# Anioma people

The Anioma people Anioma is an Igbo word which means A Good Land (/æˈniːomɑː/ ah-NEE-o-ma, US: /əˈniːomɑː/ uh-NEE-o-mah; Ndí Ániọ̀mà) The Anioma people are a subgroup of Igbo people predominantly indigenous to present day Delta State Delta State, Nigeria. The Anioma people encompass and are native to the nine northeastern Local Government Areas of Delta State and the Ika communities of Edo State. Politically, the Anioma occupy the Delta North Senatorial District where they are the majority group.
Today, the population of the Anioma is estimated today to be at approximately 1.8 million. The largest Anioma settlement and urban area is the Delta State Capital Territory, which incorporates the city of Asaba along the Niger River, with Okpanam, Igbuzor and surrounding communities.

## Etymology

The term Anioma is an acronym etymologically derived from the diverse cultural realms that comprise the Western Igboid speaking regions flanking the western basin of the Niger in south central Nigeria: the Aniocha (A), Ndokwa (N), Ika (I) and the Oshimili peoples(O). The coinage was made in 1951 by Chief Dennis Osadebay, founding father of the Anioma state movement and has since remained the preferred indigenous name by which the people collectively refer to themselves.
In Igbo, the term can be transliterated into 'Good Land', and thus the Igbo intonation of the actual word forms the basis for official pronunciation.
An ancient and industrious nation, the Anioma are estimated today to number approximately 1.8 million.[2][3] The largest Anioma settlement and urban area is the Delta State Capital Territory, which incorporates the city of Asaba along the Niger, with Okpanam and Igbuzor and surrounding communities.

## Geography

The Anioma are located immediately south of the Edo Central Plains on the floodplains and hills of the western basin of the Niger River within the present Delta and Edo States of Nigeria. The homeland of the Anioma encompasses a land mass of about 6,300 km$^2$. Anioma lies contiguous with Anambra in the East, Imo and Rivers in the south-east, Bayelsa in the south, and within the Deltan south-west by the Isoko, west by the Urhobo ethnic nation, north-west by southern Edo and north by southern Kogi. The people have drawn their culture and experiences as a result of lying contiguous to numerous other ethnicities and communities which characterises Anioma as a relatively peaceful region in terms of national affairs. Politically, Anioma is often referred to in state affairs as Delta North, in line with the people of the Delta South and Delta Central senatorial districts within Delta.
Out of the 25 Local government areas in Delta, the nine northeastern make up the Anioma region:
* Aniocha North
* Aniocha South
* Ika North-East
* Ika South
* Ndokwa East
* Ndokwa West
* Oshimili North
* Oshimili South
* Ukwuani

## Language

The Anioma are predominantly Igbo speaking as well as other Igboid languages with varying native dialects including the Enuani dialect (spoken in Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku, Isheagu, Asaba, parts of Igbodo, Illah, Issele, Idumuje, Onicha etc.), Ika dialect (of Agbor, Umunede, Owa, Igbanke, Boji-Boji etc.), Ukwuani-Aboh dialect of the Igbo language mostly spoken by the peoples of Ndokwa.
Minorities of historically non-Igbo speakers exist with a Igala minority in the northernmost extremities of the Anioma homeland at Ebu on the border with Edo and Umuebu in Ukwuani as well as the Olukumi who are acculturated to the predominant Igbo culture of Aniocha.
There are minority Anioma peoples in Edo (Igbanke, Ute-Oheze, Iru, Owariozor, Obagie N’Oheze, Ekpon, Owanikeke, Iyenle); Anambra (Onitsha, Atani, Ozobulu, Obosi, Oraifite) and Imo states (Oguta).

## The Ekumeku Movement (1883-1914)

See also Ekumeku Movement:
The Ekumeku War is unique in Anioma history and Igbo history in general for two reasons. First, the movement's duration involved military campaigns spanning thirty-one years against the British. Secondly, it exemplifies an effort amongst the Igbo people to unify previously fragmented states in resistance to the British colonial army.

## Towns & Communities

Anioma towns and communities are listed alphabetically below:
Abah, Abala Anikoko, Abavo, Abi, Abodei, Aboh, Adai, Adonta, Afor, Agbor, Akakpan-Isumpe, Ankara, Akoku, Akuku-Akumazi, Akumazi-Umuocha, Akwukwu-Igbo, Alasime, Alidinma, Alihagu, Amai, Anakwa, Anifekide, Aninwalo, Aninwama-Jeta, Aniofu, Aniogo, Anioma, Anuregu, Anwai, Asaba, Asaba-Ase, Asaba-Ubulu, Ashaka, Ashama, Atuma, Atuma-Iga, Azagba-Ogwashi, Azagba-Ubieni, Boji-Boji, Ebedi, Ebu, Edo-Ogwashi, Egbudu-Akah, Egbudu-Ogwashi, Ejeme-Agbor, Ejeme-Aniogo, Ejeme-Unor, Ekpecho, Ekpon,Ekuku-Agbor, Ekwuemusana, Emu, Emuhu, Etua Etiti, Etua Ukpo, Ewulu, Ezi, Eziokpor, Ezionum, Ibodoni, Ibrode, Ibusa, Idumuesah, Idumuje-Ugboko, Idumuje-Unor, Idumu-Ogo, Igbanke, Igbodo, Igbogiri, Igbuku, Illah, Iru, Isa-Ogwashi, Iselegu, Isheagu, Isikiti-Ishiagu, Issele-Azagba, Issele-Mkpitime, Issele-Uku, Isumpe, Kwale, Mbiri, Ndemiri, Ndokwa, Abbi, Inam-Abbi, Eziunm, Nkpolenyi, Nsukwa, Obeti, Obi Anyima, Obi Umutu, Obi, Obiaruku, Obikwele, Obinomba, Obior, Obodo-Eti, Obomkpa, Ogbe, Ogode, Ogume, Ogwashi-Uku, Oko Anala, Oko/Ogbele, Oko-Amakom, Okotomi, Okpa, Okpanam, Okwe, Oligbo, Oligbo, Olor-Usisa, Olu-Odu, Omaja, Onicha Olona, Onicha-Ugbo, Onicha-Uku, Onitsha-Ukwuani, Onogbokor, Onuseti, Onya, Oolor-Ogwashi, Otolokpo, Otulu, Owa Nta, Owa-Abi, Owa-Alero, Owa-Ofie, Owa-Oyibo, Owerri-Olubor, Ubulubu, Ubulu-Okiti, Ubulu-Okiti, Ubulu-Ukwu, Ubulu-Unor, Udumeje, Ugboba, Ugbodu, Ugbolu, Ugiliamai, Ukala-Okpunor, Ukala-Okwute, Ukwuani, Ukwunzu, Ukwu-Oba, Umuabu, Umu-Ebu Adonishaka, Umuhu, Umukwem, Umukwota, Umunede, Umuolu, Umute, Umutu, Unor, Unor, Unuaja, Ushie, Usisa, Utagba-Ogbe, Utagba-Unor, Utchi, Ute Aru, Ute Enugu, Ute Erumu, Utegbeje, Ute Obagie N’Oheze, Ute-Oheze, Ute-Okpu, Utuoku.

## Festivals

Today, the Anioma celebrate their identity annually with a cocktail of traditional dances organized by the Organization for the Advancement of Anioma Culture (OFAAC). First held in 2003, the cultural fiesta annually brings together the local council areas of Aniomaland to celebrate their common identity.

## Notable people

* Joseph "Hannibal" Achuzie, military personnel and civil war veteran
* Leo Irabor Former Chief of Defense of Nigeria Military
* Sam Obi Former Acting Governor of Delta State and Former Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly
* Ifeanyi Okowa Former Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and former Governor of Delta State, Nigeria 2015 - 2023
* Nduka Obaigbena Owner Arise TV and Radio
* Hanks Anuku, Veteran Nollywood actor
* Phillip Asiodu, former Minister of Federal Republic of Nigeria
* Maryam Babangida, wife of Former Nigerian Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida
* Prof Joseph Chike Edozien, the Asagba of Asaba
* Sam Obi Former Member Delta State House of Assembly, Former Acting Governor of Delta State, Nigeria
* Baba Fryo Nigerian Musician
* Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings, the United Bank for Africa, Transcorp and founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation
* Air-Marshal Paul Dike, former Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria NASA
* Buchi Emecheta, Nigerian-born British novelist
* Faze, Nigerian Musician
* Wilfred Ndidi, Footballer
* Elizabeth Isichei, prominent historian
* Alex Iwobi, football player
* Godwin Emefiele Former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeira
* Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum
* Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, former Super Eagles captain and Malian National Football Team Coach
* Demas Nwoko, prominent Sculptor of Nigeria
* Ned Nwoko, present senator
* Nduka Odizor, former Lawn tennis player
* Timothy Ogene, writer
* Joy Ogwu, former managing director of Nigeria Institute of International Affairs
* Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the current Director-general of the World Trade Organization
* Austine "Jay-Jay" Okocha, former Captain of Super Eagles of Nigeria
* Sunday Oliseh, former Captain of super Eagles of Nigeria
* Lisa Omorodion, Nollywood Actress, producer and entrepreneur
* Dennis Osadebe, politician, poet, journalist and former premier of the now defunct Mid-Western Region of Nigeria, which now comprises Edo and Delta State.
* Zulu Sofola, the first published female Nigerian playwright and dramatist and first female Professor of Theater Arts in Africa.
* Nduka Ugbade, Nigeria's former football player and the first African to lift the world cup
* Patrick Utomi, Presidential Candidate and Founder of Lagos Business School
* Raph Uwechue, was a Nigerian minister, diplomat and publisher. He is a former president-general of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, an Igbo socio-cultural organization in Nigeria