The Igbo (also written Ibo in older colonial sources) are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. Their homeland lies in south-eastern Nigeria — the states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo — and extends into parts of Delta, Rivers and neighbouring areas, including the western Igbo communities known as Anioma.
With an estimated population above 35 million, the Igbo have deeply shaped Nigeria’s economy, politics and culture, and large Igbo communities live throughout West Africa and in the Americas, Europe and the Gulf.
Their language, Igbo, belongs to the Niger-Congo family and is tonal. Many dialects exist; a standard written form, Igbo Izugbe, has been used in schools and publishing since the mid-20th century.