Vanguard News
With a population of around 40 million throughout Nigeria, the Igbo people are one of the biggest and most influential tribes among countries around the world.
Igbos are well-known for their entrepreneurial endeavours, both within Nigeria and around the world.
People who speak Igbo, a language belonging to the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family, are primarily found in southeast Nigeria: Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia, and Ebonyi States.
However, the Igbo language is not limited to the southeastern part of Nigeria as there are other countries where the language is spoken.
Here are 5 Igbo-speaking countries aside from Nigeria
- Barbados
The official language in Barbados is English but they borrow words from West African languages, especially from Igbo. Barbados is an island country in the West Indies close to North America and north of South America with a mixed culture from Portuguese, British, Indian, and West African cultures and they are officially called the Barbadians. Barbados nickname “Bim,” originated from the Igbo language “bi mu,” meaning “my home.”
- Cuba
Cuba is also an Island country and one of the Igbo-speaking countries. For centuries, traces of Igbo heritage have persisted through cultural practices, language remnants, and traditions passed down by descendants of enslaved Igbo people. The Igbo language has a significant influence on Afro-Cuban religious practices, especially in Abakua society.
- Jamaica
The speaking of the Igbo language in Jamaica started during the Atlantic slave trade, when many Igbos were sent to the country, eventually influencing the Jamaican local culture, during which many Igbo people from present-day southeastern Nigeria were brought to the Caribbean. For instance, the Igbo word “unu, ” meaning “you,” is still used.
- Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, a small country in Central Africa, shares a historical and geographical connection with the Igbo people of Nigeria with over 40 thousand people speaking Igbo as a regional language. The Igbo people reside mainly in Bioko Island of Equatorial Guinea. While Spanish, French, and Portuguese are the official languages of the nation, its proximity to Nigeria has fostered cultural and linguistic exchanges, including the presence of Igbo communities.
- Cameroon
In Cameroon, the Igbo language is used as a lingua franca; it is just part of everyday vocabulary. The country shares a border with southeastern Nigeria and has long-standing ties to the Igbo people. Migration, trade, and colonial-era movements facilitated the spread of the Igbo language and culture into parts of Cameroon, particularly in its western regions.
