The Nupe (traditionally called the ''Nupawa'' by the Hausas and ''Tapa'' by the neighbouring

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

) are an

ethnic group An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

native to the

Middle Belt The Middle Belt (also spelt Middle-Belt or Central Nigeria) is a term used in human geography to designate a belt region stretching across central Nigeria longitudinally and forming a transition zone between Northern and Southern Nigeria. It is ...

of Nigeria. They are the dominant ethnic group in

Niger State Niger is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria and the largest state in the country. Niger state has three political zones, zone A,B and C. The state's capital is at Minna. Other major cities are Bida, Kontagora and Suleja. It was fo ...

and a minority in

Kwara State Kwara State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Kwárà), is a state in Western Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kogi State, to the north by Niger state, and to the south by Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo states, while its western border makes up part of the internation ...

. The Nupe are also present in

Kogi State Kogi State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti and Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, to the northwest by Niger State, to the s ...

and The Federal Capital Territory.

History

The Nupe trace their origin to

Tsoede Tsoede, also known as Tsudi, Tsade or Edegi or Ichado in Igala language, (b. 1496 c.1591) is a legendary African leader. He was the first person to unite the Nupe people, and is considered the first Etsu Nupe, ruler of the Nupe Kingdom, between the ...

who fled the court of

Idah Idah is a town in Kogi State, Nigeria, on the eastern bank of the Niger River in the middle belt region of Nigeria. It is the headquarter of the Igala Kingdom, and also a Local Government Area with an area of 36 km. Idah had a population ...

and established a loose confederation of towns along the

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesIgbomina people in the south and to the Yoruba Oyo people in the southwest led to cross-fertilization of cultural influences through trade and conflicts over the centuries.

Population and demography

There are probably about 3.5 million Nupes, principally in

. The

Nupe language Nupe (also known as ''Anufe, Nupenci, Nyinfe, Tapa'') is a Volta–Niger language of the Nupoid branch primarily spoken by the Nupe people of the North Central region of Nigeria. Its geographical distribution stretches and maintains pre-eminenc ...

is also spoken in

Kwara Kwara State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Kwárà), is a state in Western Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kogi State, to the north by Niger state, and to the south by Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo states, while its western border makes up part of the internation ...

Kogi Kogi State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti and Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, to the northwest by Niger State, to th ...

and Federal Capital Territory. They are primarily

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

s, with some Christians and followers of

African Traditional Religion The traditional beliefs and practices of African people are highly diverse beliefs that include various ethnic religions.Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009) Molefi Kete Asante Generally, these traditions are oral tradition, oral rather ...

. The nupe people have several local traditional rulers. The Etsu Nupe (

Bida Bida is a Local Government Area in Niger State, Nigeria and a city on the A124 highway which occupies most of the area. The LGA has an area of and a population of 188,181 at the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 912. The city Bida i ...

) is not pure nupe, his great grandfather from his father side is

Fulani The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people ( ff, Fulɓe, ; french: Peul, links=no; ha, Fulani or Hilani; pt, Fula, links=no; wo, Pël; bm, Fulaw) are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. ...

while the family of his mother was complete nupe. His great grandfather from his father side came to rule

in the 1806. They have no present capital, although they were originally based at Rabah and only moved to

in the nineteenth century. Nupe

Traditions, art and culture

The Nupe people have various traditions. Many practices have changed as a result of the movements started by

Usman Dan Fodio Usman Ɗan Fodio ( ar, عثمان بن فودي, translit=ʿUthmān ibn Fodio; 15 December 1754 – 20 April 1817) was a Fulani scholar, Sunni Islamic religious teacher, revolutionary, and philosopher who founded the Sokoto Caliphate and ruled ...

jihad Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...

of the 19th century, but they still hold on to some of their culture. Many Nupe people often have tribal marks on their faces (similar to an old Igala tradition), some to identify their prestige and the family of which they belong as well as for protection, as well as

jewellery Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry (U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a wester ...

adornment. But these traditions are dying out in certain areas. Their art is often abstract. They are well known for their

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...

en stools with patterns carved onto the surface. The Nupe were described in detail by the ethnographer

Siegfried Nadel Siegfried Frederick Nadel (24 April 1903 – 14 January 1956) was an Austrian-born United Kingdom, British Social Anthropology, anthropologist, specialising in African ethnology. Life and career Siegfried Ferdinand Stephan Nadel was born on 24 ...

, whose book, ''Black Byzantium'', remains an anthropological classic.

Examples of Nupe art

Museum of Ethnology Vienna 007.JPG, ''Burtu'' wooden mask, used during bird hunting;

Museum of Ethnology, Vienna upright=1.35, The Museum of Ethnology is housed in a wing of the Hofburg Imperial Palace. Interior The Weltmuseum Wien (former Museum of Ethnology) in Vienna is the largest anthropological museum in Austria, established in 1876. It currently resi ...

. The hunter would tie the mask around his head and imitate the bird's movement. Carved door, probably by Sakiwa, Nupe peoples, Nigeria, c. 1920-1940, wood, iron staples - Hood Museum of Art - DSC09183.JPG, Carved door; c. 1920 – 1940; wood with iron staples;

Hood Museum of Art The Hood Museum of Art is owned and operated by Dartmouth College, located in Hanover, New Hampshire, in the United States. The first reference to the development of an art collection at Dartmouth dates to 1772, making the collection among the o ...

. Oval Stool with Incised Carving LACMA AC1993.218.11.jpg, Wooden oval stool with incised carving;

Los Angeles County Museum of Art The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Pa ...

Music and Entertainment Industry

Nupe traditional music is sung by the ''Ningba'', or musician(s), while the ''Enyanicizhi'' beats the drum. Legendary Nupe singers of memory include people like Hajiya Fatima Lolo Alhaji Nda'asabe, Hajiya Nnadzwa, Hauwa Kulu, Baba-Mini, Ahmed Shata and Ndako Kutigi. The prime-movers of the Nupe cinema started film-making since the late nineties into the early 2000s. Great Nupe personalities that birthed the idea of producing, acting and directing Nupe dramas/comedies on-screen are Late Sadisu Muhammad DGN, Prince Ahmed Chado, Late Prince Hussaini Kodo, M.B. Yahaya Babs and Jibril Bala Jibril. They are the people who made the move for Nupe dramas to be on-screen and are the founders of the modern-day Nupe Film Industry known as Nupewood. Nupewood has since produced more than a thousand entertaining movies in Nupe space to the millions of Nupe audiences.

Notable Nupe people

* Shaikh Ahmad Lemu (OON, OFR), Islamic Scholar (1929–2020) * Hon. Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi (OFR, GCON), Nigeria Lawyer and Judge (1939–2018) *

Mohammed Umar Bago Mohammed Umar Bago (born 22 February 1974) is a Nigerian politician. He was born in Minna, Niger State, to a Nupe family, He is a member of parliament for Chanchaga, Federal Constituency. He stands with the APC Party. He ran in the 9th National ...

, politician (born 1974) *

Muhammad Bima Enagi Muhammad Bima Enagi (born September 7, 1959) is Nigerian politician, and the senator representing Niger South Senatorial District of Niger State at the 9th National Assembly. Education Enagi obtained his degree in Quantity Surveying at the Ahmad ...

, politician (born 1959) * Muhammad Umaru Ndagi, academic professor (born 1964) *

Shehu Ahmadu Musa Shehu Ahmadu Musa, GCON, CFR (16 January 193519 November 2008) was a public administrator and chieftains holder of Makaman Nupe. He was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation of Nigeria during the Nigerian Second Republic between 1979 ...

, politician (1935–2008) * Shaaba Lafiaji, politician * Suleiman Takuma, journalist and political leader (1934–2001) *

Sam Nda-Isaiah Samuel Ndanusa Isaiah (1 May 1962 – 11 December 2020), commonly known as Sam Nda-Isaiah, was a Nigerian political columnist, pharmacist, entrepreneur and journalist. He was the founder and chairman of the Leadership Newspaper. Background ...

, political columnist (1962–2020) * Isa Mohammed Bagudu, third republic politician (born 1948) *

Zainab Kure Zainab Abdulkadir Kure (born 24 November 1959) was elected Senator for the Niger South constituency of Niger State, Nigeria, taking office on 29 May 2007. She is a member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP). Life Kure obtained a BSc in Poli ...

, politician (born 1959) *

Abdulkadir Kure Abdulkadir Kure (26 February 1956 – 8 January 2017) was a Nigerian politician who served as Governor of Niger State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He was a member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP). In May 2000, he introduced ...

, politician (1956–2017) *

Aliyu Makama Aliyu Makama Bida (1905–1980), MHA, CMG, CFR, OBE, CBE, was a Nigerian politician. He was the first Northern Minister of Education and Social Welfare, and later Minister of Finance and Treasurer of the NPC. Early life Aliyu Makama Bida w ...

, Northern acting premiere (1905–1980) * H.R.H. Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar (GCFR), Etsu-Nupe; Traditional ruler (born 1952) * Fatima Lolo, musician (1891–1997)

References

Sources

*Blench, R.M. (1984) "Islam among the Nupe." ''Muslim peoples''. (ed. 2) Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado. *Forde, D. (1955) The Nupe. pp. 17–52 in Peoples of the Niger-Benue Confluence. IAI, London. *Ibrahim, Saidu 1992. The Nupe and their neighbours from the 14th century. Ibadan: Heinemann Educational books. *Madugu, George I. (1971) The a construction in Nupe: Perfective, Stative, Causative or Instrumental. In Kim C-W. & Stahlke H. Papers in African Linguistics, I' pp. 81–100. Linguistic Research Institute, Champaign. *Perani, J.M. (1977) Nupe crafts; the dynamics of change in nineteenth and twentieth century weaving and brassworking. Ph.D. Fine Arts, Indiana University. *Stevens, P. (1966) Nupe woodcarving. Nigeria, 88:21-35. * The Nupe People of Nigeria by Mohammed Kuta Yahaya. Nigeria, 95:1-2 {{DEFAULTSORT:Nupe People Ethnic groups in Nigeria Muslim communities in Africa lt:Nupė ru:Нупе