Abstract
Among the most cherished human values in different African cultural traditions is certainly the idea of justice. For Africans, justice constitutes the fundamental pillar of social, political and religious life. This essay philosophically reflects on the concept and importance of justice in the African traditional thought. Focusing particularly on the Igbo cultural group of Nigeria, it finds the Igbo adage, Egbe bere Ugo bere, a fertile ground for exploring the concept of justice relevant not only for Africa but for the human society at large. The proverb which literally means “let the kite perch and let the eagle perch” is often translated “live and let live”. The profound sense of the proverb however expresses a way of promoting equality and tolerance among different peoples. Beginning with an etymological exploration of the concept of justice in Igbo language, the essay hermeneutically analyses the proverb, Egbe bere Ugo bere, showing how it encapsulates the notion and value of justice among the Igbo people and finally considers its relevance for the practice of justice both in the contemporary African society and global human community.