Western Africa Ethnographic survey of Africa part x:
Date
1955
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
London: International African Institute
Abstract
The Nupe; The Igbira; The Igala; The Idoma-speaking peoples.
Description
This study is one section of the Ethnographic Survey of Africa which the International African Institute is preparing with the aid of a grant made by the Secretary of State under the Colonial Development and Welfare Acts, on the recommendation of the Colonial Social Science Research Council.
The confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers has for long been a focal area of migrations, commerce, and conquest, which have set up cultural cross currents of many kinds. The Igala, the Jukun, and the Fulani have at various times conquered large parts of the region and these wars have left deep impressions on the institutions of the peoples. The area as a whole is fairly open savannah or " orchard bush," but it is flyinfested and cattle cannot be reared successfully. The agriculture, which dominates the economy, includes the cultivation of crops, such as guinea-corn and yams, characteristic of Northern and Southern Nigeria respectively, hence the term * ‘ Middle Belt ’’ which is frequently applied to the Niger-Benue region. The Nupe country is,one of the northernmost areas in which the oil-palm and kola nut are found; the Niger watershed in Igala and the southern fringe of districts in Idoma also lie within the " palm belt." Settlement is fairly continuous over the area as a whole and there is considerable intermixture of ethnic groups. Population is moderately dense— between 30 and 60 persons per square mile over wide areas—though it is considerably sparser north of the Benue and in some Nupe districts west of the Kaduna River. Continuous European contact with the Niger-Benue region began with Lander’s descent of the Niger in 1830. In 1832-33 the Laird and Oldfield expedition succeeded in getting some distance up the Benue and visited the whole river front of the Igbira and Igala countries. They found the country north of the Benue much disturbed by Fulani raids. The markets around the confluence were major centres of the slave trade1 and in 1855 Crowther heard Igala, Igbira, Nupe, Kakanda, Hausa, Yoruba, Idoma, Jukun, and Ibo being spoken at the Igbede market at the confluence