The History and Culture of Akwa Ibom People Essay Example
THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF AKWA IBOM PEOPLE by Ediomo Udofia
Introduction:
Akwa Ibom is a state in Nigeria located in the coastal Southern part of the country, with a total of 31 LGAs and Uyo as the capital. Approximately, it lies between latitudes 4°32' and 5°53' North, and longitudes 7°25' and 8°25' East. The state is bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the south by the Atlantic ocean. It has a land mass of about 8, 412 km2 and encounters wet and dry seasons just as every other state in the country does. It has a population of about 3.9 million people. Though comparatively small in land mass, it is rich in a couple of mineral resources such as; crude oil, natural gas, limestone, gold, salt, coal, silver, to mention but just a few.
The Myth of Origin:
The myth of origin began a couple of decades ago. Then the collective yearnings and expectation of Akwa Ibom people for a state of their own had been long and persistent. Buoyed by the justness of their cause, the people persisted until their erstwhile dream became a reality when on September 23, 1987, Akwa Ibom State came into being as Nigeria’s 21st State, out of the former Cross River State.
Despite the claim of homogeneity, no central government existed among the people of what is now Akwa Ibom State prior to the British invasion in 1904. Instead, the Annang, Eket, Efik, Ibibio, Oron and Ibeno were all autonomous groups. The Efiks were the first to establish contact with the outside world, trading with the Europeans as early as the 17th century. Scottish missionaries arrived in Calabar in 1848. The British did not firmly establish control until 1904. In that year, the Enyong Division was created encompassing the area of the current state of Akwa Ibom, with the headquarters at Ikot Ekpene, an Annang town described by the noted Africanist Kaanan Nair, as the cultural and political capital of Annang and Ibibio. The creation of Enyong Division, for
Introduction:
Akwa Ibom is a state in Nigeria located in the coastal Southern part of the country, with a total of 31 LGAs and Uyo as the capital. Approximately, it lies between latitudes 4°32' and 5°53' North, and longitudes 7°25' and 8°25' East. The state is bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the south by the Atlantic ocean. It has a land mass of about 8, 412 km2 and encounters wet and dry seasons just as every other state in the country does. It has a population of about 3.9 million people. Though comparatively small in land mass, it is rich in a couple of mineral resources such as; crude oil, natural gas, limestone, gold, salt, coal, silver, to mention but just a few.
The Myth of Origin:
The myth of origin began a couple of decades ago. Then the collective yearnings and expectation of Akwa Ibom people for a state of their own had been long and persistent. Buoyed by the justness of their cause, the people persisted until their erstwhile dream became a reality when on September 23, 1987, Akwa Ibom State came into being as Nigeria’s 21st State, out of the former Cross River State.
Despite the claim of homogeneity, no central government existed among the people of what is now Akwa Ibom State prior to the British invasion in 1904. Instead, the Annang, Eket, Efik, Ibibio, Oron and Ibeno were all autonomous groups. The Efiks were the first to establish contact with the outside world, trading with the Europeans as early as the 17th century. Scottish missionaries arrived in Calabar in 1848. The British did not firmly establish control until 1904. In that year, the Enyong Division was created encompassing the area of the current state of Akwa Ibom, with the headquarters at Ikot Ekpene, an Annang town described by the noted Africanist Kaanan Nair, as the cultural and political capital of Annang and Ibibio. The creation of Enyong Division, for