It is interesting to note that Benue State
is a land of rich cultures, which are so diverse and complex. This diversity of
the Benue culture makes Nigeria a resource nation in the understanding African/Nigerian
cultures. There is display of dynamic artistic traditions with their attendant
cultural sources, which are matters of joy and confusion at the same time.
Benue State has also cultural dialects like Tiv, Idoma, Igede, Etulo Abakpa,
Akweya, Nyifon and some clusters of Hausa and Jukun , who in sojourning, become
part and parcel of the cultural and political life of Benue State and which
makes the arts of Benue, a very interesting subject of research. The Tivs are
the most dominant ethnic group accounting for over half the entire population.
The Benue artistics products are enough materials for the promotion of the
Tourist industry. Art they say, inspires life.
Geographical Location
Benue state is a rich agricultural state located in the
middle of Nigeria and the 7th largest and most populous State in
Nigeria, lies between longitude 6-10 degrees East and Latitude 6-8 degrees
North. It has an area of 30,955sq kilometres and a population of three million
people, 3, 031,194, according to the 2001 Census figures. The state is bounded
by Plateau State in the North, Taraba in the East, Cross River and Enugu States
in the South, Kogi States from the in the North West. The State also shares a
common boundary with Republic of Cameroon.
Climate
Benue State experiences a typical tropical
climate with two distinct seasons, the wet or rainy season and the dry season.
The rainy season lasts from April to October with annual rainfall in the range
of 150-180mm. The dry season season begins in November and ends in March.
Temperature flunctuates between 23 to 30
degree in a year.
Mineral Resources
Benue is blessed with abundant mineral
resources, these resources are Lime, stone, Gypsum, Kaolin, Natural Gas, Salt,
Petroleum, Oil, Lead and Zinc, Glass SAND, Barrtes, Clay, Coal and Gemstones.
Natural Resources
Benue State is acclaimed the nation’s “Food
Basket” because of its rich and diverse agricultural produce, which include
yams, rice, beans, cassava, potatoes, maize, soya beans and it accounts for
over 70 percent of Nigeria’s soya beans production. The State has a vast and
fertile land mass which is tilled by farming population that treasures
agriculture as the bedrock of its livelihood. It also has the longest stretch
of river systems in Nigeria which tributaries with great potentials for a
viable fishing industry, dry season farming through irrigation and for inland
water ways.
Culture
The State is very rich in human and
material cultural resources. This is manifested in the traditional and
contemporary arts with each of these having their different approaches but
arriving only at one thing- the Creation of Beauty and life in whatever sense
at all as it is sees the representation of MAN and his environment. The rich
and diverse cultural heritage finds expression in colourful woven fabrics
called Anger, Otaochi, Ogodogodo, exotic masquerades, supplicated music and
dance. Traditional dances from Benue State have won acclaim at national ,
international, cultural festivals and other events. These dances include
Ingyough, Ange, Anchanakupa and Swange among the Tivs , which is the most
popular and Anuwowow and Odabaru which is from the Idoma dialect.
The TiV Kwagh-hir theatre provides
memorable entertainment in the dramatization of Tiv folklore and social
commentary. The socio-religious festivals of the state are equally famous.
The Alekwu ancestral festival from the
Idoma for instance, is an occasion when, it is popularly believed the ancestors
emerge from the spirit world to re-establish contact with the living in forms
of masquerades.
Marriages, funerals, and other rites of
passage provide occasion for rich displays of the people’s cultural heritage.
Fishing festivals and communal hunting expeditions are colourful and memorable
socio-economic events among various communities. The Igede Agba, a new yam festival,
and the Ujo festival are the most important social occasions among the Igede and
Igumale/Agila people respectively.
Benue State also accords high respects to
traditional rulers . Their roles as custodians of its rich cultures and are agents of
development. Their popular title for the traditional ruler is called ‘ The Tor
Tiv, for the Tivs, the Och’Idoma, for the Idomas, headed by the Tiv area
Traditional Council and the Idoma Area
Traditional council respectively.
TEXTILES
Textiles also describes the Benue cultural heritage. It has two
categories of textile works, it is namely traditional textile works, and the
Modern Textiles. Traditional textiles, especially form the Tivs, Idomas are
clothes used only by men and women of honour in the society. They are not for
every day use, and are used only on special occasions. Some were used as
shrouds for corpses.(e.g . Tugudu). The material used is cotton, which is grown
extensively in the Northern states of Nigeria.
The local looms used vary in sizes and shapes and from tribe to tribe.
The process is cumbersome, and are not
produced in large scale, because their uses are limited. The Anger is a
traditionally hand woven textile material commonly used by the Chiefs (Tor) their wives and rich people
in Tivland.
OPA (IDOMA)
Opa is black dyed hand woven cloth commonly
used for burials in Idomaland. It is woven with the means of horizontal loom
into white ribbons, stitched together and dyed black in local colours. The
white ones are used as cover cloth for male adults on ceremonial occasions.
IVAVITYO, ATO-AKPEM (TIV)
Ivavityo and Ato-Akpem are hand woven
cloths used by the most beautiful and most senior wife of a rich chief. They
are used rarely nowadays as female costumes on Festivals and other special
occasions.
Tourism
All expressed
above about Benue State serves as its historic/ tourism attractions in that
Benue State offers visitors many fascinating scenes and colourful activities to
behold and the happy memories of its hospitable people to carry away and
treasure for a long time. The enchanting scenery includes Ushongo, Selagi,
Haaga and Andibilla Hills. There are also historic monuments of interest such
as the trench fortifications of the 18th century in Turan in Kwande
Local Government Area. These were defense bullwalks against the invading Chamba
horse-men. Others include the Gbeleye trade post near Katsina-Ala which is one
of the earliest colonial trade posts on
Tiv land, the memorial beacon depicting the entry of Christianity into Tiv, Christian
gate, land in Sai, thew tombs of early missionaries at Haaga, Sev-av and Mkar
and the palaces of the Tiv in Gboko and Och’Idoma in Oturkpo which name
veritable museums containing important artifacts of the people.
The traditional annual festival includes
those ones organized by the Benue State Arts and Culture , like the Eje-Alekwu
festival of the Idoma people, Igede Agba, Aketa fishing festival and Swange,
which is the most popular TIV music/
dance, played all over Tiv land, which also provide seasonal tourist delight.
The Swange is a social dance that exhibits bodily movement from akin to
oriental dances. Presently the performing Troupe of Benue State Arts and
Culture , made up of ladies and gentlemen and has promoted Swange dance to a
professional status. It has taken Benue culture outside shores of this country.
There is also another cultural theatre
called The Tiv Puppet theatre also called the Kwagh –hir. It is also a dynamic
cultural force in Tiv land. It draws themes from economic, religious and
political lives of people. The Tiv carve puppets and manipulate them in the
Kwaqgh-hir to present Tiv social reality
and by so doing, expose critically evaluate the goals of Tiv society, exposing
its ills and commending its virtues. The Kwagh-Hir popular theatre has a large
ensemble of puppets and masquerades; this art form highlights a very advanced
state of art integration between the visual and performing arts.
Benue State has an interesting cultural
heritage and also served as a good tourist centre for visitors. When you visit
Benue State, you find hospitable person. There is this saying in the past that
their kind-hearted nature, among the Tivs, sometimes has no measures, in that
they give out their wives as accolades in welcoming visitors, practiced in
those days.
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