Ijo is an ethnic group in the South/South of Nigeria, popularly known as the Niger Delta, because it's a region located in the Delta of the famous Niger River. People from this tribe, before the transatlantic slave trade and discovery of crude oil, were known for fishing, gathering, and local industries like boat carving, knitting of baskets, salt production, palm oil production and chewing stick production etc. Most of these economic activities were carried out by the Ijo women, or they acted as strong support system to men in their various jobs.
From time immemorial, the Ijo woman has been known as the keeper of her household, financially, spiritually, intellectually and otherwise. They natural midwives, best masseuse you can ever find, best caregivers and perfect cooks.
The Ijo woman is known to go for fishing in the murkiness of the night and return at aurora, then proceeds to gathering edible molluscs and fetches firewood to cook for her household, she holds her family together in one piece, accommodates strangers from different tribes and hers, she's calm and good spirited, a motivation when you need one, a fighter when you need her to be, a storyteller at bedtime, a teacher like no other.
