Ijaw people

The Ijaw people, also known as the Izon people, are an ethnic group found in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria, with primary population clusters in Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers. They also have significant population clusters in Edo, Lagos, Ondo. and small parts of Akwa Ibom.

The Ijaw people are located in about 29 of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas, primarily across six Nigerian states. Many are found as migrant fishermen in fishing camps and settlements in Benue, and Kogi states and as far west as Sierra Leone, Ghana and as far east as Gabon.

Census data from Nigeria’s National Population Commission recorded the Ijaw population at 5.3 million in 1991, making up 5.9% of the country’s 88.9 million people at the time. By 2006, their population had grown to 8.42 million, representing around 6% of Nigeria’s 140.4 million people. As of 2024, Nigeria’s Ijaw population is estimated to be approximately 14.39 million, accounting for 6.1% of Nigeria’s 233.9 million people, placing them as the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria.

The Ijaw people are the largest ethnic group in Nigeria's Niger Delta region. They are also among the oldest tribes in Nigeria and are considered one of the world's most ancient peoples. Historically, the Ijaw have lived near key maritime trade routes and participated in trade activities as early as the late 14th and early 15th centuries.

The Ijaw languages include about 20 closely related varieties, with Central Izon being the most widely spoken. Other languages in this group include Kalabari, Ogbia, Epie, Abua, Okrika, Andoni, Ibani, Nembe amongst others. The term Izon is commonly used as an endonym to describe the broader Ijaw ethnic nationality.