13 Interesting Facts About the People of Manga (Mangawa) Ethnic Group in Nigeria

This article will give you 13 Interesting Facts About the People of Manga (Mangawa) Ethnic Group in Nigeria. The Manga people are a minor ethnic group in Nigeria. It is possible that you do not know much about them but this post will help you learn about them.

13 Interesting Facts About the People of Manga Ethnic Group

Nigeria is a very diverse country when it comes to culture and also ethnicity. In order to appreciate the diversity in each ethnic group, it is pertinent to learn about them. This article will not only educate you about the Manga people but also give you facts about their resident state.

13 Interesting Facts About the People of Manga (Mangawa) Ethnic Group in Nigeria

If you wish to learn interesting facts about the people of Manga (Mangawa) ethnic group in Nigeria, then the following factors will be of help to you.

1. People Group

The Manga people belong to a bigger or much larger ethnic group in Nigeria. They are therefore classified as people groups. The Manga people are a part of the Kanuri tribe or ethnic group. They are classified as the Manga Kanuri.

2. Location

The Manga people live in the northeastern part of Nigeria. A notable state that they occupy is Yobe State which is a major home for the Kanuri people. However, there are some of them that are scattered around Lake Chad, Niger, Chad as well as Cameroon.

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

The major occupation of the Manga people is farming. Their staple crops include millet, sorghum, corn and also peanuts. They also have keepers of goats, cattle, sheep and horses. During the dry season, the people practice several other occupations.

Those who reside in cities work in government offices, construction, transportation, commerce as well as in public service. There are also blacksmiths, well diggers, merchants as well as craftsmen among them.

4. Language

The people speak the Manga language under Kanuri. There are however different varieties of the Kanuri language which falls under the Nilo-Saharan languages.

5. Settlements

The Manga people have different kinds of settlements all of which varies in size. Most of the houses are walled in compounds that surround several mud or grass houses. The roofs of the houses are corn shaped and also thatched.

One notable factor about the houses of the Manga people is that there are farmlands surrounding them. The houses also tend to be cool during the hot weather.

6. Village System is Among the Interesting Facts About the People of Manga Ethnic Group

The people use their towns to serve different purposes. The towns serve as local markets as well as administrative centres for the people. Also, there are local schools as well as mosques in the town.

7. Education

The people have value for education. This is noticeable in the fact that their towns have local schools. In addition, the mosques have smaller schools for religious teachings.

8. Household

A very important economic unit in the society is the household. The size or number of a family provides prestige for that family. Families loan out young men to other households for field labour, to provide support and in other cases to defend the family.

The head of the said household in return clothes the man, feeds him as well as pays his bride price. In most cases, the head of the household also provides a bride for the young man. The head of the household receives supreme respect as well as loyalty from everyone in the family.

9. Marriage is One of the Interesting Facts About the People of Manga Ethnic Group

The people do not see polygamy as a crime. As such, a man can marry up to four wives. Girls are up for marriage in their teens while men marry in their early twenties. The bride price for a virgin is usually expensive among the Manga Kanuri people.

10. Divorce

There is a high rate of divorce among the people. However, due to the high rate of bride prices for virgin girls, men usually marry divorced women as their first wives.

11. Religion

The people are Muslims and have been so for a long time. However, in conjunction with Islam, they also practice folk rituals. The people wear charms as well as amulets for various reasons.

12. Influence is Among the Interesting Facts About the People of Manga Ethnic Group

The Manga people are a smaller part of a bigger Kanuri group. Thus, these different Kanuri tribes influence each other in their cultures and traditions. Also, the ethnic groups that are not Kanuri in the resident state of the Manga people serve as an influence to them and vice versa.

13. Ethnic Groups

Yobe State is home to different ethnic groups and also different languages. Some of the groups are Fulani, Kanuri, Bade, Bura, Marghi, Hausa, Shuwa as well as Bolewa.

Conclusion

With these facts, you can understand the origin of the Manga people as well as other factors that relate to them. You can also learn about their group identification, religion as well as village systems.

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