The Eggon (pronounced "EH-gone", also Egon, Ero, or Mo Egon, sometimes referred to as ''Mada'' or ''Madan Dutse'' meaning Hill Mada by the Hausa) are an ethnic group mostly based in North Central Nigeria (namely Nassarawa and

Plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...

states). Autonyms for singular: ''abegon'' single individual; plural: moa ègón people in general. They are a diverse but culturally homogenous people, numbering around 200,000 or more as of an estimate in 2016. They existed through most of their pre-colonial history as a decentralised and deeply independent society, having their own distinct culture, language and history like most minor societies in the West African Savannah. Their native language is the

Eggon Language Eggon (also Egon, Ero, or Mo Egon), erroneously referred to as Mada - formerly a Plateau language spoken in central Nigeria. It is one of the major language in Nasarawa State. Classification The exact classification of the Eggon language has b ...

, which most Eggon People still speak today, they also speak

Hausa Language Hausa (; / ; Hausa Ajami, Ajami: ) is a Chadic language spoken primarily by the Hausa people in the northern parts of Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin and Togo, and the southern parts of Niger, and Chad, with significant minorities in Ivory Coas ...

the regional language of Northern/North Central Nigeria, and English after British colonisation.

History

Since the Eggon people were made up of different clans, tribes and houses, they didn't refer to themselves with any generic name. Instead, they identified with and were divided into 3 major clans: Anzo, Eholo, and Anro. While they are called Madan Dutse, by the Hausa, they are not to be confused with the Mada people of central Nigeria. But they do share similarities in language, culture and moral systems with the Mada and Rindre of

Akwanga Akwanga is a Local Government Area in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Akwanga. It has an area of 996 km and a population of 513,930 at the 2006 census. The postal code A postal code (also known locally in ...

Local Government Area. The Eggon are located around thirty miles southwest of the

Jos Plateau The Jos Plateau is a plateau located near the centre of Nigeria. The plateau has given its name to the Plateau State in which it is found and is named for the state's capital, Jos. The plateau is home to people of diverse cultures and languages ...

, sharing borders in the north and east with the Mada and Rindre respectively. The name "Eggon" derives from the hill where most of them lived before migrating to the lower plains later on. The word roughly means "a good sense of hearing or perception ability".

References

{{reflist Ethnic groups in Nigeria West African people __FORCETOC__