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

Have you ever met someone from the Waka tribe before? Or perhaps this is the first time that you are learning about Waka ethnic group in Nigeria. It doesn’t matter as this article contains facts that will help you know more about the people. Keep reading to learn 13 Interesting Facts About the People of Waka Ethnic Group in Nigeria.

13 Interesting Facts About the People of Waka Ethnic Group

A lot of information is not known about the Waka people in Nigeria. However, this article will help to cover some of the Waka people’s interesting facts as well as facts concerning the state.

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

The following are interesting facts about the people of the Waka ethnic group in Nigeria as well as the state that they reside in.

1. State of Residence

The Waka people reside in the northern part of Nigeria. They occupy Taraba state in Nigeria which is also home to diverse ethnic groups.

2. Language

The people speak their indigenous language which is the Waka language. Although the language is not very common, it is still the indigenous language of the people.

3. Language Family; Interesting Facts About the People of Waka Ethnic Group

The Waka language belongs to the Adamawa language of Nigeria. They belong to the Niger-Congo language family. Below is the grouping;

  • Atlantic-Congo
  • Volta-Congo
  • Savannas
  • Adamawa-Ubangi
  • Adamawa
  • Leko-Nimbari
  • Mumuye-Yendang
  • Yendang
  • Waka

4. Population

The current population of the Waka people is not known. However, due to a former estimation, the number of native speakers in 1992 cited is 5,000.

5. Occupation

The major occupation of the people is agriculture. They produce cash crops which include tea, coffee, groundnuts as well as cotton. Also, they produce food crops like sorghum, millet and also cassava and yam. Some of them in recent times involve themselves in white-collar jobs as well as skill acquisition.

6. Cultural Influence is One of the Interesting Facts About the People of Waka Ethnic Group

There are a lot of different cultures in Taraba state and they end up influencing themselves in one way or the other. The influences are evident in their dress, festivals as well as religion. ‘

7. Festivals

Festivals are a common thing that happens in Taraba state. Different tribes including the Waka people come together to show their culture and beliefs to tourists. The festivals include activities like fishing, swimming as well as canoeing.

8. Food

The people make their own food from their agricultural produce. Their foods are made from raw farm products like yam, millet, sorghum, as well as cassava.

9. Marriage; Interesting Facts About the People of Waka Ethnic Group

Marriage is one way that the people use in growing their population. The Waka people are allowed to marry from other ethnic groups and vice versa. Also, the payment of dowry is instrumental to society’s acceptance of a marital union.

10. Education

In recent times, the Waka people are exposed to different educational institutions across the state. As such, the institutions are available to them on both local as well as state levels.

11. Neighbouring Tribes

Different languages and tribes surround the Waka people in Taraba state. Some of them are Wapan, Tiv, Chamba Daka, Ndoola, Ichen language, Jibu, Mumuye, Ndoro as well as Mambila.

12. Dominant Languages; Interesting Facts About the People of Waka Ethnic Group

In Taraba state, there are some languages that have the majority of the population. Almost all the tribes in the state are known to speak these languages alongside their main language. They include Fulfulde, Mumuye, as well as Tiv.

13. Local Government Area

The particular local government area where the Waka people is not on record. However, Taraba state has 16 local government areas and they are;

  • Ardo Kola
  • Kurmi
  • Bali
  • Lau
  • Donga
  • Sardauna
  • Gashaka
  • Takum
  • Gassol
  • Ussa
  • Ibi
  • Wukari
  • Jalingo
  • Yorro
  • Karim Lamido
  • Zing

Conclusion

In conclusion, these are some basic facts that will help you to know more about the Waka ethnic group in Nigeria. These facts will also help you understand the state as well as help you in further research.

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