| Group: | Anioma People |
| Native Name: | Ndi Aniọma |
| Population: | 1,800,000 |
| Genealogy: | 2,100,000 |
| Total Year: | est. 2022 |
| Regions: | Nigeria (Delta State with minorities in Edo State, Anambra State) |
| Religions: | Predominantly Christian, minority African Traditional Religion |
| Related Groups: | Igbo |
The Anioma people are a predominantly Igboid speaking ethnolingustic group located in present day Delta State, Nigeria. As Anioma is also an acronym derived from the regions that make up the Western Igbo area: Aniocha (A), Ndokwa (N), Ika (I) and Oshimili (O),[1] the coinage was made by the founding father of the Anioma state movement (which has spanned for over 50 years), Chief Dennis Osadebay in 1951 and has since remained the preferred indigenous name by which the people collectively refer to themselves.The Anioma people encompass and are native to communities which span the 9 northern Local Government Areas of Delta State. Politically, the Anioma occupy the Delta North Senatorial District, where they are the majority.
They are historically known to be a diverse group of Igbo speaking communities indigenous to the northern half of Delta State.
The Ekumeku War is unique in Anioma history and Igbo history in general for two reasons.[2] First, the movement's duration involved military campaigns spanning thirty-one years against the British.[3] Secondly, it exemplifies an effort amongst the Igbo people to unify previously fragmented states in resistance to the british colonial army.[4] The Anioma population is currently estimated to be approximately 1.8 million.[5] [6] 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.[7]
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 State of Nigeria. The homeland of the Anioma encompasses a land mass of about 6,300 km2 . Politically, Anioma is often referred to in state affairs as Delta North, as in line with the people of the Delta South and Delta Central senatorial districts within Delta. Anioma is bounded on the East by Anambra State, south-east by Imo and Rivers States, south by Bayelsa State, south-west by Isoko, west by the Urhobo ethnic nation, north-west by Edo State and north by Kogi State.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.[8] Today, the Anioma celebrate their Igbo 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 yearly brings together all local council areas in Aniomaland to celebrate their common identity as Western Igbos.
There are 25 Local government areas in Delta State, and the nine underneath make up the Anioma region:
Anioma people predominantly speak Igbo language 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. with heavy linguistic influence from Bini, an Edoid language, Ukwuani-Aboh dialect of the Ukwuani-Aboh-Ndoni cluster mostly spoken by the peoples of Ndokwa. There are minority Anioma peoples in Edo (Igbanke), Ute-Oheze, Iru, Owariozor, Obagie N’Oheze, Ekpon, Owanikeke, Iyenle, Anambra (Onitsha, Ozobulu, Obosi, Oraifite) and Imo states (Oguta). 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 State and Umuebu in Ukwuani[9] as well as the Yoruboid Olukumi[10] of Aniocha.
Anioma towns and communities are listed alphabetically below:[11]
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, 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.