Middle Belt

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Middle Belt Region
Central Nigeria
Some nations of the Middle Belt of Nigeria.jpg
Some nations of the Middle Belt of Nigeria.
Motto: Our Land, Our People, Our Heritage
Largest city Abuja
Official languages English
Major indigenous languages
Ethnic groups
Religion
Christianity
Islam
Traditional Religion
Demonym(s) Middle-Belter

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 composed of the southern half of the defunct Northern Region of Nigeria, [3] now comprising mostly the North Central and parts of the North East and North West geopolitical zones, and is characterised by its lack of a clear majority ethnic group. It is also the location of Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory.

Contents

The eminence of manifold minority groups, to some degree, constitutes an ethno-linguistic barrier in the country and draws a separation between the principally Muslim North and the mainly Christian south. [4] The region is a convergence of these cultural domains and maintains a tremendous degree of ethno-linguistic diversity. Afro-Asiatic, Nilo-Saharan, and Niger–Congo languages are all spoken, which are three of the primary African language families. [5] In the 1920s, it was described by Melzian (1928:496) as the "Middle Zone". [6]

Some scholars argue that rather than a simple geographic definition, the Middle Belt represents a religious and cultural amalgamation of non-Hausa Christians. [7] [ further explanation needed ]

Overview

As to what the Middle-Belt entails, three top members of the Middle-Beltern struggle had this to say as presented in the pan-Middle-Beltern magazine, New Vision in December 2000:

The Middle-Belt true to its name, is located in central Nigeria, and interacting with both the North and the South with large population of both Northern and Southern peoples, the Middle-Belt is always in the best position to interpret the North to the South, and the South to the North... What the Middle-Belt seeks therefore, is to advance its former stand has been addressed as North Central Zone to self identification as Middle-Belt region, and widen the scope of the informal sector which to this day cements the platform of our national unity, so that our elite in the Middle-Belt behave in the spirit of national unity, as adequately and persistently demonstrated by the grassroot people over the years. [8]

The veteran journalist, Chief Bayo Joseph, Media Consultant and Chairman, Editorial Board of the New Vision, on his own part said:

Since amalgamation of 1914, the people of the Middle-Belt have been held under dehumanizing conditions, they are treated as third rated citizen, little or no regard is accorded their culture and tradition, while their so-called masters wallowed in affluence enjoying the best of everything to the detriment of the Middle-Belter... Accordingly, these people from the Middle-Belt have the right to discontinue their association with those who enslave them and hold their destiny in their hands. [9]

On another flash, Onesimus Enesi added that:

The people of the Middle-Belt are not in the North and cannot therefore be northerners...Since it pleases God to distinguish the people he created along geographic, racial, national, ethnic and language divide, it is equally good to identify and call them as such and this is the wisdom behind the struggle for a separate identity for the people of the Middle-Belt. [10]

The definition of the Middle Belt areas are subject to great debate due to the presence of significant number of ethnic Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri and Igbo groups .[ citation needed ] In addition, the Yoruba who are the predominant ethnic group in Kwara and Kogi have a strong affinity with the larger Yoruba body and frequently prefer not to be associated with the Middle Belt identity.[ citation needed ]

Politics

Territories

States of Nigeria which are generally referred to as belonging to the Middle Belt are: old Plateau (now Plateau and Nasarawa), old Gongola (now Adamawa and Taraba), Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, the Federal Capital Territory, alongside Southern Kaduna, Southern Bauchi, Southern Kebbi, Southern Gombe, Southern Yobe State and Southern Borno, all culturally considered as part of the Middle Belt. [3] [11]

Agitations for a region

The yearnings for the creation of the Middle Belt region in Nigeria had been a burning issue, as even groups like the United Middle-Belt Youth Congress (UMYC) demand for a separate identity from the "North" by the creation of the Middle Belt region as a federal unit within Nigeria. [12]

Demographics

Population

The population of the Middle Belt as of 1991, was about 17.3 million but now predicted to be over 45 million people living in the middle belt region, with a predominant Christian population of 65%, Muslim population of 25% and Animist population of 10% of the total population. [3]

Ethnolinguistic groups

The Middle Belt consists of many ethnic groups speaking over 230 languages. There is no dominant ethnic group, but among the larger groups as of 1991 are: Tiv 5.1 million, Nupe 1.8 million. [3] These ethnic groups are represented by advocacy organizations such as CONAECDA. [13] [14] [15]

Ethnoreligious conflicts

Minorities in Nigeria tend to be dominated by the three largest ethnic groups, the Hausa of the North, the Yoruba of the Southwest and the Igbo of the Southeast. Surrounded by divergent religious, economic, and cultural histories, the Middle Belt has been the melting pot where small and large ethno-religious groups in Nigeria have long coexisted, but where they have also increasingly collided over land, resources, identity and political power. [16] The result is a mixture of recurring conflicts and occasional political unity and solidarity amongst these highly differentiated peoples. An example for the latter was the United Middle Belt Congress that emerged following Nigeria's independence from Britain in 1960. In particular, Jos city in Plateau State has been a centre for ethno-religious disputes and violence since the 1990s. The Jos Forum Inter-Communal Dialogue process spanned 16 months from August 2013 - December 2014, and refers to a peace process undertaken by communities living in Jos that concluded in a “Declaration of Commitment to Peace”. In 2018 violence escalated, with battles for scarce resources leading to over 500 deaths and 50 towns being destroyed. The clashes were largely between Muslim Fulani pastoralists and Christian Berom farmers. Over 300,000 people have been displaced by the violence. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kogi State</span> State of Nigeria

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 southwest by the Edo and Ondo states, to the southeast by the states of Anambra and Enugu, and to the east by Benue State. It is the only state in Nigeria to border ten other states. Named for the Hausa word for river (Kogi). Kogi State was formed from parts of Benue State, Niger State, and Kwara State on 27 August 1991. The state is nicknamed the "Confluence State" due to the fact that the confluence of the River Niger and the River Benue occurs next to its capital, Lokoja.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilorin</span> Capital city of Kwara State, Nigeria

Ilorin is the capital city of Kwara State located in the North-central region of Nigeria, although dominated by Yorubas, it is classifiedas North-central state due to its emirate system of traditional rule. As of the 2006 census, it had a population of 777,667, making it the 7th largest city by population in Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yorubaland</span> Cultural region of the Yoruba people in West Africa

Yorubaland is the homeland and cultural region of the Yoruba people in West Africa. It spans the modern-day countries of Nigeria, Togo and Benin, and covers a total land area of 142,114 km2 (54,871 sq mi). Of this land area, 106,016 km2 (74.6%) lies within Nigeria, 18.9% in Benin, and the remaining 6.5% is in Togo. Prior to European colonization, a portion of this area was known as Yoruba country. The geo-cultural space contains an estimated 55 million people, the majority of this population being ethnic Yoruba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plateau State</span> State of Nigeria

Plateau State is a north central Nigerian state. It is located near the centre of Nigeria and includes a range of hills surrounding the Jos Plateau. Plateau State is described as "The Home of Peace and Tourism". The state has a population of around 4.7 million people. Its capital city is Jos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Nigeria</span>

The culture of Nigeria is shaped by Nigeria's multiple ethnic groups. The country has 527 languages, seven of which are extinct. Nigeria also has over 1,150 dialects and ethnic groups. The three largest ethnic groups are the Hausas that are predominantly in the north, the Yorubas who predominate in the southwest, and the Igbos in the southeast. There are many other ethnic groups with sizeable populations across the different parts of the country. The Kanuri people are located in the northeast part of Nigeria, the Tiv people are in the north central, and the Efik-Ibibio are in the south South. The Bini people are most frequent in the region between Yorubaland and Igboland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwara State</span> State of Nigeria

Kwara State 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 international border with Benin Republic. Its capital is the city of Ilorin and the state has 16 local government areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Region, Nigeria</span> Former autonomous division within Nigeria

Northern Nigeria was an autonomous division within Nigeria, distinctly different from the southern part of the country, with independent customs, foreign relations and security structures. In 1962, it acquired the territory of the British Northern Cameroons, which voted to become a province within Northern Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jos Plateau</span>

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. The plateau's montane grasslands, savannas, and forests are home to communities of plants and animals distinct from those of the surrounding lowlands and constitute the Jos Plateau forest-savanna mosaic ecoregion.

Articles related to Nigeria include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of Nigeria</span>

There are over 525 native languages spoken in Nigeria. The official language and most widely spoken lingua franca is English, which was the language of Colonial Nigeria. Nigerian Pidgin – an English-based creole – is spoken by over 60 million people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Jos riots</span> Riots in Nigeria

The 2008 Jos riots were riots involving Christians and Muslims over the result of a local election on 28 and 29 November 2008 in Jos, a city in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria. Two days of rioting left hundreds injured and at least 761 dead. The Nigerian army was deployed and by 30 November order was restored.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Jos riots</span> Ethno-religious conflict in central Nigeria

The 2010 Jos riots were clashes between Muslim and Christian ethnic groups in central Nigeria in and near the city of Jos. The first spate of violence of 2010 started on 17 January in Jos and spread to surrounding communities. Houses, churches, mosques and vehicles were set ablaze, during at least four days of fighting. At least 326 people, and possibly more than a thousand, were killed.

The East Kainji languages are spoken in a compact area of the Jos Plateau in Nigeria, near Jos. There are more than 20 of them, most of which are poorly studied.

Hyam is a regionally important linguistic cluster of Plateau languages in Nigeria. Hyam of Nok is the prestige dialect. Writing the sociolinguistics of Hyam, Blench treats Sait, and Dzar as distinct varieties, and notes that Yat and Ankung may be viewed as separate languages, however, Hayab (2016) presents a differing opinion arguing that it is Ankung, a language called Iduya, that is not mutually intelligible to Hyam. Meanwhile, Hyam, which is spoken by the Ham people of Nigeria, popularly known as 'Jaba' in a recent study by Philip Hayab, a native of the area and a linguist who carried out in-depth research into the language, reveals that 'Jaba' has a Hausa etymology and is derogatory and should be discarded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communal conflicts in Nigeria</span> Communal conflicts in Nigeria

Communal conflicts in Nigeria can be divided into two broad categories:

The Jos Forum Inter-communal Dialogue Process refers to a peace process undertaken by communities living in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.

Herder–farmer conflicts in Nigeria are a series of disputes over arable land resources across Nigeria between the mostly-Muslim Fulani herders and the mostly-Christian non-Fulani farmers. The conflicts have been especially prominent in the Middle Belt since the return of democracy in 1999. More recently, they have deteriorated into attacks on farmers by Fulani herdsmen.

The North Central is the one of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria representing the majority of the country's Middle Belt. It comprises six states – Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, and Plateau - as well as Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Kaduna</span> Cultural region in Kaduna State Nigeria

Southern Kaduna is an area of the Nok Culture region inhabited by various related ethnic groups who do not identify as Hausa, living south of Zaria, Kaduna State. It is located in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria. According to the Southern Kaduna People's Union (SOKAPU), Southern Kaduna consists of 12 Local Government Areas out of 23 in Kaduna State.

CONAECDA is an organization that serves as a coalition of indigenous ethnic communities in central and northern Nigeria. CONAECDA works in diverse areas such as language development, community development, and indigenous land rights. It represents a few hundred indigenous groups that are spread across 15 Nigerian states.

References

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  2. "North must apologise for atrocities committed against Middle Belt –Prof Yusuf Turaki". Daily Post. 24 April 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
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  4. Johannes Harnischfeger, Democratization and Islamic Law: The Sharia Conflict in Nigeria (Frankfurt am Main 2008) p. 38. Campus Verlag. ISBN   3593382563
  5. "Languages of Africa". www.fmprc.gov.cn. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  6. Melzian, H. (1928). "Review: [Untitled]". Africa: Journal of the International African Institute. 1 (4): 495–496. doi:10.2307/1155920. JSTOR   1155920. S2CID   143502810 . Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  7. Olaitan, Toba (13 June 2020). "Why Nigeria's North central region can't be renamed "Middle Belt"". Tribune Online. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  8. Seri, Fidelis (2000). "MIDDLE-BELT: AN AGENDA FOR THE 21ST CENTURY". New Vision. 1 (2): 10–11.
  9. Joseph, Bayo (2000). "THOUGHTS OF A VETERAN". New Vision. 1 (2): 7–9.
  10. Enesi, Onesimus (2000). "OPC VERSUS HAUSA/FULANI". New Vision. 1 (2): 13–18.
  11. "Nigeria: Rising Toll of Middle-Belt Violence". 28 June 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  12. Akinferon, Dapo; Kumolu, Charles (9 December 2011). "We're not northerners- Middle-Belt youths". Vanguard.ng. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  13. Blench, Roger (2020). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (PDF). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
  14. Blench, Roger. 2019. Old data and new technologies: the seamless integration of linguistics, literacy and translation for Nigerian minority languages . Jos Linguistic Circle, Jos, 13th March, 2019.
  15. Blench, Roger (31 December 2020). "Research on the Plateau languages of Central Nigeria". Afrika und Übersee. 93. Hamburg University Press: 3–44. doi: 10.15460/auue.2020.93.1.209 . S2CID   128339090.
  16. Higazi, Adam (January 2011). "The Jos Crisis: A Recurrent Nigerian Tragedy" (PDF). Working Paper (2). Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung: 3–6. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  17. "Nigeria's Farmers and Herders Fight a Deadly Battle for Scarce Resources" . Retrieved 27 June 2018.