 In 1978 after Olusegun <unk> 's military regime lifted the ban on independent political activity , the <unk> Ndi Igbo organization was formed , an elite umbrella organization which speaks on behalf of the Igbo people . Their main concerns are the marginalization of the Igbo people in Nigerian politics and the neglect of indigenous Igbo territory in social amenities and development of infrastructure . Other groups which protest the perceived marginalization of the Igbo people are the Igbo Peoples Congress ( IPC ) . Even before the 20th century there were numerous Igbo unions and organizations existing around the world , such as the Igbo union in Bathurst , Gambia in 1842 , founded by a prominent Igbo trader and ex @-@ soldier named Thomas <unk> . Another was the union founded by the Igbo community in Freetown , Sierra Leone by 1860 , of which Africanus Horton , a surgeon , scientist and soldier , was an active member . 
