Ijo languages
The Ịjọ is a language or a dialect continuum made up of several languages, which is spoken in southern Nigeria and, in terms of the number of speakers, forms the largest branch of the ijoid language group within the Niger-Congo language family .
It comprises 9 languages or independent dialects, and the ISO code is ijo .
Ịjọ is thus the main group of ijoid languages named after it. It is spoken by the Ịjọ ethnic group .
The languages are divided into two groups - Central and Eastern:
- Central
- east
- Nkoro: Nkoro (5 thousand)
- Kalabari-Okrika: Kalabari (250 thousand), Kirike (250 thousand), Ibani (60 thousand)
- Southeast: Nembe-Akassa (70 thousand)