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Background The Anca is a small group of agricultural people who live in northeastern Nigeria. They speak the Anca language. However, this is now spoken by the adults while the younger generation often speaks Hausa or English. Therefore, the Anca language is an endangered language. The Anca are small indigenous people who are found in Sardauna LGA of Taraba State, in northeastern Nigeria near the Cameroon border.
Read more about Ethnic Groups In Nigeria

Their Socio-Cultural Characteristics

The Anca live in rural villages surrounded by their farmland. They live much as their ancestors did for hundreds of years. They have some things in common with the nearby Manta people of Cameroon. Like most people and groups in rural Nigeria, the Anca enjoy music, story-telling and dance as a form of entertainment and communication. These art forms are very meaningful in rural Nigeria. Thus, to reach the Anca with the gospel of Jesus, it is advisable to find ways to communicate using these art forms. The Anca grow maize, rice, millet, beans, melons, and yams. They also raise goats and cattle for their milk, meat and hides. Village elders settle legal disputes and deal with outsiders.

The Religious Beliefs of the Anca People

Traditional religion forms the religious beliefs and worldview of the Anca people. That means that they depend on the spirit world for their daily needs. They often use charms and amulets to help them deal with spiritual forces that they can’t control. The Anca believe that spirits inhabit the objects of nature such as animals, tree, rocks, rivers, mountains, and the sky. If these evil spirits are not appeased, they can bring disaster upon the community. The Anca live in fear of the evil spirits that they believe live around their world.
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Due to the socio-economic characteristics of the Anca people, there is always a desire for adequate rain for their crops and their livestock so they can live lives free of want and poverty. They need medical care and good schools that will help the next generation to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Overview of the Sardauna Local Government Area

Sardauna Local Government Area is located in the extreme southeast of Taraba State in Nigeria. It sits atop the Mambilla Plateau, which is dotted by other towns such as Maisamari and Nguroje. The capital of the LGA is Gembu, which is the principal town of various ethnic groups, such as Mambilla, Kaka, Fulani, Ndola, Tigon, Kambu, Chamba and Panso. Other ethnic groups from mainstream Nigeria and the bordering Cameroon republics such as Hausa and Kanuri also live there.

Climate and Languages

In contrast to the rather steamy and humid climate of most other parts of southeastern Nigeria, the climate in this part of the country (owing to its altitude) is relatively cool. Most days in the dry season, the temperature will reach 20-23 C and drop to 16-18 C at night; whilst in the wet season, these averages fall a couple of degrees. Sardauna is highly linguistically diverse, with about two dozen distinct local languages (mostly Fulani languages, Jukunoid languages, Bantoid languages, and Mambiloid languages). Sources: Wikipedia Joshua Project Missiongrid Featured Image Source: Sing In Mother Tongue
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This article was first published on 20th August 2020

jeremiah

Jeremiah is a scholar and a poet. He has a keen eye for studying the world and is passionate about people. He tweets at @jeremiahaluwong.

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