13 Interesting Facts About the People of Ufia Ethnic Group in Nigeria

There are 13 Interesting Facts About the People of Ufia Ethnic Group in Nigeria within this article. This article has a small fraction about the ethnicity in the north-central region to which the Ufia belong. Also, you should note that there are 250 ethnic groups currently in Nigeria and the Ufia people are part of these 250 ethnic groups.

13 Interesting Facts About the People of Ufia Ethnic Group

The Ufia people have traditions and beliefs that are unique to them. In this article, you will be learning of

13 Interesting Facts About the People of Ufia Ethnic Group in Nigeria

The following are interesting facts to learn about the people of Ufia ethnic group in Nigeria and also the states they reside in;

1. State of Residence in the Country

Ufia people of Nigeria are only found in Benue state. They are part of the tribes that form the Benue ethnicity as well as the north-central ethnic groups in Nigeria.

2. Local Government Area

They occupy only Ado local government area in Benue state. Ado local government area got its name from the Ado stream after its creation in 1989. It is one of the 23 local government areas in Benue state.

3. Population is One of the Interesting Facts About the People of Ufia Ethnic Group

The Ufia tribe in Benue state adds to the 4, 253,641 people of the state. Their population contributes to just a small percentage of the total population.

4. Language

In Ado local government area, there are two notable languages. They are the Idoma which is the most dominant language and then the Ufia language.

5. Religion

Here, the largest religion is ethno-religion. They have a belief in worshipping their ancestral gods with special food to appease them, especially during the Ogrinya cult.

6. Ethnicity is Among the Interesting Facts About the People of Ufia Ethnic Group

Affinity Bloc: Sub-Saharan People

People Cluster: Benue

People Group: Ufia, Utonkon

Ethnic Code: NAB56b

7. Clans

The clans of the Ufia tribe bear similarities with the Wukari people because of the history they have shared together. Below are the names of the different clans in the tribe;

  • Okari-Ojenyo
  • Watuolo
  • Ikomolokpo
  • Ukwonyo

These clans all have leaders that have once ruled and still ruling the entire Ufia tribe.

8. Electoral System of Leadership

The Ufia tribe has an unusual way of crowning a leader. It is usually called the Ogrinya Cult which means seniority. This leadership is signified by war, offering sacrifices to the gods, divisions of spoils of war, and so many more.

Anyone who wants to be a leader regardless of the clan he falls from must possess these qualities above. However, the title has been transformed to Awo during Awo’s reign when he preferred to call it an administrative leadership through military power.

It is also important to note that whoever becomes the traditional ruler gives certain privileges to his family members because they automatically have high ranks in the tribe. All other leadership position occurs in each clan where a leader will be selected based on different criteria.

9. Names of Rulers; Interesting Facts About the People of Ufia Ethnic Group

These are the names of the leaders of the Ufia tribe from the first to the very present.

  • Ede Ajagbo. (The first ruler of the tribe)
  • (He died from a snake bite after a short while on the throne because he did not observe the traditions of the Ogrinya)
  • Inyava Ajagbo ( the Ufia people came to occupy their current location during this regime)
  • Chief Iyanga
  • Chief Isido Onu

The Oke Ajagbo family has an automatic leadership role in the clan even though they are not currently in power. This is because they are the first to take leadership positions in the tribe as well as brought the present-day Ufia to their present location by Inyava Ajagbo who is the grandson of Oke Ajagbo.

10. Districts

Ado local government area which has its headquarters at Igumale has 5 districts which are;

  • Agila council ward
  • Igumale council ward
  • Ulayi council ward
  • Ijigban council ward
  • Utonkon council ward

The Ufia people mostly reside in the Utonkon council ward but there are also a few of them spread in the remaining four councils.

11. Streams in Ado LGA

  • Okpokwu stream
  • Ogege stream
  • Awu stream
  • Atsani stream
  • Ado stream

These streams serve the people of Ado local government area in many ways like fishing, drinking water, as well as water for other domestic and industrial purposes.

12. Occupation is One of the Interesting Facts About the People of Ufia Ethnic Group

The two main occupations of the Ufia people are farming and fishing. Generally, the people of the Ado local government area are mainly farmers and fishermen. Farm work includes yam production, maize production, rice production, palm oil production, and also cassava production.

13. Mineral resources

The only mineral resource in the Ado local government area which is mined for commercial purposes and also available to the people of Ado local government area is limestone.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is very important to note that these facts the article provides are not the only facts concerning the Ufia people’s culture. One of the best ways to aid in your search for Ufia people’s facts is by learning so much about their current local government area, state, and region in Nigeria.

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