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

If you have been wondering about Bette ethnic group and you need more facts about the people and their way of life, then this article is just what you need. Learn about Bette people interesting facts.

13 Interesting Facts About the People of Bette Ethnic Group

Bette people are a group of people in the Bette ethnic group in Nigeria. They reside in one of the most cultural diversity states in Nigeria. They are part of the Benue people cluster.

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

The people of the Bette Ethnic Group have some interesting facts about them and these facts would be shared with you in this post.

1. State of Residence

The current resident state of the Bette people in Cross River State. It is located in the southeastern region of Nigeria. With borders to the north through Benue State, to the southwest through Akwa Ibom State, to the west through Ebonyi State, and to the east it forms a national border with Cameroon.

2. Religion

Bette people of Cross River Start are largely Christians. They have 89% of Christianity in their population. Also, they are others who are Muslims, while some don’t practice any religion at all. They are non-evangelical. The evangelism percentage is less than 10.

3. Their Occupation is One of the Interesting Facts About the People of Bette Ethnic Group

Unlike most tribes, Bette people are very diverse when it comes to their occupation. They are hardworking people. They are hunters, fishermen, farmers, palm wine tappers, and also traders. The farmers cultivate crops like yam, cassava, rice, oil palm, groundout, and cocoa.

4. Local Government Area

Bette people reside in Obudu local government area. They are regarded as one of the five. The five are known as the five tribes in Obudu local government area in Cross River State. They can also be found in Obanliku local government area.

5. Population

Amongst the five, Bette people only amount to a total of 167,000 people. They dominate among the five, however, they are also considered one of the smallest ethnic groups in Nigeria.

6. Their Language is Among the Interesting Facts About the People of Bette Ethnic Group

Bete-Bendi is the language spoken by these people. The language is native to Bette people and some neighbouring ethnic groups. Spoken by over 150, 000 people.

7. History

It is believed that Bette we’re first settled in Bantu South Central Africa. They migrated from there to Cameroon mountain where they settled. Now, some of them are comfortably residing in the Obudu and Obanliku local government areas. They along with other ethnic groups in Nigeria suffered from the slave trade in Nigeria.

8. Ethnicity

  • People Cluster: Benue
  • People Group: Bette-Bende
  • Affinity Bloc: Sub-Saharan People

9. Their Tribe is One of the Interesting Facts About the People of Bette Ethnic Group

Obudu LGA is bordered by Vandeikya of Benue State to the north, to the east by the commune of Akwaya in the Republic of Cameron, and to the southwest by the LGAs of Boki and Bekwarra.

There are five tribes in the area. They include Bette, Ubang, Ukpe, Alege, and Utugwang. These are regarded as the five of the Obudu area.

These tribes have their own language. They are Bete-Bendi (Bete tribe), Alege (Alege tribe), Ubang (Ubang tribe), Ukpe-Bayobiri (Ukpe tribe), Bokyi, Obanliku, Utuwang (Utuwang tribe), and Bumaji.

10. History of Obudu

Obudu people were first believed to originate from Cameron. The history is quite vague but we believe that they migrated from the east before inhabiting a location during the 18th century.

They first arrived at Onikai in Cameron and then proceeded to Ulanga. They were dispersed at Ulanga by the Igenyi. Some narrative suggests that they stayed briefly at Ukwei Unokel before proceeding to Ulanga.

Another narrative suggests that they may have been either Fulanis, the Chambas or even Portuguese slave traders. However, one thing is for sure, they took over the area they inhabited in the 18th century and made it their home.

11. Tourism

Cross River State is a centre of tourism. One of the major states with tourism activities. Tourist attraction centres in the state are;

  • Waterfalls of Agbokim.
  • Kwa
  • Tinape Business Resort.
  • National park.
  • Afi mountain
  • Kwa falls.
  • I’m monoliths.
  • Calabar River.
  • Calabar residency museum.
  • Calabar slave park.

Also, the Calabar carnival takes place annually in December.

12. Their Festivals is Among the Interesting Facts About the People of Bette Ethnic Group

They are;

  • The Cross River State Christmas Festival.
  • The Yakurr Leboku Yam Festival.
  • Anong Bahumono Festival.
  • Ediba Bahumono Festival.
  • The Calabar Boat Regata.
  • The Cross River State Carnival Float
  • Bekwarra, Obudu, Obanliku, Igede New Yam Festival.

13. Education

The tertiary institutions of the State include:

  • University Of Calabar.
  • Federal College Of Education.
  • Ibrahim Babangida College Of Agriculture.
  • College Of Health Technology.
  • Technical College.
  • Cross River State College Of Education.
  • Arthur Jarvis University.
  • Cross River the State University Of Technology.

 Conclusion

This article gives clear guidance on the interesting facts of the people of Bette, where they originate from, their present residence, and their way of life.

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