Nupe Tribe

By A.A Zakari
Nupe Tribe. Nupes are described as the kind of people who like living in riverine area. Nupes are warriors, fishermen and farmers.





In this article, we shall be discussing the following:

Who are the Nupe

Nupe Tribe is one of the ethnic group in Nigeria mostly found in Niger state, kwara state, kogi state, Kaduna state and F.C.T Abuja.

The dialect speaking today as a nupe is not actually called nupe but a subdivision known as Bini. According to Professor Ndagi Abdullahi who says Nupe is just like umbrella which encompasses with many dialects such as Bini, Gbagyi, Dibbo, Kakanda and so on.

These dialects were referred as Nupe before Bini came to dominated everywhere in kinnupe. Bini dialect become famous and the most speakable dialect in kinnupe.

Bini dialect is the one most people knows today as nupe but the reality is, nupe tribe is referred to aforementioned dialects.

Today, all the aforementioned dialects, referred to their self as nupe except gbagyi people.

Professor Ndagi Abdullahi assert that gbagyi people were nupe because even the dialect of gbagyi and Bini is almost the same thing and they cane from the same source.

Bini dialect is known today as nupe which there are approximately 4million people speaking the dialect. The nupe tribe is mostly spoken in Niger state. Most of them are Muslims and some Christians. Nupe language is also spoken in Kwara, Kogi, Kaduna and federal Capital Territory.

History of Nupe

According to Professor Ndagi Abdullahi, nupe people were originally from kinnupe not as claimed by so many writers, that nupe people were originated from Nubia or Egypt.

Nupe people were here for millionious years even before coming of S.F Nadel who make this false assertion that nupe people were originated from Egypt.

According to Proffessor Ndagi Abdullahi that S.F Nadel was wrong and his resource were baseless when he says Nupe people originated from egypt. Nupe people has nothing to do with Egyptians origin. And other source that says Nupe came from Nubia were the assertion of some Muslim scholars which their assertion is base on imagination.

They were trying to colorate Nupe tribe and Nubia base on the pronocement which they make a conclusion that is one and Nupe people must have originated from the area.

Professor Ndagi Abdullahi wrote that Nupe people did not originated from anywhere aside of kinnupe and he reference H.D. Gunn and F.P. Connant, using scientific linguistic analyses based on Professor Joseph
Greenberg’s groundbreaking works on African ethnography and linguistics.

Nupe kingdom

The nupe kingdom range from Niger state particularly the Zone A, extent to kwara and kogi.
Bida is the capital city of kinnupe with first class emir “Etsu Nupe”.

Emirates in kinnupe

The following are the 9 Golden Emirates in kinnupe. These are:
1- Agaie Emirate (Niger State)
2- Bida Emirate (Niger State)
3- Gboloko Emirate (Kogi State)
4- Lapai Emirate (Niger State)
5- Lafiagi Emirate (Kwara State)
6- Lokoja Emirate (Kogi State)
7- Patigi Emirate (Kwara State)
8- Tsaragi Emirate (Kwara State)
9- Tsonga Emirate (Kwara State)

Towns and Cities in kinnupe

The following are the towns and cities in kinnupe, Niger state. These are:
1—Agaie
2— Badeggi
3— Boro
4— Bida
5- Doko
6- Edozhigi
7- Enagi
8- Evunti
8- Gbajibo
9- Gbara
10- Gulu
11- Jebba
12- Katcha
13- Kata’eregi
14- Kutigi
15- Kutiriko
16- Lapai
17- Lemu
18- Makusidi
19- Makwa
20- Muye
21- Rabba
22- Wushishi
23- Zungeru

Towns and cities in kinnupe, Kwara State.

These are:
1- Bachita
2- Gbugbu
3- Kpada
4- Lafiagi
5- Lade
6- Patigi
7- Tsaragi
8- Tsonga

Towns and cities in kinnupe, Kogi State.

These are:
1- Abugi
2- Ajigido
3- Budon
4- Eggan
5- Gboloko
6- Geregu
7- Lokoja

These area are known as Kinnupe, Nupeland or nupe kingdom.

Who is the founder of Nupe kingdom?

When we talk about the founder of nupe kingdom, what immediately come to people’s mind is, Tsoede or edegi. The truth is that Tsoede or edegi was not the founder of Nupe as Many people claimed.

Nupe kingdom was in existence even before Tsoede come Into existence. How can we believed this fabrication for the fact that he is not the first or his generation were not the first of nupe people.

Accouding to professor Ndagi Abdullahi Amana Nupe “If Tsoede will place at all, he would be better be position as Re-Founder of Nupe kingdom but not actually the founder of nupe as many writers claimed”.

The question of who is the founder of Nupe could better be answer as nobody knows the first founder of Nupe because our ancestors are not people who read and write, so they didn’t keep any record regards to any historical event. And this happened across Africa. African history is narrated but not documented. That is why it hardly to know the reality of African history and this white people came to Africa and begins fabricating things base on assumption just because we can’t read and write. But thanks to them and Almighty, we could be able to write and read now, we can correct all the blunder they have been telling us in the past.

Meaning of nupe

As we mentioned above nupe is one of the ethnic group in Nigeria which consists of Bini, Dibbo, Kakanda, Gbagyi E.t.c.
The direct meaning of Nupe is derived from Two nupe word: “NU” which means Sharp and “PE” means proud.
Nupe are known to be sharp, proud, fearless and intelligent which it was recorded in history that most of their ancestors were warriors.

Nupe cultural attire

According to Fatima Muhammad Majahidu who wrote on Nupe cultural dress (Ede Dandan Nupencizhi).

She said;
“In Africa, most people recognized Nupe with the popular Nupe attire, which is Ede Eko kpara, and Ede kpasa, Nupe kpasa edumana contain three colors, and each of the colors has it meanings, as the Nupes are Farmers, warriors, and Fishermen: the colors are green, blue and red. The red stand for:-warriors, Green stand for:-Farmers, and the blue stand for:-Fishermen. Apart from the two popular wrappers, there are so many others, which include the followings:-

Ede zongun
Ede kata boci
Ede Doko
Ede Sokun/Asibi bafin
Nnadzwa ebwa
Kokontaba
Eko kpara
Kpara gogi/Ego kpara
Dini e gi gogo egun o
Bishe bako
Ede Kpasa
Ede Masalaci
Ede Aa Ba Ca Da/Abcd
Ede Gute
Ede giyeko
Ede fefe
Ede Bici bishe
Ede Mamugi cinzhin/Mungoro cinzhin
Ede makpalaya
Ede shelu
Ede elogi
Ede emi kwankwa
Ede kukumadi
E.T.C”.

Nupe art

Nupe people are very intelligent which some of them were bless with a gifts of art. When we talk about art what comes to mind is ” Tswata muku” in bida, this is where many design where make and somany things were cave. Among them are:
Pot
ladle
Spon
Hoe
E.t.c

Many things were make in this company, which go across Nigeria.
Nupe artist do many things including the design of Nupe palace.

Nupe architecture

We have many architecture in nupe land which they are expert in their field.
Nupe architect were call to work at anytime when the need arise from his royal Highness.
Nupe architect do gave his royal Highness a synopsis how the kingdom will look like.

Nupe festival.

Nupe Festival this is an event celebrated by Nupe people on the 26 of June of every year by his Royal Highness Alhaji Yahya Abubakar the Etsu Nupe to mark the golden historical battle that happened between Nupe Army and Great Britain which Nupe army defeated great Britain army headed by Sir George Taubman Goldie’s.

This battle took place on 26th of June 1896. And this brought about the battle of Bida some months later (26th and 27th of January 1897) and it ended with the British conquest of Bida.

Nupe festival is celebrated in the palace of Etsu Nupe which many nupe cultural activities will be displayed such as fishing, farming, masquerade and so on.

Nupe Day was not only celebrated as National festival on 26 of June by the Nupe people but also include in their Marriage Event.

Nupe tribal marks.

Nupe tribal Marks this is an identification or symbol of Nupe child every where he/she go in this world.

The following are Nupe tribal marks (Etsa Nupencizhi). These are:
1-Kpele nini
2- Nwannwan finba
3-Etsa eyagi
4-Mungoro fini
5-Kalangu
6-Yegunla
7-Eyesa
8-Kpele guta
9-Jekafagi
10-Kpatsungi/Etsa koro E.t.c.

You may ask why is this Nupe tribal Marks?
Some people view it as means of identification while others says No, its just a tribe mark as it was part of nupe culture.

I was previlage to attended one of Nupe class organised by Adamu Idris Manarakis in 2017, which he invited the then Niger state commissioner of information in person of Jibrin Baba Ndace which he told us his story to London when he was ask about his Nupe tribal marks. He said he told then that; “Only nobles has this Nupe tribal marks”.

If you are nobody in nupe kingdom, no mark for you, but if you are somebody they should be a sign that this person is somebody that is the purpose of this marks.

map of nupe kingdom

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