Ijaw people

Ijaw

Ijo-Izon
Ijaw statue depicting “the many faces of your enemies”
Total population
4.2 million[1]
Regions with significant populations
Niger Delta
Languages
Ijaw languages
Religion
Christianity 90% Islam 0.1% Traditional 5%
Related ethnic groups
Ekpeye, Oron, Igbo, Ogoni, Isoko, Eleme.

The Ijaw people, also known as the Ịjọ people,^[2] are an ethnic group found in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria, with primary population clusters^[3][4] in Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers.^[5] They also have significant population clusters in Edo,^[6] Lagos, Ondo.^[7][8] and small parts of Akwa Ibom.^[9][10][11]

The Ijaws are located in roughly 26 local government areas^[12][13] across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas. The Ijaws occupy six^[14][15] Nigerian states and are considered one of the major ethnic groups in the Niger Delta region. Many are found as migrant fishermen in camps and settlements in Benue,^[16] and Kogi states and as far west as Sierra Leone, Ghana^[17] and as far east as Gabon. As of 2023, Nigeria’s Ijaw population^[18][19] is estimated at around 4.2 million^[1] accounting for around 1.8% of the country’s 236.7 million people,^[1] positioning them as the sixth largest ethnic group in Nigeria.^[1][20][21] The Ijaws are one of the most populous tribes inhabiting the Niger Delta region, and one of the world’s most ancient peoples.^[22][23]

They have long lived in locations near many sea trade routes, and they were well connected to other areas by trade as early as the late 14th and early 15th centuries.^[24][25] In their languages, they often refer to themselves using the endonym Izon.^[26]