THE IBIRA (IGBIRA) CULTURE OF NORTHERN NIGERIA, IN WEST AFRICA

April 20, 2025

Greetings, and an Afro-Scope shout-out of the Easter season, delivered to you by yours truly, Harry Agina. It’s to the entire world, with special appreciation to all the esteemed fans of and subscribers to the Afro-Scope Project on Afro-Scope.com!!!

As we continue our series of AfroCultural Titbits on Afro-Scope.com, we, on this Holy Easter Sunday, bring you the culture of the Ibira (Igbira) people of Northern Nigeria, in West Africa. What I bring you now is the handiwork of our AfroCultural man, Simon Bameyi. Here we go:

Greetings of the season fans!

I am Simon Bameyi, with Afro-Scope AfroCultural Titbits on Afro-Scope.com, where we ‘Beam The African Ways of Life to The World.’ The Ibira (also known as the Igbira) people are an ethnic group located primarily in Kogi State, Northern Nigeria, in West Africa. Their culture is rich and diverse, reflecting their history, traditions, and values. Here are some interesting aspects of Ibira culture:

TRADITIONAL POLITICAL SYSTEM

MONARCHICAL SYSTEM: The Ibira people have a monarchical system, with the monarch, “Ohinoyi of Ebiraland” as their paramount ruler.
COUNCIL OF ELDERS: Decision-making is often done in consultation with a council of elders, who advise the monarch. The monarch or king has the final decision based on his consideration of all the contributions of his Council of Elders. And, of course, like in all cultures, there must be bad kings who were/are more authoritarian than the rest. Like in other cultures, also, authoritarianism in 21^st century Africa continues to wane, as national constitutions of the countries continue to take charge, superseding cultural traditions, in line with democratic principles.
SOCIAL ORGANIZATION:
CLANS AND LINEAGES: Ibira society is organized into clans and lineages, with each having its own traditions and customs.
AGE GRADES: The Ibira people have an age-grade system, where individuals are grouped according to their age and expected to perform specific roles.
CULTURAL PRACTICES:
INITIATION RITES: The Ibira people have initiation rites for young men and women, marking their transition to adulthood.
MASQUERADE FESTIVALS: Generally in Africa, masquerades are important AfroCultural elements, with Entertainment and Spiritual values. You can find our presentations of those values with the keyword, ‘Masquerade.’ Ibira people celebrate masquerade festivals, which showcase their rich cultural heritage.
TRADITIONAL MUSIC AND DANCE: Like in most African cultures, Music and Dance play important roles in Ibira culture, with various traditional instruments and dance styles.
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
AGRICULTURE: The Ibira people are primarily farmers, growing crops like yams, cassava, and maize.
HUNTING AND FISHING: They also engage in hunting and fishing, which provide additional sources of protein.
IGBIRA LANGUAGE:The Ibira people speak the Ibira language, which belongs to the Nupoid language family.
NOTABLE IBIRA PEOPLE:
GENERAL DAVID JEMIBEWON: A former Nigerian head of state and prominent Ibira leader.
SENATOR SMART ADEYEMI: A Nigerian senator and representative of the Kogi West senatorial district.