Housing and Markets

Igbo Villages

The village life for the Ibo people is similar to many other villages in Africa: • The Ibos live in villages that range from a few hundred to

a few thousand people.• There is no dominant or single ruler that controls the

population. Decisions are made by including everyone in the village.

• There are established institutions such as a council of elders, a council of chiefs, women's associations, and secret societies. The Ibos emphasize individual actions and community living.

Village Life

Traditional Ibo houses used to have mud walls and thatched roofs. The discovery of oil in

Nigeria has changed that. They are now made of cement blocks with folded iron roofs. Electricity

has been introduced so television sets and radios are very common. Villages also contain

running water, but not every house is connected to it.

Housing

Each market has its own layout with different areas dedicated to certain goods, such as groceries, clothes, electronics, books, vegetables and grains, etc. • Ogbete (main market) is the largest and cheapest selling place where

people can buy almost anything. • The opening times for most of the markets are from 08:30 to 17:30, six days

a week. The markets in the village only open on one of the four market days (Eke, Orie, Afo and Nkwo) in the week.

• There are also night markets as well. The night markets are lightened by kerosene lights and wax candles.

• These night markets are said to be associated with spiritual elements. There is a belief that people can go to this market to get in contact with relatives who passed away in unexplained incidents. Here, through an intermediate oracle priest, the deceased may reveal the identities involved in their unexpected departure.

Markets

• "African Tribes - Ibo - Igbo Culture." African Tribes - Ibo - Igbo Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2013. <http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/ibo.htm>.

•  "Countries and Their Cultures." Igbo. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2013. <http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Igbo.html>.

•   "Market." Igbo and Enugu. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2013. <http://www.igboguide.org/HT- chapter4.htm>.

Works Cited