Over 60 Igbo Proverbs with Wisdom on Wealth & Prosperity
Please note: Igbo (written) language is rich in diacritical marks and accents that convey specific meanings and nuances. However, the Igbo texts highlighted in this post do not include such diacritical marks. It is important to note that the absence of these marks may affect the proper interpretation of the texts (for those literate in Igbo langugage).
Achukata nwata achuba ya na uwa oma: If you continue pursuing a child maliciously, you may make him or her to gain favor and prosper.
Aka oru mmadu ka eji ama ya: A person is known by their handwork.
Ako bu ije: Wisdom is the way.
Aku bu iro, nwata kpata aku o kpata iro: Wealth is enimity, when a child gains wealth they gain enemies.
Aku na-esi obi ike: Wealth makes the heart strong.
Aku ruo ulo amalu onye kpatara ya: When wealth reaches home the wealthy person will be known.
Ebe onye oso ruru onye ije ga-eru ya: Where a person who runs reaches, a person walking will also reach.
Edeala mara mma bu umeala onye dere ya: The beauty of Edeala sacred expression lies in the calmness of its scribe.
Ejiri nnukwu kwaa uzo obere bia ogafe, mana ejiri obere kwaa uzo nnukwu bia oto: 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.
Ekele dike na nke omere, omekwa ozo: When the mighty is praised for what they have done, they will do more.
Eme ngwa ngwa emeputa odachi: A hasty climber will make a sudden fall in the end.
Ewu wuru n’oba ji obughi agu gburu ya: A goat that dies in a barn was not killed by hunger.
Eze puo eze anochie: When a king leaves another king will replace him.
Ife kwulu, ife akwudobe ya: Wherever something stands, something else will stand beside it.
Ife niine nwelu oge: There is time for everything.
Ife oge ya lulu o mee: Anything whose time is due takes place.
Ife onye acho ka o fu: Whatever one is looking for is what one finds.
Ihe e zutere n’ohi na-ala n’ohi: Whatever one obtains by crooked means leaves ones possession by crooked means.
Ihe onye metara o buru: Whatsoever one's actions are, they must be prepared to face the consequences.
Ijiji na-enweghi onye ndumodu na-eso ozu ala n’inyi: A fly that has no adviser follows the corpse to the grave.
Ikwe na aka gafee nku-aka ya aghoo ihe ozo: If you allow a handshake to wander past your elbow, it becomes an invitation for something else.
Mbosi Chi onye kwelu mfu, o banyegodu na mbubo ya o na-efu: The days one's Chi agrees to get lost, if one enters even one's compound farmland, one will get lost there.
Mgbe onye ji teta ura bu ututu ya: Whenever one wakes up from sleep is their own morning.
Mberede nyiri dike mana mberede ka eji ama dike: Difficulties constrain a warrior, but overcoming those difficulties is what makes them a warrior.
Ndidi nwe mmeri: There is pleasure in patience.
Nke onye chiri ya zere: What a person earns let them face it.
Nku di na mba n’eghelu mba nni: The fire wood in a land will be enough to provide food for all its inhabitants.
Nwata etoghi eto wara ogodo, ikuku kue, o bulu ya na ogodo o ma n’ukwu: If a child tries to tie wrapper before maturity, when the wind blows, it will carry both the child and the wrapper.
Nwata kwochaa aka o soro okenye ma oba ogaranya rie nri: If a child washes their hands they can eat with reverred elders.
O bu na oru mmadu ka chi ya si eke ya: It is from a persons work that their chi manifests their best self.
O bughi onu eji biri ego, ka eji akwuyachi ya: It is not the same mouth (verbal approach) used to borrow money that is used to repay them.
O buru na i kpolite usu na ihi, i ga-abasi ya iwe: If you bring a bat to into the light, you will offend it.
Odi be ndi diri ha: Let what exists at a foreign land be theirs.
Oge adighi eche mmadu: Time waits for no one.
O ji akwu nyetu nchi, na nchi adighi ari elu: Those who have palm kernel should give to the grass cutter because the grass cutter does not climb trees.
Oji nwayoo anaghi emeru ahu: The one who takes it easy will hardly get hurt.
Oji ofo ada-ato n’ije: The just and the truthful person is never lost in a journey.
Okirikiri k’ana gba ukwu ose, anaghi ari ya-elu: The pepper tree is only climbed by means of cautious encirclement.
Okuku, o na akpanye n’afo ewu?: Does the fowl eat for the food to enter into the goats stomach.
Okwa nka si na ife no n’aka nokwalu n’uche, ife no n’uche nokwalu na aka: The expert artisan advices that, the material of work should also be one with the mind of the craftsperson and the mind of the craftsperson should also be one with their material/medium of work.
Onu mmanu mmanu na-ebute aka aja aja, aka aja aja n’ebute onu mmanu mmanu: The mouth that eats will work, the hands that works will eat.
Onwero ife bu uwa ife ofuu: Nothing is new in the world.
Onwero onye obuna ga-abu mmadu Agwu aha-ama: There is no one who can become a fulfilled person that will not be influenced by the spirit of God
Onye ajuju anaghi efu uzo: The person who asks questions will never miss their way.
Onye buru chi uzo o gbagbue onwe ya n’oso: Anyone who tries to overtake their chi will outrun themself.
Onye chi ya akwatughi o nweghi ihe na-eme ya: One who their chi did not pull down will remain unharmed.
Onye fee eze, eze eruo ya aka: A person who pays respect to the great will be acknowleged by greatness.
Onye gba nkiti Chi ya agba: If one remains silent, unconcerned or aloof, one’s Chi would also remain silent, unconcerned and aloof.
Onye ji onye n’ani ji onwe ya: A person who holds another down in the mud must stay in the mud to keep them down.
Onye kwe chi ya ekwe: When a person makes up their mind on anything their chi will be in agreement.
Onye na-aro nwa eze anya na-elele ya elele: Blinking bitterly at a noble is just admiration.
Onye n’akwa nka na adu ihu: The artist/craft-adept often appears to wear a frown in the process of their work.
Onye nje nje ka onye isi awo malu ife: The traveller has more knowledge than the grayhaired person.
Onye nwere mmadu ka onye nwere ego: A person who has a community of people is greater than an individual with only money.
Osi na nwata buru ogaranya: One who was predestined to become wealthy, and as a result became wealthy from their youth.
Otu aka luta mmanu, o tee ndi ozo: When oil stains one finger, it will also soil the others.
Otu osisi adighi eme oke ohia: One tree does not make up a forest.
Si kele onye nti chiri, enu anughi, ala anu: Salute the deaf, if the heavens don't hear, the earth will hear.
Tupuru nkita okpukpu n’ezi, hapuru ya ogu ya na ndi mmuo: Throw bones out to the dog and leave it to fight with the spirits.
Ugo chara acha adighi echu echu: A mature eagle feather will always remain pure
Ulili si na-ejekete ije si tuo nkwo oso maka ihe oso eme mee: The ground squirrel advices that those who walk should sometimes break into a trot in case the need to run arises.
Uwa bu afia, onye zusia onakwulu chi: The cosmos is a grand market, after trading one returns to god.
Uwa bu egwu, onye o daalu o gbaba: The world is a moving musical cavalcade, if the tunes come your way, you dance along.
Uwa bu ijele mmonwu, akwuro ofu ebe enene ya: 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. Dalu!
