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Anaang (also spelled Annang and Ànnang) is an ethnic group in Southern Nigeria, whose land is primarily within 8 of the present 31
Local Government Areas A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory. The ph ...
in
Akwa Ibom State Akwa Ibom is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It borders Cross River State to the east, Rivers State and Abia State to the west and north-west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The state ...
: Abak, Essien Udim, Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ikot Ekpene, Obot Akara, Oruk Anam, Ukanafun in
Akwa Ibom State Akwa Ibom is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It borders Cross River State to the east, Rivers State and Abia State to the west and north-west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The state ...
. The Anaang are the second largest tribe group in Akwa Ibom after the Ibibios in Akwa Ibom state. The Anaang were formerly located in the former Abak and Ikot Ekpene Divisions of the Anaang Province, as well as part of the former
Opobo Opobo is a community in Rivers state, South South region of Nigeria that was founded in 1870 . The people of Opobo are a mixture of the Ndoki tribe, Ndoki clan of the Igbo people and the Ibani clan of the Ijaw ethnic group. Their native languages ...
Division of Uyo Province, in the former Eastern Region of
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
. The proper name for the Ika of Akwa Ibom is Ika-Annang, a reflection of their intimate connection to their Annang identity.


History


Ancient origin

The predominant paternal haplogroup among the Anaang is E1b1a1-M2. The ancestors of the Anaang originally came from
Northeast Africa Northeast Africa, or Northeastern Africa, or Northern East Africa as it was known in the past, encompasses the countries of Africa situated in and around the Red Sea. The region is intermediate between North Africa and East Africa, and encompasses ...
and moved around the Green Sahara. The gradual movement of the Proto Anaang to the Cross River Region may have been associated with the expansion of
Sahel The Sahel region (; ), or Sahelian acacia savanna, is a Biogeography, biogeographical region in Africa. It is the Ecotone, transition zone between the more humid Sudanian savannas to its south and the drier Sahara to the north. The Sahel has a ...
agriculture in the African Neolithic period, following the desiccation of the Sahara in c. 3500 BCE.


Oral history

According to
oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication in which knowledge, art, ideas and culture are received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (19 ...
, the Abiakpo came to the northern range of Anaang from Eka Abiakpo. They were quickly followed by the Ukana clan, the Utu, Ekpu, Ebom and Nyama (the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
lumped these groups together and gave them the name Otoro), and other Anaang clans. The Anaang and the entire people of Akwa Ibom and Cross River states of Nigeria (AkwaCross people) have occupied their land in coastal Southeastern Nigeria for thousands of years. The group is related to the
Efik people The Efik are an ethnic group located primarily in southern Nigeria, and western Cameroon. Within Nigeria, the Efik can be found in the present-day Cross River State and Akwa Ibom state. The Efik speak the Efik language which is a member of the Be ...
. It is believed that the Anaang people originated from
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
and began their migration from Egypt before settling in present-day Akwa-Ibom,
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
. Before their current settlement, they lived among the Twi of
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
, where the name Anaang means "fourth son". From Ghana, the group moved eastward into present-day
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
. It was in the
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
highlands that the group broke off but later reached the same territory in Coastal Southeastern
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
. Lineages were recognized and the groups organized into
clans A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...
, based on old family origins known as Iman. Their northern neighbors, the Igbo, have a similar clan/community structure.


Written history

Very little was written about the Anaang people before the mid-19th century. Early European traders who arrived in the Cross River territories referred to groups who lived outside of the coastal areas as residents of Egbo-Sharry Country. The first written mention of the Anaangs is in Sigismund Koelle's account of liberated slaves in
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...
. He mentioned a liberated slave named ''Ebengo'' who hailed from Nkwot in Abak. Ebengo was captured and sold to the Portuguese but was subsequently freed by a British warship and later settled in
Waterloo, Sierra Leone Waterloo is a city in the Western Area of Sierra Leone and the capital of the Western Area Rural District, which is one of the sixteen districts of Sierra Leone. Waterloo is located about twenty miles east of Freetown. Waterloo is the second la ...
. The British soldiers listed the languages spoken by the slaves in that captured ship as "Anaang". The second mention is a description of what is known as the Ikot Udo Obong Wars. The British described the killings of the Anaangs by King ''Jaja'' of
Opobo Opobo is a community in Rivers state, South South region of Nigeria that was founded in 1870 . The people of Opobo are a mixture of the Ndoki tribe, Ndoki clan of the Igbo people and the Ibani clan of the Ijaw ethnic group. Their native languages ...
as a punishment for defying his orders and trading in
palm oil Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of oil palms. The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 36% of global oils produced from o ...
directly with the British merchants instead of going through him as a middleman. In the war that ensued, the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
intervened and with the help of the Anaangs, they captured King Jaja and exiled him to the
West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
. The British established a military post at Ikot Ekpene in 1904. Following
British colonialism The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts establish ...
and with changes and ban in ancient hunting practices, the Anaang witnessed attacks by wild animals. As the men went to fight in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
these attacks intensified. The British authorities called the attacks murder and blamed it on "the barbarism of the Africans". The Anaang were accused of belonging to a secret society called ''Ekpeowo'' ( The Human Leopards Society). It has been argued that killings born out of insurgency against the British elsewhere in
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
led to the branding of leopard attacks as murders by the British authorities among the Anaang. Between 1945 and 1948 about 196 people were killed in Ikot Okoro community in the present-day Oruk Anam LGA; the Ikot Okoro Police station was set up because of this reason. The British convicted 96 people and executed 77 innocent people. The Anaang religion called Idiong was banned and the priests arrested. Articles and worship materials were publicly burnt and those who did not convert to Christianity automatically became suspects. The Anaangs have a history and reputation for fearlessness and the ability of villages and clans to bind together to fight a common enemy. This is perhaps why they were able to thrive living so close to the Aro Confederacy's center,
Arochukwu Arochukwu Local Government Area, sometimes referred to as Arochuku or Aro Oke igbo is the third largest local government area in Abia State (after Aba and Umuahia) in southeastern Nigeria and homeland of the Igbo subgroup, Aro people. It ...
with its famed Ibini Ukpabi oracle. A particular interesting war group, or "Warrior cult", was the famous Oko warriors. This war group was highly functional in the 1950s. These warriors were considered invulnerable to penetration of knives, spears, and arrows. In various instances sharp machetes were tested on the body parts of members. The Anaangs suffered
genocide Genocide is violence that targets individuals because of their membership of a group and aims at the destruction of a people. Raphael Lemkin, who first coined the term, defined genocide as "the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group" by ...
during the
Nigerian Civil War The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Biafran War, Nigeria-Biafra War, or Biafra War, was fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a Secession, secessionist state which had declared its independen ...
. The war lasted for three years (1967–1970) and the Anaang lost a significant number of its people. The effect of the war and the resulting neglect of the Anaang is now a serious political discuss.


Location

The Anaang people homeland is located in
Akwa Ibom State Akwa Ibom is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It borders Cross River State to the east, Rivers State and Abia State to the west and north-west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The state ...
, Southern
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
. The Annangs have lived in the Southeastern, coastal parts of Nigeria for centuries before the arrival of the Europeans. The political capital of the Anaang people is Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area.


Culture

A brother/sister from the same ''Ilip,'' literally translated as "womb" means that they can trace their origin to the same mother or father. Those who can so trace their ancestry to the same parents form ''Ufok'' (literally a house or compound). Several ''ufoks'' make up ''Ekpuks'' or
extended family An extended family is a family that extends beyond the nuclear family of parents and their children to include aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins or other relatives, all living nearby or in the same household. Particular forms include the stem ...
and several ''Ekpuks'' (extended families) make up "Ilung" (meaning village) and several villages make up the "''abie''" or clan. This is in many ways similar to the system used by other south-eastern Nigerian peoples but more centralized. Although leadership at the family, village, or clan level remains the prerogative of the men, lineage ties extends to women even after marriage. This is because the Anaang society was originally semi-matrilineal, just like a few other societies in Eastern Nigeria such as The Ugep. There are many societies and associations (''Ulim'' also called "udim") for men and women which are very important in traditional village life. Individuals are measured by both the number and types of memberships in ''Ulim'' and by the achievements of one or more ''Ulims''. Governance is done by elderly males who act as the legislative arm called Afe Ichong, directed by the ''Abong Ichong'' (Village Chief and Clan Chief) who is the head and the chief executive but without the authority beyond what the ''Afe Ichong'' gives. A chief can be appointed by the ''Afe'' or can be an inherited office. The Anang speak the Annang language and perform a masquerade after the yam harvest to mark the visit of ancestral spirits, or ''ekpo''. This is also the name of a men's associations that once had great influence among Ibibio groups. The Anang carve masks with grotesque features, known as ''iliok'', which are considered dangerous and may only be viewed by members of the ''ekpo''. Other masks embody the beautiful spirit, or ''mfon''. The strength of any individual, family (or group for that matter) is typically based upon a consensus of the village or clan through this complex social system. In all this, Anang women are not completely subordinate to men. Instead Anaang women are partners and leaders in many aspects of Anaang tradition, including serving as female chief priests "Abia Iyong" in the Iyong cult or as healers in the healing cults. The first-born female known as ''Aliaha'' is important and commands respect in the family and lineage. Some traditions hold that a woman's first birth should take place in her mother's compound. Women's organizations such as "abi-de" and "Nyaama", and "Isong Iban" play important roles in giving the women voice and status in society. There are no traditional or cultural barriers that prevent women from attaining high offices or positions. Anaangs value the ability to speak well and oratory ability using
proverb A proverb (from ) or an adage is a simple, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and are an example of formulaic speech, formulaic language. A proverbial phrase ...
s is highly desirable, especially among the leaders. The American anthropologist, Peter Farb, stated that the name "Anaang" among this group means "they who speak well". An individual who has the gift of eloquent speech is often complimented as ''Akwo Anaang'', meaning the "Man of Anaang".


Fattening room

The fattening room is traditionally where virgin adolescent girls were fattened up in preparation for marriage. A fattening room girl is known as a ''mbobo''. This was an occasion for a major village celebration. As part of her preparation for marriage the girl was also instructed on how to be a wife. She would spend her time in the room naked so that her fattening could be observed, and would sleep on a bamboo bed which was thought to fatten her up. It was also meant to make it more possible for her to conceive easily. This use for fertility purposes was also used at time for infertile wives and as a prerequisite for entrance into secret societies.


Written language

The Annang language is also mutually intelligible to speakers of Ibibio,
Efik The Efik are an ethnic group located primarily in southern Nigeria, and western Cameroon. Within Nigeria, the Efik can be found in the present-day Cross River State and Akwa Ibom state. The Efik speak the Efik language which is a member of the ...
, Oron,
Eket Eket is one of the 31 local government areas in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The name ''Eket'' or Ekid also refers to the indigenous people of the region who are the Ibibio people of the southern part of Ibibioland and to their dialect which is E ...
(also known as Ekid) of the Akwa Akpa (Old Calabar Kingdom). Though the Anaang speech pattern was not written down, linguists have now produced an orthography of the language which makes it possible to produce written materials in the language (Idem & Udondata, 2001).


Demographics

*Nigeria **
Akwa Ibom State Akwa Ibom is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It borders Cross River State to the east, Rivers State and Abia State to the west and north-west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The state ...
**
Cross River State Cross River State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named for the Cross River, the state was formed from the eastern part of the Eastern Region on 27 May 1967. The state has its capital as Calabar and is bordered to ...
**Benue (Efik-Ibibio people are the fourth largest ethnic group of the original settlers of Benue of Nigeria) *Equatorial Guinea (formerly Fernando Po) *Cameroon *Ghana Overseas diaspora: *Cuba *West Indies


Annang numbers

Numbers from zero to twelve:


Delicacies

The Annang people have different delicacies such as Afang Soup, Alitan Soup, Okro Soup (Afere nkolo), Abak Atama, White Soup (Affia Efere), Asa Iwa, Ekpang Nkwukwor and many other delicacies which one can enjoy during vacation.


See also

* Akamkpa * Bakassi * Ekpe * Ekpo Annang * Ikom * Nsibidi * Oron people


References


Bibliography

*Brink, P. J. (1989) The Fattening Room among the Annang of Nigeria. Medical Anthropology 12 (1) p. 131 - 143. *Ekanem, J. B. (2002) Clashing Cultures: Annang Not(with)standing Christianity: An Ethnography (Gods, Humans, and Religions, No. 3), Peter Lang Publishing: Brussels. . *Enang, K. (1987) Some Key Religious concepts of the Annang. In Africana Marburgensia: Cross River Religion, Hackett, R. I. J. (ed) Sonderheft 12 (12) 21 – 34. *Koelle, W. (1854) Polyglotta African Cited in Udo, E. U. (1983) The History of the Annang People, Apcon Press Ltd. Calabar, Nigeria. *Livingstone, W. P. (1916) Mary Slessor of Calabar: Pioneer Missionary, BiblioBazaar, . *Meek, C. K. (1937) Law and Authority in a Nigerian Tribe. Oxford, England. Oxford University Press . *Noah, Monday Effiong (1988) Proceedings of the Ibibio Union 1928-1937. * *Nair, Kaanan. K. (1972) Politics and society in South Eastern Nigeria, 1841–1906;: A study of power, diplomacy and commerce in Old Calabar (Cass library of African studies. General studies), London, Frank Cass, . *Pratten, D. (2007) The Man-Leopard Murders: History and Society in Colonial Nigeria. Indianapolis, Indiana University Press. *Udondata, J & Idem-Agozino, U. (2001) Annang Orthography, Uyo, Scholars Press. *Udo, E. U. (1983) The History of the Annang People, Calabar, Nigeria. Apcon Press Ltd. *Umoh, E. (2004) Annang Map with Boundaries, Plano TX. USA. *Waddell, H.M. (1893) Thirty Nine Years in West Africa and the West Indies. London. Frank Cass Ltd.


External links


Annang Heritage Organization
{{Authority control Annang Ethnic groups in Nigeria