If there was ever a group of Akwa Ibomites whose customs and way of life seem shrouded in mystery and draws much controversy, it is the Annang people. I am an Annang man, and as an Annang man born in Ibibio land, I have heard some of the most fascinating and many times false things being believed about the Annang people.

So, who are the Annang people?

The Anaang (also spelled Annang) are a Southern Nigerian ethnic group whose land is primarily within 8 of the present 31 local government areas in Akwa Ibom State: Abak, Essien Udim, Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ikot Ekpene, Obot Akara, Oruk Anam, Ukanafun in Akwa Ibom State,and 3 of the 17 Local government areas in Abia State: Ugwunagbo, Obi Ngwa,and Ukwa East of Abia State. They were formerly located in the former Abak and Ikot Ekpene Divisions of the Anaang Province, as well as part of the former Opobo Division of Uyo Province, in the former Eastern Region of Nigeria. The proper name for the Ika of Akwa Ibom is Ika-Annang. Based on 2018 estimates, there are about 4 million Annang speakers in Akwa Ibom,Abia state and over a million speakers living outside these states.

The Anaangs have a history and reputation for fearlessness and the ability of villages and clans to bind together to fight a common enemy. This is perhaps why they were able to thrive living so close to the Aro Confederacy‘s center, Arochukwu with its famed Ibini Ukpabi oracle. A particular interesting war group, or “Warrior cult”, was the famous Oko warriors. This war group was highly functional in the 1950s. These warriors were considered invulnerable to penetration of knives, spears, and arrows. In various instances sharp machetes were tested on the body parts of members.

Parts of the Annang language may be intelligible to speakers of Efik, Ibibio, Oron, Eket (also known as Ekid) of the Old Calabar Kingdom. Though the Anaang speech pattern was not written down, linguists have now produced an orthography of the language which makes it possible to produce written materials in the language (Idem-Agozino & Udondata, 2001). In Annang dialect, the word “ilung”means village while in Ibibio it is called ” Idung”. The major linguistic difference between the Annang and other dialects is the predominant use of the letter “L” in place of “r” or “d”,and the use of “g” in place of “w”.The Annang dialect sounds hard but it is a dialect of freewill,ie the words roll out easily from your tongue than the Ibibio.

According to oral tradition, which is a form of human communication where knowledge, art, ideas and cultural material is received, preserved and transmitted orally from one generation to another, the Annang people have occupied their land in the coastal Southeastern Nigeria for thousands of years.

Thus making it a fact to be considered when it is said by some Anaangs that they have their origins in Jewish tribes from Egypt and settled in Ghana before arriving in the coastal Southeastern Nigeria and Southwestern Cameroon.

Related to both the Efiks and the Ibibios, it is said that the migration of the Annang people brought them to live among the Twi of Ghana where the name Anaang means “fourth son”.

And from Ghana, they moved eastward into present-day Cameroon. Upon getting to the highlands of Cameroon, they broke off but later arrived at same territory in present-day Akwa Ibom.

Distinct for the value they have in the ability to speak well, the use of proverbs is highly desirable, especially among the leaders.

So desirable it is that the American anthropologist, Peter Farb, stated that the name “Anaang” among this group means ‘they who speak well’. And as a matter of traditional fact, an individual who has the gift of eloquent speech is often complimented as Akwo Anaang meaning the singer of Anaang.

There is so much to learn about the Annang people, so much so that we have barely scratched the surface. Maybe we will get to tell you more soon.

Lastly, please, just know, against popular belief, Annang people are not cannibals.

Until next time.

References: Wikipedia, Pulse.ng

So, I saw this very interesting post by fratermathy on Nairaland that had been uploaded since 2016 about Akwa Ibom. The post made me extremely pleased to be an Akwa Ibomite. It made me realize there were a lot of things I didn’t know about this beautiful state of ours and so I’ll like to share the post with you.

1. Akwa Ibom State was created in 1987 due to the clamour by the upland people of Cross Rivers State. The state was created from Cross Rivers with capital at Uyo. At the point of its creation, the state was nothing to write home about. Poverty, illiteracy and lack of infrastructure abounded. Akwa Ibom State was one of the worst states in Nigeria by the 1990s. Things are different today as we have all seen.

2. Akwa Ibom State is one of the few states in Nigeria that doesn’t operate a one-city system 

Most Nigerian states have just one large city which doubles as the capital. Akwa Ibom State has about 3 cities which are self sufficient and buoyant. The major cities in Akwa Ibom State are Uyo, Eket and Ikot-Ekpene.

a. Uyo: This is the capital of the state and it occupies Uyo L.G.A, parts of Itu L.G.A, Uruan L.G.A and Etinan L.G.A. It is a very organised city with beautiful structures and a highly diluted population. The city center is known as Plaza and it connects all the major roads in Uyo; Aka Road, Abak Road, Ikot Ekpene Road, Barracks Road, Nwaniba Road and Oron Road. Some of these roads are very beautiful and have trees planted over the sidewalks for aesthetics. Uyo is home to the University of Uyo, several private polytechnics and monotechnics. The high brow residential areas are Ewet Housing, Shelter Afrique and Osongoma Housing Estate. Uyo has a museum, several shopping malls, a cinema, 5 star hotels, golf club, night clubs and many more.

b. Eket: This is the second largest city in Akwa Ibom. It is an oil city like Warri and Port Harcourt, although it is much smaller than the aforementioned. Eket is home to Exxonmobil. Eket is situated in the coastal end of Akwa Ibom State and it occupies Eket L.G.A. Cost of living in Eket is expensive and the city is undergoing a major face-lift lately. Eket is home to several polytechnics of which the most prominent is Heritage Polytechnic. Eket also has a lot of hotels and night clubs.

c. Ikot Ekpene: Ikot Epkene is the third largest city in Akwa Ibom and it is located towards the Eastern region. It is a transit city between Uyo, Calabar, Aba and Umuahia. Ikot Ekpene is a commercial city with active and booming business activities. It has good roads and infrastructure and a city center which is also a plaza. There is also a 5 star international hotel at the city center called Four Points Hotel. Ikot Ekpene is home to a university and several polytechnics/monotechnics.

Other major towns in Akwa Ibom include: Ikot Abasi, Oron and Abak.

3. There are 3 major mutually intelligible languages spoken in Akwa Ibom State. These languages are spoken in the three distinct Senatorial Districts of the state.
a. The first is pure Ibibio which is spoken in Uyo Senatorial District. This language is understandable to all Akwa-Ibomites and Efik people. It is the street language of Uyo.
b. The second is Eket (Ekid) which is spoken mainly in Eket Senatorial District along with Oron (and another language spoken in Eastern Obolo which is not intelligible to other Akwa-Ibomites called the Obolo language). This language is deeper than Ibibio. It is the street language of Eket City.
c. The third is Annang which is spoken in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. This language is clearer and closer to Ibibio than Eket based languages. It is the street language of Ikot Ekpene city. Its reach extends as far as Abak, a town barely 10 minutes away from Uyo city.

4. Akwa Ibom has one of the best network of roads in the whole of the South South and arguably Southern Nigeria at large. The roads are well paved with standard markings, walk ways and gutters. In the cities of Uyo, Ikot Ekpene and Eket, about 80% of the streets are tarred and connected with each other. The roads are clean and well maintained. Even the highways are not left out. Highways in Akwa Ibom State are well maintained and paved. There is at least one good road to every major village and town in Akwa Ibom State. One can only appreciate the state of roads in this state when compared with other oil producing states in the country.

5. Akwa Ibom State has one of the highest numbers of polytechnics/monotechnics for any Nigerian State. The whole state is saturated with various polytechnics and more are springing up everyday. Some of these polytechnics are very good.

6. Akwa Ibom State has one international airport and a deep seaport. There is no rail line in Akwa Ibom yet so the major means of transportation is by road. Kekes (tricycles), okadas (motorcycles), mini-buses and buses abound in the state. In Uyo, Kekes, minibuses and buses are the main means of transport. Transportation is very cheap across the state due to good roads.

7. The name Akwa Ibom is derived from the Qua Iboe river which runs across the state with origin from the Umuahia Hills through Ikot Ekpene to Eket, emptying into the Atlantic ocean. There is also an indigenous church in the state that uses this name as well, the Qua Iboe Church. This is one of the most popular churches in the state and it can be found in almost every community.

8. Akwa Ibom State is very corper friendly. Youth corps members are paid well and treated nicely and with respect. Prospective corps members usually lobby to be posted to Akwa Ibom state in order to have peace of mind.

9. Akwa Ibom State has a very low crime rate. Highway robbery which is common in Southern Nigeria is almost non-existent here. Armed robbery is at its barest minimum. Pilfering is exceedingly low. Security is tight in the state. In Uyo for instance, every major street has a police van on standby for emergency. Akwa Ibom is a state where you can do business with closed eyes and I am not exaggerating. These people don’t like taking what belongs to others.

10. Akwa Ibom people are one of the neatest (if not the neatest) people in Nigeria. Together with the people of Calabar, they exude a form of cultural neatness I have not seen elsewhere in Nigeria. Their cities are well taken care of. In Uyo for instance, all the streets and highways are swept on a daily basis. Litters are very few and road side dumping is almost non existent. While this may be a generalisation, it is important to stress that the people of this state do not actively entertain a dirty environment. Even in places that ought to be slums, the degree of environmental pollution cannot be compared to major cities in Nigeria.

11. Akwa Ibomites are one of the most stereotyped Nigerians. This is mainly due to the “Akpan” and “Ekaette” factor. Most Nigerians believe that Akwa Ibom boys are mainly good as houseboys and their girls like sexual activity. While I am not saying that this does not exist entirely, it is important to note that this is nothing more than a stereotype. Akwa Ibom men are normal Nigerians who want the good life, sometimes without even working for it.

Akwa Ibom women are VERY VERY BEAUTIFUL in all sense of that word and they are well endowed but the stereotype of prostitution and sexual agility is not particularly true. Most prostitutes in Akwa Ibom are not even from the state. Girls don’t go round in the state looking for boys to sleep with. Licentiousness and immorality is greatly shunned at due to the highly religious nature of the people. In fact, Akwa Ibomites are one of the most religious people in Nigeria. They like Christianity more than food. So if you are guilty of stereotyping Akwa Ibomites as dull servants and nymphomaniacs, please think again! Gone are those days!!! The average Akwa Ibomite can and will surprise you.

That’s the end of that post about Akwa Ibom people. What did you think? Could this all be true? Come to Akwa Ibom State and find out.

When a popular pizzeria and ice cream joint opens in your town, you do not need anyone to tell you that it’s the place to be. You gather all your coins, tell your girlfriends to get ready, and then you storm the place!

That’s exactly what I did when I heard that Dominos and Coldstone had FINALLY come to Uyo (I can’t believe Calabar got one before us).

On a beautiful Thursday afternoon, I walked up to the entrance with 2 friends. We were told that due to COVID restrictions, we had to wear facemasks to enter. The sign at the door also indicated that only 20 people were allowed sit in the restaurant at once. Yet, when we stepped in, It was PACKED (I expected nothing less from my Uyo people).

So, I’ll break down my experience and let you decide if it’s worth the hype.

AMBIENCE

The first thing you’ll notice when you walk in is how bright the place is. There were glass walls surrounding the restaurant which gave it an open, airy feel.  Dominos pizza occupies one half of the space while Coldstone Creamery occupies the other half.

The second thing you’ll notice is how noisy and chaotic the place is. I don’t know if it was because we went during the lunch rush but it was so loud that I developed a headache after sitting for about 30minutes. Every 10 minutes or so, the staff would do the signature chants that Dominos is known for. They’d also chant every time a customer would walk in. I’m sure a lot of people may like all the artistic flair but I prefer a quiet and relaxed dining experience. If you also prefer that, then consider having your food delivered instead of sitting in.

If you love taking pictures for the Gram, let’s just say that this is the place for you. When you visit, you’ll understand what I’m talking about. #instaworthy

WAITING TIME

So, due to budget constraints (aka I need cash resuscitation), I ordered the cheapest pizza on the menu which was the 800 naira Smallie Chicken Pizza. I also ordered a side of chicken and bbq sauce which was 1900 naira. I was told that the pizza would take 15 mins to get ready. My name was displayed on an overhead screen with the time left for my order to be fulfilled. In exactly 15 minutes, it was ready.

The Ice cream was made while I stood at the counter so that took about 5-10 minutes.

FOOD

Let’s get to the reason why we’re all here today.

So, I got my Smallie pizza and went to my seat. Once I opened it, I discovered that the Smallie was an understatement. It was no bigger than half of a small fried egg.

I didn’t let that deter me though. I forged ahead to taste my mini pizza. For the record, chicken pizza should have CHICKEN, cheese, pepperoni and more cheese. This pizza had one or two tiny chicken bits, one pepperoni slice, and no cheese. I mean, Dominos you don’t have to remind me that I’m broke o. I know.

There was a sign that said that you could buy extra cheese from 100 naira but I saw it after I had paid. Maybe it would have tasted better with more cheese.

The Ice Cream I got from Coldstone was amazing. It was a signature creation that had sweet cream, crushed oreos, chocolate chips and fudge. It cost 1400 naira without a waffle cone. With a waffle cone, it would have cost 1900 naira. I’ve made it my personal mission in life to taste every single signature creation they have. Who wants to join me?

CUSTOMER SERVICE

At the Dominos end of the place, the customer service was top notch. My server was polite and helpful because I was a bit confused at first. Even when I had a slight skirmish with the POS transaction, she was very reassuring and that made me calm down instead of panicking.

On the Coldstone end, the story was quite different. First of all, the cup options were so many and confusing. They had advertised so many promotion offers on their Instagram page but failed to indicate that those offers were limited to specific flavours. The server was impatient with us and at some point, she walked away and told us to call her when we made up our minds (let’s just assume that she was having a long day). The next server we spoke to was more helpful and he suggested choices that he thought we would like. His recommendations definitely made things easier.

Paying was a hassle at the Coldstone end as well. After getting our ice cream, our server had to escort us to the pay point where we had to wait for other servers to be attended to by the person manning the cash register. We waited for up to 15 minutes to pay. I just concluded that they were overwhelmed with customers but I hope this is something they work on soon.

PRICING 

This place is not for those with empty pockets okay?

The pizza menu ranges from a small to Chairman size pizza. Prices start at 2000 naira to 9000 naira and above.

Ice cream starts from 800 naira for a single flavour cone to 5000 naira and above for bigger portions and flavours.

Let’s just say that it’s not the kind of place I can afford to visit too frequently. If your pockets run deeper than mine, then feel free to indulge your taste buds.

So there you have it. My Dominos Pizza and Coldstone Creamery experience. What do you think? Is it worth the hype?

Share your experience with us on Twitter @DiseakwaibomNg. Use the hashtag #40DaysOfAkwaIbom