There’s been a lot of noise lately from Yaribastards especially those online claiming ignorantly or mischievously that Igboland is Landlocked. Is that even supposed to be an insult or a symbol of disadvantage or backwardness? Let’s just get one thing straight: being landlocked is not a curse, and in the case of the Igbo people, it is not even true.
First, let’s deal with the misinformation. Igboland is not landlocked.
The traditional Igbo territory extends across thirteen states of the South East, Southsouth and two north Central states, that’s Kogi and Benue. Indigenous Igbo coastal communities exist in Rivers and Delta States, particularly in areas like Ndoki, Ahoada, Etche, Ogba, and Ukwuani, all of which have direct waterways that connect to the Atlantic Ocean through Bonny and Opobo. Historically, these were major trade routes for palm oil and other goods even before the arrival of Europeans.
So when people say Igboland has no access to the sea, they’re either repeating falsehoods or ignoring the historical and geographical realities. The Igbo people have always been connected to coastal trade, and their influence has always extended to riverine areas.
But let’s even imagine for a moment that Igboland were landlocked — would that make the Igbo people less progressive or less capable? Absolutely not.
Take a look at the world map. Some of the richest, safest, and most developed countries in the world are landlocked. Nations like Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria, Liechtenstein, and San Marino have no access to the sea, yet their citizens enjoy some of the highest standards of living on Earth. They lead in education, innovation, technology, and healthcare.
Now compare that to many countries with seaports — including Nigeria, Cameroon, Togo, Benin Republic, Sierra Leone, Madagascar and Mozambique. Despite their access to the ocean, these countries remain poor, unstable, and riddled with corruption. Clearly, the sea does not bring wealth — good governance and discipline do.
What truly matters is good governance, education, infrastructure, and the ability of a people to manage their resources wisely. That’s why Rwanda, Burkina Faso, and Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) — all landlocked African countries — are today safer, cleaner, and more stable than Nigeria.
According to Dr Maduka Chinemelum Ogwueleka, in Eswatini, healthcare and education are free for citizens, and the local currency, the Swazi Lilangeni, is worth about 90 times more than the Nigerian naira. That tells you everything: prosperity is not determined by whether a country touches the sea, but by how it manages itself.
So the question isn’t whether a place touches the sea; it’s whether the people know how to use what they have.
The Igbo people have shown time and again that they can succeed anywhere — in the thickest forests, the driest plains, or the busiest cities of the world. They build thriving businesses in every corner of Nigeria and across the globe, without needing to depend on anyone’s coastline.
What drives Igbo success is not land or water, but ingenuity, hard work, unity, and resilience. The same spirit that turned spare parts into industries in Nnewi, and small markets into megacities like Onitsha and Aba, can turn any land — coast or no coast — into a hub of innovation.
So, before anyone throws the word “landlocked” around like an insult, they should look at the mirror of their own society. Because access to the sea hasn’t stopped poverty from roaming the streets of Lagos or the creeks of the Niger Delta.
In truth, the Igbo nation is not landlocked. It is open — open to ideas, to enterprise, to progress, and to the world. And even if it were surrounded by mountains and deserts, the spirit of the Igbo would still find a way out — because Igbo bu nnukwu mmanwu, Ife eji abu Igbo erika! The Igbo spirit cannot be locked in by borders.
