62 Igbo Proverbs with Wisdom on Wealth & Prosperity
Áchụ́kàtá nwátà, áchụ́bà yá nà ụ̀wà ọ́má: If you continue pursuing a child maliciously, you may make him or her to gain favor and prosper.
Áká ọ́rụ́ mmádụ̀ kà éjì àmá yá: A person is known by their handwork.
Ákọ́ bụ̀ íjè: Wisdom is the way.
Àkụ̀ bụ̀ író, nwátà kpátá àkụ̀ ọ̀ kpátá író: Wealth is enmity, when a child gains wealth they gain enemies.
Àkụ̀ nà-èsí óbì íké: Wealth makes the heart strong.
Àkụ̀ rụ́ọ́ ụ́lọ àmálụ́ ónyé kpátárá yá: When wealth reaches home the wealthy person will be known.
Ébé ónyé ọ́sọ́ rùrù ónyé íjè gà-èrú yá: Where a person who runs reaches, a person walking will also reach.
Édéàlà màrà mmá bụ̀ úméàlà ónyé déré yá: The beauty of Edeala sacred expression lies in the calmness of its scribe.
Èjìrì nnúkwú kwáá ụ́zọ̀ óbéré bị́á ọ̀gáfé, mànà éjìrì óbéré kwáá ụ́zọ̀ nnúkwú bị́á ọ́tọ́: If abundance is used to make a path when little comes it will pass, but if little is used to make a path when abundance comes it will get stuck.
Ékèlé díké nà ñkè ómèrè, òmékwá ọ́zọ́: When the mighty is praised for what they have done, they will do more.
Émé ñgwá ñgwá èmépụmụ̀tá ọ̀dàchì: A hasty climber will make a sudden fall in the end.
Éwú nwụ́rụ́ n'ọ̀bà jí ọ̀bụ́ghị́ ágụ́ gbùrù yá: A goat that dies in a barn was not killed by hunger.
Ézè pụ́ọ́ ézè ànọ̀chíé: When a king leaves another king will replace him.
Ífé kwụ́lụ́, ífé àkwụ́dóbé yá: Wherever something stands, something else will stand beside it.
Ífé nííné nwèlù ógè: There is time for everything.
Ífé ógè yá lùlù ò méé: Anything whose time is due takes place.
Ífé ónyé àchọ́ kà ọ́ fụ̀: Whatever one is looking for is what one finds.
Íhé ézùtèrè n'ōhí nà-àlá n'ōhí: Whatever one obtains by crooked means leaves ones possession by crooked means.
Íhé ónyé mètàrà ò búrú: Whatsoever one's actions are, they must be prepared to face the consequences.
Íjíjí ná-énwéghị́ ónyé ndụ̀mọ́dụ́ nà-èsó ózú àlá n'ínyì: A fly that has no adviser follows the corpse to the grave.
Íkwé ná áká gáféé ñkù-áká yà àghọ́ íhé ọ̀zọ́: If you allow a handshake to wander past your elbow, it becomes an invitation for something else.
Mbọ̀sị̀ Chí ónyé kwélú mfú, ọ̀ bànyégódú nà mbụ́bọ̀ yá ọ̀ ná-éfù: The days one's Chi agrees to get lost, if one enters even one's compound farmland, one will get lost there.
Mgbè ónyé jì tétá ụ́rá bụ̀ ụ̀tụ́tụ̀ yá: Whenever one wakes up from sleep is their own morning.
Mbèrèdé nyị̀rị̀ díké mànà mbèrèdé kà éjì àmá díké: Difficulties constrain a warrior, but overcoming those difficulties is what makes them a warrior.
Ndìdì nwè mmérí: There is pleasure in patience.
Ǹké ónyé chìrì yá zèré: What a person earns let them face it.
Ñkírí ñkírí kà á nà èkírí òdòdò, èjíghí òdòdò élì ózú: Material prosperity is only admired, it cannot be taken to the grave.
Ñkụ́ dị́ nà mbà n'èghélú mbà nní: The fire wood in a land will be enough to provide food for all its inhabitants.
Nwátà étóghí étó wárá ọ̀gọ̀dọ̀, ìkùkù kúé, ò búlú yá nà ọ̀gọ̀dọ̀ ọ́ mà n'ūkwù: If a child tries to tie wrapper before maturity, when the wind blows, it will carry both the child and the wrapper.
Nwátà kwọ́cháá áká ọ̀ sòró òkènyè mà ọ̀bà ọ̀gàrànyà ríe nrí: If a child washes their hands they can eat with revered elders.
Ọ́ bụ̀ nà ọ́rụ́ mmádụ̀ kà chí yá sì èké yá: It is from a persons work that their chi manifests their best self.
Ọ̀ bụ́ghị́ ọ́nụ́ éjì bírí égó, kà éjì àkwụ́yàchị́ yà: It is not the same mouth (verbal approach) used to borrow money that is used to repay them.
Ọ́ dị̀ bé ndị́ dị̀rị̀ há: Let what exists at a foreign land be theirs.
Ógè ádị́ghị́ échè mmádụ̀: Time waits for no one.
Òjì ákwụ́ nyétú nchị̀, nà nchị̀ ádị́ghị́ àrị́ élú: Those who have palm kernel should give to the grass cutter because the grass cutter does not climb trees.
Òjì nwáyọ̀ọ̀ ánághị́ èmérú áhụ́: The one who takes it easy will hardly get hurt.
Òjì ọ̀fọ́ àdá-átọ́ n'íjè: The just and the truthful person is never lost in a journey.
Òkìrìkírí k'ānà gbá úkwù ósè, ánághị́ àrị́ yá-élú: The pepper tree is only climbed by means of cautious encirclement.
Ọ̀kụ́kọ̀ ọ̀ nà ákpànyé n’āfọ́ éwú? Does the fowl eat for the food to enter into the goats stomach.
Ọ́ kwá ṅkà sị̀ ná ífé nọ̀ n’āká nọ̀ kwálụ́ n’úchè, ífé nọ́ n’ūchè nọ̀ kwàlụ̀ nà áká: The expert artisan advises that, the material of work should also be one with the mind of the crafts-person and the mind of the crafts-person should also be one with their material/medium of work.
Ọ́nụmmánụ́́ nà-èbúté áká ájá ájá, áká ájá ájá n’ēbúté ọ́nụ mmánụ́ mmánụ́: The mouth that eats will work, the hands that works will eat.
Ònwérọ́ ífé bụ́ ụ̀wà ífé ọ́fụ́ụ́: Nothing is new in the world.
Ònwérọ́ ónyé ọ́bụ́nà gà-àbụ́ mmádụ̀ Ágwụ̀ áhá-àmá: There is no one who can become a fulfilled person that will not be influenced by the spirit of God
Ónyé ajụ̀jụ́ ánághị́ éfù ụ́zọ̀: The person who asks questions will never miss their way.
Ónyé bụ́rụ chí ụ́zọ̀ ọ̀ gbágbúé ònwé yá n’ọ́sọ́: Anyone who tries to overtake their chi will outrun themself.
Ónyé chí yá ákwátúghị̀ ò nwéghi íhé ná-èmé yá: One who their chi did not pull down will remain unharmed.
Ónyé féé ézè, ézè èrúó yá áká: A person who pays respect to the great will be acknowleged by greatness.
Ónyé gbá ñkị́tị̀ Chí yá àgbá: If one remains silent, unconcerned or aloof, one’s Chi would also remain silent, unconcerned and aloof.
Ónyé jí ónyé n’ānị̀ jì ònwé yá: A person who holds another down in the mud must stay in the mud to keep them down.
Ónyé kwé chí yá èkwé: When a person makes up their mind on anything their chi will be in agreement.
Ónyé ná-árọ̀ nwà ézè ányá nà-èlélé yá élélé: Blinking bitterly at a noble is just admiration.
Ónyé n’ákwá ñkà nà àdụ́ íhú: The artist/craft-adept often appears to wear a frown in the process of their work.
Ónyé njé njé kà ónyé ísí áwọ̀ málụ́ ífé: The traveller has more knowledge than the grayhaired person.
Ónyé nwéré mmádụ̀ kà ónyé nwéré égó: A person who has a community of people is greater than an individual with only money.
Ósí nà nwátà bụ̀rụ̀ ọ̀gàrànyà: One who was predestined to become wealthy, and as a result became wealthy from their youth.
Ótù áká lụ́tá mmánú, ò téé ndị́ ọ̀zọ́: When oil stains one finger, it will also soil the others.
Ótù ósísí ádị́ghị́ èmé óké ọ́hị́á: One tree does not make up a forest.
Sị́ kèlé ónyé ntị̀ chìrì, énú ánụ̀ghị̀, àlà ànụ́: Salute the deaf, if the heavens don't hear, the earth will hear.
Tụ́pụ̀rụ́ ñkịta ọ́kpụ́kpụ́ n’ézí, hápụ̀rụ̀ yá ọ̀gụ̀ yá nà ndị́ mmụ́ọ́: Throw bones out to the dog and leave it to fight with the spirits.
Ụ̀wà bụ̀ áfị́á, ónyé zụ́sị́á ọ̀nàkwúlú chí: The cosmos is a grand market, after trading one returns to god.
Ụ̀wà bụ̀ égwú, ónyé ọ́ dàlụ̀ ọ̀ gbábà: The world is a moving musical cavalcade, if the tunes come your way, you dance along.
Ụ̀wà bụ̀ Ìjélè mmọ́nwụ́, àkwụ́rọ́ òfú ébé ènéné yá: The world is a grand masquerade, you can’t appreciate its entirety from a single view or fixed point.
What wisdom or insight can you discern from any of these proverbs on prosperity and wealth? Share them with us in the comment section below. Daalu!
F. C. Ogbalu (1965) on Igbo proverbs and states that:
Igbo proverbs are accumulation of Igbo experiences throughout the history of the Igbos. In absence of any written history, they serve as the medium through which much can be learnt about the Igbos. Their past history, their philosophy of life and family structure, their politics and religion can best be learnt through the proverbs (p.5).
