13/08/2026
The Igbo Culture
When people hear the word culture, many things come to their minds. They begin to imagine primitive things, things offered to idols, sacrifices, and other traditional practices.
On social media, we have constantly seen some people bash Igbo culture. They speak about it as though everything about the Igbo way of life is primitive or backward.
Another problem is that many people believe that most of the things they watch in Nollywood represent Igbo culture.
No, they don't.
Nollywood is entertainment. It does not represent Igbo culture in its entirety. Most of the things you see in movies are created for entertainment. Some are imaginary, exaggerated, or simply made up to fit a particular storyline. So, you cannot watch a movie and conclude that everything portrayed in it is an authentic representation of Igbo culture.
In simple terms, culture can be referred to as the ideas, customs, values, and social behaviour of a particular people or society.
Back in our primary school days, in Social Studies, many of us were taught that “culture is people's way of life.”
The Igbo word for culture is omenaala. If loosely translated, omenaala means something that is done on the land. The “land” here refers to a place, people, tribe, community, or nation.
Now, you cannot talk about culture without talking about identity.
Culture is an identity of a people. It is part of what people are known for.
Whenever you see an Igbo man, you will be able to tell that he is Igbo. When you see a Hausa man, you will know. When you see a Yoruba, Efik, Fulani, or someone from another ethnic group, there are certain things that will help you identify them.
It could be their language, intonation, dressing, food, names, greetings, values, or other things peculiar to their way of life.
That is culture.
So, whenever you are talking about Igbo culture, you are talking about Igbo identity.
Igbo language is culture.
Igbo food is culture.
Igbo dressing is culture.
Igbo names are culture.
Igbo music is culture.
The Igbo spirit of hard work, resilience and enterprise is part of our culture.
The Igbo apprenticeship system is a culture.
Our traditions, values, social relationships and ways of life are all parts of our culture.
So, when some uninformed people say, “Igbo culture is bad and primitive,” I see a lack of understanding of what culture actually means.
Because what exactly are you calling bad and primitive?
The Igbo language?
The food?
The dressing?
The values?
The identity?
The way of life?
The social institutions?
The entrepreneurial spirit?
You see, it becomes difficult to make such a blanket statement when you understand what culture really is.
If there is a particular cultural practice that you disagree with or believe should be changed, it is perfectly okay to point it out and criticise it.
But don't take one cultural practice and use it to condemn an entire people.
Igbo culture is an institution with different faculties and departments.
There are different aspects to it. Some may change with time. Some may be preserved. Some may be questioned. Some may even be abandoned.
That is how cultures evolve.
But the existence of practices that we may disagree with does not make the entire culture bad.
Culture, which is omenaala, shows one's identity.
And I keep asking: how can something that expresses a people's sense of self and identity simply be called bad?
Igbo culture is Ndị Igbo.
Culture is identity.
Identity is culture.
And there is nothing wrong with being proud of who you are while still being open to learning, changing and improving.
Iri-Ji is also our Culture
Igbo culture is beautiful. Omenaala Igbo amaka.
U are invited to our 2026 Iri-Ji Festival at Plymouth, United Kingdom
