Skip to main content

Ibi Ugwu (Male Circumcision) In Igbo Land



The act of circumcising babies in Igbo land is an ancient culture and tradition of the Igbo people which has its origin from their traditional religions. “Circumcision is the act of removing female genitalia, or a simple fold of skin (foreskin and prepuce) that covers the head of an un-erect penis”. In ancient times, the Igbos circumcise both male and female children, but as modernization set in, the circumcision or genital mutilation of Igbo female children was stopped while that of male continued till today.

The circumcision of male babies (Ibi Ugwu) in Igbo land is done on the 8th day after birth. This is done by experts in the act, like midwives and native doctors (in modern day, physicians carry out this operation). During circumcision, the fore skin that covers the head of the penis is cut off and the operated part is treated to heal quickly and to prevent any form of infection. Male circumcision (Ibi Ugwu) takes five to seven day to heal up. Meanwhile, some Igbos circumcise their children three days after birth, while some Igbos dwelling outside the eastern region of Nigeria do ‘Ibi Ugwu‘ during adulthood but make sure it is done before marriage.

‘Ibi Ugwu’ or male circumcision is done among the Igbo people to prevent and cure the inability to retract the foreskin of the penis which occurs when the excess skin were not cut off. Medically, it has been discovered that male circumcision has a lot of health advantages which include: reduction of the risk of contacting Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in man; prevention against penile cancer; reduction of the risk of having urinary tract infections; prevention or cure of the inability to retract the foreskin. Circumcision also has its negative sides which may come in form of excess bleeding, pain, injury, irritation, inflammation and so on.

In conclusion, it is considered a big shame for a man not to be circumcised in Igbo land. This clearly shows the extent at which ‘Ibi Ugwu’ and the Igbo culture in general is esteemed among the Igbo people of eastern Nigeria.

If you find this piece worth reading, kindly drop a comment below and share on social media.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Oruko Amutorunwa (Pre-Destined Names) In Yorubaland

                                                           Ibeji (Twins) In Yoruba land, one of the most important things done when a child is born is to give the child a name. This comes after the child’s ritual birth, massage of specific body parts and other rites as well. Names are given to the child by the father, mother, grandparents (paternal and maternal) and some close relatives also. But sometimes, the circumstance of a child’s birth will automatically give the child a name. This name is known as ‘orúko àmútọ̀runwá’ (pre-destined or generic name) in Yorubaland. The most common generic names (orúko àmútọ̀runwá) in Yoruba land are ‘Taiwo‘ and ‘Kehinde‘ (altogether known as Ìbejì) which are given to twins. The first born of the twins is called Táíwò, a shortened form of Tò-aiyé-wò (taste the world) while the last born of the t...
1 comment
Read more

BATAMMARIBA (TAMBERMA) PEOPLE: AFRICA`S INDIGENOUS ARCHITECTURALLY ADVANCED PEOPLE AND PENIS ELONGATION AND ENLARGEMENT SPECIALISTS

Batammariba (also known as Tamberma, Somba, Bataba, Batammaraba, Ditamari, Niend and Tamari) are agro-pastoralist Oti-Volta, Gur-speaking and indigenous architecturally advanced people living in the mountainous regions of two West African countries of Togo and Benin.    Tamberma (Batammariba) women wearing their traditional antelope headdress, Togo. Yves Regaldi In Togo, they are residing in the northeastern Kara regions of Northern Togo with the Kabye (kabre) people,who are the second largest tribe in Togo.                                      Tamberma (Batamariba) woman wearing antelope hedddress,Togo  However, Batammariba are internationally famous than their neighbours, Kabye people, as a result of their indigenous architectural expertise. In Benin where they are known as Somba, they occupy the rugged Atakora m...
Post a Comment
Read more

Togo now has its plan to combat land degradation

Land degradation is a reality in Togo. According to figures put forward by the Ministry of the Environment, each year 4.14% of the land (nationally) succumb to the phenomenon. And it is in response to the problem that the Government launched last March, the Program of definition of the national targets on neutrality in land degradation (PDC / NDT). On Thursday in Lomé, environmental experts validated a document that will serve as a blueprint for sustainable land management in Togo. This document, which estimates that 23,500 hectares of land are degraded each year in Togo between 2000 and 2010, has already identified national targets assessed on the basis of indicators such as land use, net productivity or carbon. According to the Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources, Sama Boundjouw, these targets and their measures to be validated will become guidelines for any actor involved in the fight against land degradation in Togo during the next twelve...
Post a Comment
Read more