Igbos in Ibadan, Nigeria: migration, integration and challenges

Ezebunwa Nwokocha, University of Ibadan

The Igbo of South-eastern Nigeria is the most migratory group in the country and can be found in all parts of the world. Although it is difficult to trace the origin of Igbo migration, the end of the Nigerian civil war marked a new era in massive Igbo-movement out of their homeland. Factors such as high fertility and corresponding population density, limited physical space, pervasive poverty and the quest for survival are linked to out-migration among the people. Using primary and secondary data, this paper examines the historical account of migration of Igbo people into Ibadan and their socioeconomic, cultural and political activities as a way of understanding their level of integration in the city. It also highlights the people’s contributions to the development of Ibadan, their peculiar challenges and the factors that sustain primordial linkages.