Igbos are known for their enterprising spirit. For instance, an American Ted Talk speaker Robert Neuwirth has called the Igbo apprenticeship system the world’s largest business incubator. Continue reading in link below:
Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry, which was created and fostered by Igbo VCD traders has become a multi billion dollar industry. Not just that, it is among the top 3 film industries in the world, together with Hollywood and Bollywood. This is in spite of not having access to capital like Hollywood and Bollywood.
During The Nigeria – Biafra War
During the Nigeria-Biafra war after the US and the Soviet Union united to fight the Igbo populated State of Biafra by refusing to sell it arms, the Biafrans simply manufactured their own. When they were denied petrol, they simply created their own refineries.
The British rated the Biafran mines as even better than theirs.
Contributions In A United Nigeria
Since the end of that war, Igbos have contributed in no small way to Nigeria’s economy. For example Innoson is building Made-in-Nigeria cars in Nnewi, and has on occasion, manufactured spare parts for Nigeria’s Air Force planes.
Independence Of Mind
Igbos are also known as fiercely independent free thinkers. The British spent a large part of the time they colonised the Igbos fighting them, as the Igbos defiantly rejected colonialism.
No sooner had the British managed to pacify them than the launched the Ana Women’s war, a successful revolt against British colonial taxation of the Igbos.
Then the p Zik joined other Nigerians in demanding independence from Britain.
Excellence In Art
Olaudah Equiano an Igbo-American from Jamaica, wrote a book that contributed to the movement to abolish the evil Transatlantic Slave Trade.
China Achebe has written a book, Things Fall Apart, that has been translated translated to over 80 languages. During Apartheid, the racist white minority regime of South Africa introduced the book to the white South African students.
They did this because they wanted to portray blacks as backward beings. But they quickly withdrew the book after their students began to identify fondly with the characters in the book. Such is the literary power of Igbo artistic endeavour.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has taken the literary world by storm. And painter Ben Enwonu’s paintings have captured the imagination of the world. One of Enwonwu’s paintings recently sold for over a million British Pounds.
I can go on and on, but I think this short article basically answers the question; “What Are The Igbos Known For?”
You can add your own insight in the comments!
