The Kalabari are a sub-group of the

Ijaw people The Ijaw people, also known as the Izon people, are an ethnic group found in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria, with primary Population, population clusters in Bayelsa State, Bayelsa, Delta State, Delta, and Rivers State, Rivers. They also have ...

living in the eastern

Niger Delta The Niger Delta is the delta of the Niger River sitting directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria. It is located within nine coastal southern Nigerian states, which include: all six states from the South South geopolitic ...

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, ...

. Originally, they were known as the Awome. The name Kalabari was derived from their ancestor Perebo Kalabari who was a son of Meinowei. Their original settlement was spelt as

Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari, Cali and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language, as the Efik people dominate this area. The city is adjac ...

by the Portuguese which was pronounced Kalabari. This settlement (town) was abandoned as the people moved to other fishing settlements. Portuguese settlers continued to maintain the name Calabari which became surrounded by the Efik people of Duke town. When 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 ...

came the word Calabari was pronounced as Calabar (Kalaba) instead of Kalabari. At this time the original Ijoid Kalabaris had moved to a new location which became the new Calabar territory since the old Calabar is occupied by different people. Old Calabar became an

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 ...

town with time which has the name Calabar. Elem Kalabari became a large kingdom that has about 35 settlements including Bakana, Abonnema, Buguma, Tombia and others. King Amachree XI (Professor Theophilus Princewill CFR), passed on and was buried in November 2003. The Kingdom is currently being overseen by a Regent till a new king is crowned. The king along with his Chiefs, most of whom are royal princes, form the royal court.

History

The Kalabari people are Ijaw speaking settlers who came from the lineage of a man called Mein Owei. The people were originally fishermen before the coming of the Portuguese to the West African coastline. The Kalabari, like most Nigerian coastline tribes, were wealthy as a result of their interactions with the Europeans. There are some Ijaw who consider the Kalabari as a different ethnic group and vice versa. Historically Kalabari settlements have always been close to a river, this is because they believed their powers came from deities in the water.

Food

There are a variety of traditional dishes (or native food) of the Kalabari, the three popular dishes are Onunu (pounded yam, ripe plantain and palm oil), Tominafulo (fresh

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

prawn Prawn is a common name for small aquatic crustaceans with an exoskeleton An exoskeleton () . is a skeleton that is on the exterior of an animal in the form of hardened integument, which both supports the body's shape and protects the intern ...

s, periwinkle and oyster and other local ingredients), Odo’fulo (aka Native Soup made with fresh

seafood Seafood is any form of Marine life, sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including Fish as food, fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of Mollusca, molluscs (e.g., bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters, and mussel ...

and other local ingredients). Marriage Kalabari people have one of the cheapest forms of legal marriage in the south-south region of Nigeria, their marriage is cheap compared to the neighbouring cites such as the Ikwerre,

Okrika Okrika is a town in Rivers State, Nigeria, and serves as the headquarters of Okrika Local Government Area. It is situated on an island south of Port Harcourt, functioning as a suburb of the city. The inhabitants of Okrika LGA are of Ijaw descent ...

Ahoada Ahoada (Ehuda) is a city in Orashi Region of Rivers State, Nigeria, located northwest of Port Harcourt. In Ahoada, the Ekpeye language is majorly spoken, though there are other languages in Ahoada like: Engenni, Ogba, and Ikwerre. Now in Ahoa ...

, Ogoni, Bonny, and

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 ...

. The cheapest form of marriage which is recognized in Kalabari is called "Ari Ibara emi" (meaning she is with me). As the name implies, her parents should not look for her elsewhere, for she is with me. Kalabari tribe has about three types of marriages, the ''Iya'', ''Igwa'', and ''Waribiobesime''. The ''Iya marriage'' is said to be the highest and most expensive form of marriage in the Kalabari culture. The Iya is the most expensive form of marriage in Kalabari land. The special thing about this type of marriage ceremony is that, at first, there are some catchy traditions that may seem weird for other cultures or tribes, but all of them are respected and they must be honored in the ceremony. For instance, the marriage cannot be complete until the ceremony of BIBIFE (buying the mouth) is being done. BIBIFE signifies that the potential wife can not eat any food until her “mouth is bought”. There must be a rite in order to “buy her mouth” and only after that, she is able to eat in her husband's house. This BIBIFE signifies the responsibility and role of the man towards his wife that shows his willingness to care and feed her for the rest of her life.

List of towns, villages and fishing settlement in Kalabari

Abonnema Abonnema is a town in Nigeria that was founded in 1882 by eleven independent, equal and autonomous founding fathers in 1882. Abonnema has no monarchy but is governed by the principle of ''primus inter pares'', first among equals. History Preceden ...

, Abalama, Abisse, Angulama, Aleleama, Atuka, Angalabio, Adumama, Amosama, Buguma, Bukuma, Bakana, Captain kiri, Cawthrone Channel, Dialafiari ama, Elem Tombia, Elem Kalabari, Elem Ido, Elem Ifoko, Elem Bekinama, Elem Abalama, Elem Sangama, Horsefall ama, Harrison ama, Ido, Idama, Ilelema, Ifoko, Ipokuma, Kula, krakrama, ke, Kien ama, Minama, Mbiakafiama, Ngeribarama, Oporoama, Obonoma, Oguruama, Okpo, Owoko, Obuama, Omekweama, Omekwetariama, Ogo ama, Opubenibo ama, Soku, Sama, Sangama, Tema, Tombia, Usokun, Ipokuma Degema consulate, Arugbana, Ekweoboko.

History

Food

List of towns, villages and fishing settlement in Kalabari

References

Further reading