Southern Kaduna

Southern Kaduna (formerly Southern Zaria)[1] is an area inhabited by various non-Hausa peoples, South of Zaria Emirate of Kaduna State. It is located in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria. Some view it as being less of a geographical identity and more of an ethnic identity concept.[2]

Southern Kaduna

Gurara/Nok

Southern Zaria
Cultural region
Nickname(s): 
Chongai
Part ofKaduna State  Nigeria
- Settlement of Nok culturec. 1500 BC
- Nok culture areac. 1500 BC - c. 500 AD
- Kwararafa confederacyc. 900 - c. 1700
- Northern Region British Nigeria (later Middle Belt, Nigeria)1903-4 (1950s)
- Southern Zariac. 1900
- Nerzit regionc. 1950
- Southern Kadunac. 1990
- Gurara/Nok Stateproposed
Founded by- Proto Nok people
Capitals• Fantswam (Kafanchan) (Economic capital)
• Kachia (Political capital)
Composed of
Government
 • TypeChief
• Agwam, Agwom (Agom), B'gwam, Ere, Esu (Sa), Etum, Kpop, Ngbiar, Odyong, Pukgom, Res, Tum, Uchu
• Clan heads
• Village heads
Population
 (2016 estimate)
 • Total~ 4,564,100
Demographics
 • LanguageGbagyi-Gbari
 • LanguageTyap-Jju
 • LanguageAdara-Kulu
 • LanguageHyam-Gyong
 • LanguageKoro Wachi
 • LanguageNinzam-Nikyob-Nindem
 • LanguageTsam-Bishi-Timap
 • LanguageTugbiri-Niragu-T'kurmi-Tivori
 • ReligionChristianity, Traditional religion, Islam
Time zoneWAT

Subdivisions

Ethnic composition

Southern Kaduna is composed of closely related ethnic groups and several subgroups united by a common culture and history. James (2000) classified these people based on their ethno-linguistic affinities under the topic "The Middle Belt (Composition of the Nok Culture Area)", and grouping the subgroups into the following groups:[3]

The Proto-Plateau ethnolinguistic cluster

I. Northern or Adara Group

  • Adara (Kadara)
  • Ada (Kuturmi)
  • Ajure Adara (Kadara of Idon)
  • Anumafa Adara (Kadara Kateri)
  • Semi Ajure (Ankuwa, Gora)
  • Bakulu (Ikulu)

II. Western or Koro Group

III. Ham or Northwestern Group

IV. Nerzit or Kataf (Atyap) Group

  • Atyap (Kataf, Katab)
  • Bajju (Kaje)
  • Agworok (Aegworok, Oegworok, Kagoro)
  • Asholyio (Osholio, Asholio, Moro'a)
  • Fantswam (Kafanchan)
  • Bakulu (Ikulu)
  • Anghan (Angan, Kamantan)
  • Atakad (Atakat, Attakar)
  • Atyecharak (Atyacherak, Attachirak, Kachechere)
  • Terri (Challa, Chara)
  • Atyuku (Atuku)

V. South-western (Aninka) Group

  • Ninzam
  • Northern Mada
  • Gbantu (Gwantu)
  • Nindem
  • Nikyob (Kaninkon)
  • Kanufi
  • Nungu
  • Buh - Ayu
  • Ningeshe
  • Nandu
  • Numana

The above grouping on the Proto-Plateau Ethnolinguistic Clusters was however modified based on the spoken languages by Blench (2008) as follows:[4]

I. Northwest or Adara Group

II. Atyap (Nerzit, Nenzit) Group

III. Koro Group

  • Ashe
  • Tinɔr (Waci-Myamya)
  • Idũ, Gwara
  • Nyenkpa-Barde

IV. Ham Group

  • Shamang
  • Cori
  • Ham
  • Zhire
  • Shang

V. Gwong Group

VI. Ninzo Group

  • Ninzo (Ninzam)
  • Bu-Niŋkada
  • Mada
  • Numana-Nunku-Gbantu-Numbu
  • Ningye-Ninka
  • Anib
  • Nikyob
  • Nindem
  • Nungu
  • Ayu

VII. Ndun Group

  • Ndun (Nandu)

VIII. Alumu Group

  • Sambe
  • He also said that Nisam is a presumed Plateau language once spoken in Nince Village, Kaduna State, however, its place within the Plateau branch cannot be ascertained due to the lack of linguistic data and that in 2005, there was only one speaker of Nisam.[5]

The Proto-Kainji ethnolinguistic cluster

I. Eastern Kainji Group I

  • Atsam (Chawai)
  • Amap (Amo)
  • Abisi (Piti)
  • Kuzamani (Shuwa-Zamani)
  • Ngmgbang (Ribam)
  • Dinani (Dingi)
  • Ribina

II. Eastern Kainji Group II

  • Agbiri (Gure)
  • Aniragu (Kahugu)
  • Akurmi (Kurama)
  • Koonu (Kono)
  • Vono (Kiballo)
  • Tumi (Kitimi)
  • Nuno-Kaivi (Kaibi)
  • Mala-Ruma (Rumaya/Ruruma)
  • Abin (Binawa)
  • Kuvori (Surubu)
  • Atumu (Kinuku)
  • Shuwa-Zamani (Kuzamani)
  • Dungi (Dungu)

The Proto-Kwa Ethnolinguistic Cluster

Gbagyi (Gwari) Group

The Proto-West Chadic Ethnolinguistic Cluster

Outside of James (2000)'s classification lie the groups from the Proto-West Chadic Ethnolinguistic Cluster:

Languages

Southern Kaduna consists of a diverse minority of ethnolinguistic groups, who speak languages belonging to the Niger–Congo and West Chadic language groups.[7] Below are the languages and dialects spoken by the people of Southern Kaduna:

LGALanguages
ChikunGbagyi
JabaAshe; Duya; Hyam
Jema'aAshe; Berom; Duya; Fantswam; Gyong; Hyam; Jju; Kanufi; Mada; Kyoli Nikyob-Nindem; Ninzo; Nungu; Nyankpa; Shamang; Tyap; Tyuku Zhire; Numana
KachiaAdara; Doka; Gbagyi; Hyam; Iku-Gora-Ankwa; Ikulu; Jju; Nghan; Koro Wachi; Ada; Shamang; Tyap; Zhire
Kaduna NorthBacama; Gbagyi; Hausa; Kanuri; Yoruba
Kaduna SouthAdara; Gbagyi; Hausa; Idoma; Igbo; Tyap; Yoruba
KagarkoAshe; Duya; Gbagyi; Koro Wachi
KajuruAdara; Ajiya; Gbagyi; Kuzamani
KauraGworok; Firan; Iten; Takad; Sholyio; Tyap and Tyecarak (Tyecaat)
KauruBisi; Bina; Dungu; Ikulu; Kaivi; Kinuku; Koonu; Mala; Mbang; Rigwe; Ruma; Sheni; T'kurmi; Tsam; Tumi; Tyap; Vono; Tuvori and Hausa
LereT'kurmi, Timap; Bina; Lere; Tugbiri-Niragu and Hausa
SangaAhwai; Ayu; Bu; Gwandara; Hasha; Ninzo; Numana; Nungu; Sambe; Sha; Toro
Zangon KatafIkulu; Jju; Nghan; and Tyap; Tyecarak (Tyecaat)

[8]

Natural resources

Former Nigerian Minister of Solid Minerals, Leslie Obiora, compiled a list of minerals across the country, which amounted to a total of 74 minerals; 34 were declared fit for mining on a commercial scale, with Southern Kaduna having over 30 minerals with over fifty percent (50%) of them minable.[9]

Agriculture

In the 1990s, ginger farmers enjoyed profit from the sales of their harvested crops due to the availability of ginger processing companies all over the region, but today, most of those companies have shut down without efforts to revive them on the side of the government.[10]

Education

It was asserted by Kazah-Toure (1999:130) that Southern Kaduna took a lead in education in the defunct Northern Region, during the period around the Nigerian Civil War (between 1966 and 1970s).[11] Bonat (1989:55) claims that a majority of the educated people from this region who are non-Hausa, were in the teaching profession and in the middle cadre of the civil service in contrast to the Hausa who were dominant at the highest bureucratic levels.[12]

Present Tertiary Institutions

Notable people
Main article: List of Southern Kaduna people

See also

References
  1. Kafewo, S. (2009). "Giving Voice: Instigating Debate on Issues of Citizenship, Participation, and Accountability". Development in Practice. 19 (4/5): 678–687. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  2. Angerbrandt, Henrik (7 August 2015). "Religion, ethnicity and citizenship: demands for territorial self-determination in southern Kaduna". Journal of Contemporary African Studies. 33 (2). Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  3. James, Ibrahim (2000). The Settler Phenomenon in the Middle Belt and the Problem of National Integration in Nigeria: The Middle Belt (Ethnic Composition of the Nok Culture).
  4. Blench, Roger M. 2018. Nominal affixes and number marking in the Plateau languages of Central Nigeria. In John R. Watters (ed.), East Benue-Congo: Nouns, pronouns, and verbs, 107–172. Berlin: Language Science Press. doi:10.5281/zenodo.1314325
  5. Blench, Roger M. 2012. Akpondu, Nigbo, Bəbər and Nisam: moribund or extinct languages of central Nigeria Babur.
  6. "Ethnologue entry on Gwandara". Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  7. "Languages of Africa". www.fmprc.gov.cn. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  8. "Nigeria". Ethnologue (22 ed.). Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  9. Haruna, David Livingstone (20 February 2020). "Nigeria: Southern Kaduna and Tale of Illegal Artisans, Miners". All Africa. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  10. Isuwa, Sunday (16 December 2013). "The Lost Glory of Ginger in Southern Kaduna". Daily Trust (Abuja). Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  11. Kazah-Toure, T. (1999). "The Political Economy of Ethnic Conflicts and Governance in Southern Kaduna, Nigeria: [De]Constructing a Contested Terrain". Africa Development / Afrique et Développement. 24 (1/2): 109–144. JSTOR 24484540. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  12. Bonat, Z. A. (1989). "Aspects of the Economic and Social History of the Atyab c. 1800-1960 A.D.". Savanna. Zaria: ABU Press. 10 (1): 55.
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