The Ngas people (also known as the Agas and Angas) are an ethnic group in Plateau State

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. They speak an Afro-asiatic languaged called Ngas. Recent studies have indicated there are roughly 727,000 Ngas people in Nigeria today.

History

According to local folklore, the Angas migrated from Bornu passing through villages before settling on the highlands of

Plateau State Plateau State is the twelfth-largest Nigerian state. It is in the centre of the country includes a range of hills surrounding the Jos Plateau, its capital, and the entire plateau itself. Plateau State is described as "The Home of Peace and To ...

. In the course of migration, the groups splintered into sub-groups settling in Pankshin, Ampang, Amper and Kabwir districts.Appiah, Kwame Anthony and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. ''Africana,'' 1st edition. New York: Basic Civitas Books, . The settlers at Kabwir were led by a chief called Gwallam and the chief of the Ampers was Kendim. Later settlements populated the highlands of the

Jos Plateau The Jos Plateau is a plateau located near the centre of Nigeria. The plateau has given its name to the Plateau State in which it is found and is named for the state's capital, Jos. The plateau is home to people of diverse cultures and languages. ...

Festival

The Ngas celebrate a major festival called the Tsafi Tar or Mos Tar, during the celebration, a brief event called Shooting the Moon takes places to mark the end season and the beginning of a new season. The festival is usually celebrated during the time of harvest.

Settlement

The Ngas who predominantly live on the lowlands and the Southeastern edge of the Jos Plateau are the largest group in the Jos highlands. The major city is

Pankshin Pankshin is a Local Government Area in Plateau State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Pankshin. It has an area of 1,524 km and a population of 191,685 at the 2006 census. Pankshin is popularly known for its trade hub as most o ...

. The Gyangyan or Ampang district is dominated by hills and ridges, to the west of the ridges form the plains that constitute the lands of the Amper district. The soil of the plains of Amper are littered with granite and farmers in the district grow crops on

terraced In agriculture, a terrace is a piece of sloped plane that has been cut into a series of successively receding flat surfaces or platforms, which resemble steps, for the purposes of more effective farming. This type of landscaping is therefore ...

fields to plant cereal crops such as millet, guinea corn and maize. The people used the granite boulders as foundations and walls for their houses.

References

Sources

* Ethnic groups in Nigeria {{Nigeria-ethno-group-stub