THE NUPE PEOPLE OF THE NIGER RIVER AREA

KNOWING ABOUT YORÙBÁ NEIGHBORING TRIBES (1)
THE NUPE PEOPLE OF THE NIGER RIVER AREA

One of the closest people to Yorùbá of the Southwest are the Nupe whom Yorùbá refer to as Tapa. Yorùbá have so much respect and adoration for this tribe that we have mingled through marriage almost same blood flows in us today.

Yorùbá believe that if you marry or date a Nupe woman, you will be spoiled with lot of love, food and sex to the extent you may forget your ancestors. ??. So, who are these people?

Nílodò nilé o, ọmọ a jí ṣe ikú ńlá ńlá pẹja
Àwọ̀n ṣe gọ̀ọ̀rọ̀ wọlẹ̀

The Nupe (traditionally called the Nupawa by the Hausas and Tapa by the neighbouring Yoruba) is an ethnic group native to the North Central of Nigeria. They are the dominant ethnic group in Niger State and a minority in Kwara State. The Nupe are also present in Kogi State and The Federal Capital Territory.

The Nupe trace their origin to Tsoede who fled the court of Idah and established a loose confederation of towns along the Niger in the 15th century. The proximity of Nupe to the Yoruba Igbomina 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.

The Nupe people have various traditions. Many practices have changed as a result of the movements started by Sokoto jihad 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 adornment. But these traditions are dying out in certain areas.

Their art is often abstract. They are well known for their wooden stools with patterns carved onto the surface. They are also the owner of the tallest masquerade in the world call Ìgunnu by Yorùbás.

The Nupe were described in detail by the ethnographer Siegfried Nadel, whose book, Black Byzantium, remains an anthropological classic.

Notable Nupe personalities include Dr. Jerry Gana, scholar and politician in the cabinet of Olusegun Obasanjo
Isa Mohammed Bagudu, third republic politician.

We love Nupe people as Yorùbá because we share similarities and common ancestor in Ṣàngó whose mother is from Nupe.

Yorùbá also have ancestral praise poetry for them:

Omo Tapa lenpe
bisi nlo’lu Omo agbenu edan,
obinja ara ilodo,
Omo agan bele,
eranko bele egun aja alete
iyan o ba oka re, iyan abi ara funfun oka abi ara paipai.
Omo olu lodo Omo olu yeye.
Oku tapa o wu mi aaye tapa lo wu emi,
ti tapa ba ku won ni e ba wa wa otutu owu,
ke tun ba wa wa afara oyin lo.
Otutu owu so’po afara oyin so’won,
ta ni yoo tun ba wa gbe’le logi’do
ka to ri bisi nlo’lu sin.

?????Eji nana baabo tapa tapa eji nana baabo kutumekutu karajinna ba, Nyan joko yah joko eeji yanahbah.

❤️???
Picture taken from the internet. We have no copyright to it.