TRIBE OF THE DAY: Ibibio tribe
the Ibibio also known as the Ibom are a coastal people in southern Nigeria. They are mostly found in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and the Eastern part of Abia State.During the colonial period in Nigeria, the Ibibio Union asked for recognition by the British as a sovereign nation.
The Annang, Ekid, Oron and Ibeno share personal names, culture, and traditions with the Ibibio, and speak closely related varieties (dialects) of Ibibio that are more or less mutually intelligible.The Ekpo and societies are a significant part of the Ibibio political system. They use a variety of masks to execute social control. Body art plays a major role in Ibibio art.
The ancestors of the Ibibio originally came from Northeast Africa and moved around the Green Sahara. The gradual movement of the proto-Ibibio to the Cross River Regionmay have been associated with the expansion of Sahel agriculture in the African Neolithic period, following the desiccation of the Sahara in c. 3500 BCE.
The Ibibio people are reputed to be one of the earliest ethnic groups inhabiting southern Nigeria. It is estimated that they arrived at their present home around 1000 B.C. In spite of the historical account, it is not clear when the Ibibio arrived at the state.
According to some scholars, they might have come from the central Benue Valley, particularly, the Jukun influence in the old Calabar at some historical time period. Another pointer is the widespread use of the manila, a popular currency used by the Jukuns.Coupled with this, is the Jukun southern drive to the coast which appears to have been recently compared with the formation of Akwa Ibom settlements in their present location.
The most accepted version of Ibibio history described that the Cameroon will offer a more concise explanation of their origin.This was corroborated by oral testimonies by field workers who say that the core Ibibio people were of the Afaha lineage whose original home was Usak Edet in the Cameroons. The Uşak Edet (Isanguele) are a subgroup of the Ekoi people (the Ejagham). This was premised on the fact that among the Ibibio people, Usak Edet is popularly known as Edit Afaha (Afaha's Creek) which reflects the fact that Ibibio people originated from Usak Edet.
After the first bulk of the people arrived in what later became Nigeria, they settled first in Uruan. Sections of the Ibibio people then migrated westwards, eastwards, southwards and northwards. The northern clans of the Ibibio people settled at Ibom. It is believed that this clan of the Ibibio were the aboriginal people of Ibom settlement. The settlement, located in present day Arochukwu, is said to have been founded by their forefather, Ibom, after whom they named the village.
there is a lot more to tell about the Ibibio but I gotta keep it short for now. the information was from wikipedia but
LETS CELEBRATE THE IBIBIO!!!!!
