Anioma People

Anioma People

Anioma, commonly referred to as Delta Igbo or sometimes Enuani, comprising towns and communities located in Delta State, South-South region of Nigeria. Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan has been the Executive Governor of the State since 2007. The Anioma are Igbo people in Delta State. For administrative purposes, they are referred to as Delta North thus contrasting the Delta Central and Delta South densely inhabited by the Urhobo, Ijaw, Itsekiri and Isoko, the other ethnic groups inhabiting the State. The Anioma region has a total population of 1,114,055. The population figure quoted here does not include those of Anioma communities located outside Delta state. These include Ukwani, Enuani, Ika (Agbor), and Aboh.

A small Ika population can be found in neighboring Edo State specifically in Igbanke, Oza and Ekpon. The term Anioma means 'Good Land' in Igbo and is also an acronym derived from the four original local governments i.e. (A) for Aniocha, (N) for Ndokwa, (I) for Ika, (O) for Oshimili, M and A are common denominators found in the four original local governments. The coinage was made by the founding father, Chief Dennis Osadebay in 1951 and has since remained the preferred indigenous name by which the people collectively refer to themselves. Thus, A-N-I-O-M-A. Sentimentally, there are also Anioma people in Anambra State i.e. Onitsha, Ogbaru, Akwukwu Obosi, Ozobulu, Ogidi, Oraifite. Some are in Imo State i.e. Oguta, Rivers State i.e. Ndoni, Ogba. Anioma people who had one destiny prior to the coming of the Europeans were balkanized after they lost the Ekumeku War of resistance against the British imperialism in 1914 after 31 years of fighting.