IBO, Ibu, Igbo, or Eboe, a district of West Africa, situated in the delta of the Niger, and mainly on the left or eastern bank of the river. The chief town, which is frequently called by the same name, but is more correctly designated Abo or Äboh, lies on a creek which falls into the main stream about 150 miles from its mouth, and contains from 6000 to 8000 inhabitants. The Ibo are a strong well-built Negro race. Their women are distinguished by their embonpoint, which is considered by the people themselves as the perfection of beauty. The language of the Ibo is one of the most important in the Niger delta, and is gradually extending its area. The Rev. J. F. Schön began its reduction in 1841, and in 1861 he published a grammar of it (Oku Ibo Grammatical Elements, London, Church Miss. Soc.). Isoama is the dominant dialect, being spoken by the Aboh, Elugu, Aro, and Abadja tribes.

See Captain W. Allen’s Narrative, London, 1848; Μ. Burdo, Niger et Benué, Paris, 1880 (English trans, by Mrs Strange, 1880).