Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

Anioma people

A subgroup of the Igbo ethnic group in Nigeria From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Remove ads

The Anioma people (/æˈniːɒmɑː/ ah-NEE-o-ma, US: /əˈniːɒmɑː/ uh-NEE-o-mah; Ndí Ániọ̀mà) present day Delta State, Nigeria. The Anioma people encompass and are native to the nine northeastern Local Government Areas of Delta State and the Ika communities of Edo State. Politically, the Anioma occupy the Delta North Senatorial District where they are the majority group.

Quick Facts Total population, Regions with significant populations ...

Today, the population of the Anioma is estimated today to be at approximately 1.8 million.[1][2] The largest Anioma settlement and urban area is the Delta State Capital Territory, which incorporates the city of Asaba along the Niger River, with Okpanam, Igbuzor and surrounding communities.[3] The Anioma natively speak western dialects of the Igbo language, a Niger-Congo language, as well as several minority languages related to the cultures they lie contingent to.

Remove ads

Etymology

The term Anioma is an acronym etymologically derived from the diverse cultural realms that comprise the Western Igboid speaking regions flanking the western basin of the Niger in south central Nigeria: the Aniocha (A), Ndokwa (N), Ika (I) and the Oshimili peoples(O).[4] The coinage was made in 1951 by Chief Dennis Osadebay, founding father of the Anioma state movement and has since remained the preferred indigenous name by which the people collectively refer to themselves.

Remove ads

Language

The Anioma are predominantly Igbo speaking as well as other Igboid languages including the Enuani dialect in the northeast (spoken in Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku, Isheagu, Asaba, parts of Igbodo, Illah, Issele, Idumuje, Onicha etc.), Ika in the northwest (of Agbor, Umunede, Owa, Igbanke, Boji-Boji etc.), Ukwuani-Aboh dialect of the Igbo language mostly spoken by the peoples of Ndokwa in the south.

Minorities of historically non-Igbo speakers exist with a Igala minority in the northernmost extremities of the Anioma homeland at Ebu on the border with Edo and Umuebu in Ukwuani,[5] as well as the Olukumi who speak a language related to Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria and are acculturated to the predominant Igbo culture [6] of Aniocha.

Remove ads

The Ekumeku Movement (1883-1914)

See also Ekumeku Movement:

The Ekumeku War is unique in Anioma history and Igbo history in general for two reasons.[7] First, the movement's duration involved military campaigns spanning thirty-one years against the British.[8] Secondly, it exemplifies an effort amongst the Igbo people to unify previously fragmented states in resistance to the British colonial army.[8]

Notable people

Remove ads

See also

References

External links

Further reading

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads
Remove ads