Nigerian Federal Government's war against Biafra's secession.
Photo credit: Rolls Press/Popperfoto.
Photo credit: Rolls Press/Popperfoto.
Afikpo Mask,
Ndidi Dike -1996
Ndidi Dike captures the richness of the Afikpo masquerade tradition via eleven wooden panels, each bearing clear-cut facial features. Motivated by the Mmonwu spirit and the Uli motifs of the Nsukka Art School.
Ndidi Dike -1996
Ndidi Dike captures the richness of the Afikpo masquerade tradition via eleven wooden panels, each bearing clear-cut facial features. Motivated by the Mmonwu spirit and the Uli motifs of the Nsukka Art School.
June 20, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Afikpo Mask,
Ndidi Dike -1996
Ndidi Dike captures the richness of the Afikpo masquerade tradition via eleven wooden panels, each bearing clear-cut facial features. Motivated by the Mmonwu spirit and the Uli motifs of the Nsukka Art School.
Ndidi Dike -1996
Ndidi Dike captures the richness of the Afikpo masquerade tradition via eleven wooden panels, each bearing clear-cut facial features. Motivated by the Mmonwu spirit and the Uli motifs of the Nsukka Art School.
Son of Onnese Obi Osai
Pasted on the inside front cover of the Medical and Surgical Journal of His Majesty’s Steam Ship Albert, kept by Surgeon J. O. McWilliam, is an illustration titled “One of the sons of Onnese Obi Osai, Chief of Aboh, River Niger”, drawn by John Duncan.
Pasted on the inside front cover of the Medical and Surgical Journal of His Majesty’s Steam Ship Albert, kept by Surgeon J. O. McWilliam, is an illustration titled “One of the sons of Onnese Obi Osai, Chief of Aboh, River Niger”, drawn by John Duncan.
June 19, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Son of Onnese Obi Osai
Pasted on the inside front cover of the Medical and Surgical Journal of His Majesty’s Steam Ship Albert, kept by Surgeon J. O. McWilliam, is an illustration titled “One of the sons of Onnese Obi Osai, Chief of Aboh, River Niger”, drawn by John Duncan.
Pasted on the inside front cover of the Medical and Surgical Journal of His Majesty’s Steam Ship Albert, kept by Surgeon J. O. McWilliam, is an illustration titled “One of the sons of Onnese Obi Osai, Chief of Aboh, River Niger”, drawn by John Duncan.
According to Herbert M. Cole (1969), one of the final sections painted by the artist in the Mbari house is the lower wall that encircles the entire structure.
June 18, 2025 at 2:54 PM
According to Herbert M. Cole (1969), one of the final sections painted by the artist in the Mbari house is the lower wall that encircles the entire structure.
These covered boxes, crafted by the Igbos, captivate with their striking blend of formality and simplicity. Each piece bears clear signs of considerable age and use. While their size suggests they may have held small personal items such as jewelry or cosmetics,
June 18, 2025 at 7:14 AM
These covered boxes, crafted by the Igbos, captivate with their striking blend of formality and simplicity. Each piece bears clear signs of considerable age and use. While their size suggests they may have held small personal items such as jewelry or cosmetics,
Mbari house of Ala at Umedi Nnorie, Ndoni, present-day Rivers State, Nigeria, during construction (1967). The front features a partially painted figure representing Ala, the earth goddess. Ala’s hairstyle symbolizes pride, grandeur, magnitude, and stateliness.
#ala #mbari #ndoni #riversstate #igbo
#ala #mbari #ndoni #riversstate #igbo
Ala, the earth mother figure in the Mbari for Obiala, located in Ndiama Obube, present-day Imo State, created by Nnaji. Oratta Igbo.
June 18, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Mbari house of Ala at Umedi Nnorie, Ndoni, present-day Rivers State, Nigeria, during construction (1967). The front features a partially painted figure representing Ala, the earth goddess. Ala’s hairstyle symbolizes pride, grandeur, magnitude, and stateliness.
#ala #mbari #ndoni #riversstate #igbo
#ala #mbari #ndoni #riversstate #igbo
Thatching with Palm Leaf Mats among the Igbo People. This is a common practice among the Igbos in the pre-colonial era.
Basden, G. T. Among the Ibos of Nigeria. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, circa 1921.
#igbos #igbo #architecture #communalism #nigeria
Basden, G. T. Among the Ibos of Nigeria. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, circa 1921.
#igbos #igbo #architecture #communalism #nigeria
June 17, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Thatching with Palm Leaf Mats among the Igbo People. This is a common practice among the Igbos in the pre-colonial era.
Basden, G. T. Among the Ibos of Nigeria. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, circa 1921.
#igbos #igbo #architecture #communalism #nigeria
Basden, G. T. Among the Ibos of Nigeria. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, circa 1921.
#igbos #igbo #architecture #communalism #nigeria
Ala, the earth mother figure in the Mbari for Obiala, located in Ndiama Obube, present-day Imo State, created by Nnaji. Oratta Igbo.
June 17, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Ala, the earth mother figure in the Mbari for Obiala, located in Ndiama Obube, present-day Imo State, created by Nnaji. Oratta Igbo.
Arobinagu: The Sacred Forest Spirit of Igbo Spirituality and Ancestral Wisdom
📸 Aro Nnewanyi bi na Agu (Arobinagu).
Deep in the heart of Igbo spirituality lies Arobinagu (also known as Obinagu or Ahobinagu), a powerful cosmic presence that embodies the very soul of the forest.
📸 Aro Nnewanyi bi na Agu (Arobinagu).
Deep in the heart of Igbo spirituality lies Arobinagu (also known as Obinagu or Ahobinagu), a powerful cosmic presence that embodies the very soul of the forest.
June 17, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Arobinagu: The Sacred Forest Spirit of Igbo Spirituality and Ancestral Wisdom
📸 Aro Nnewanyi bi na Agu (Arobinagu).
Deep in the heart of Igbo spirituality lies Arobinagu (also known as Obinagu or Ahobinagu), a powerful cosmic presence that embodies the very soul of the forest.
📸 Aro Nnewanyi bi na Agu (Arobinagu).
Deep in the heart of Igbo spirituality lies Arobinagu (also known as Obinagu or Ahobinagu), a powerful cosmic presence that embodies the very soul of the forest.