The Igbo of southeastern Nigeria, who number about five million, are a sedentary horticultural people living mainly in a tropical rainforest area. Although Christianity is the predominant religion of the Igbo people, the indigenous belief system remains strong among rural and village populations of the Igbo. Traditional Igbo religion, Odinani, is characterized by the presence of numerous shrines and spirits that individuals have personal attachments to. The shrines can be divided into personal ones, which are more-or-less individually owned, and corporate shrines, associated with social and religious groups. Igbo spirits are believed to provide various forms of protection and assistance. The egbo shrine is found at each of the two hundred compounds of the Afikpo Village-Group in southeastern Nigeria. The shrine protects the members of the group and the persons that control it. Egbo is believed to help, along with the ancestors and other spiritual forces represented by shrines in the compound, in providing general welfare to the inhabitants of the residential group, and to protect against poor health, lack of children, and other unfortunate events.
The Igbo use sacrifice for several occasions. Sacrifices are usually carried out just once a year, during the New Yam Festival in late August or early September at the end of the rainy season. Since the yam is their most important crop, this sacrifice will ensure them a good harvest. People offer yams to gods and ancestors first before distributing them to the villagers. Another time the Igbo will perform sacrifices are after a death, where animal sacrifices will be offered to the deceased as a parting gift.
*The map in the top right corner depicts Nigeria, home to the Igbo community, on the map of Africa, the picture on the bottom left depicts an Igbo Shrine
